Clothing Samples in Portugal: Timeline, Cost, Rounds | NovaSupplier
Clothing Samples in Portugal: Timeline, Cost, Rounds
Matias Santos, Founder·
Factories on NovaSupplier report a median sample lead time of 2 weeks. Here is what each sample type is for, what drives the cost, and how to get from first proto to approved PP sample without extra rounds.
How long does a clothing sample take in Portugal?
Of the 27 factories on NovaSupplier that publish a sample lead time (Oct 2026, self-reported), the median is 2 weeks, and 23 of the 27 quote an upper bound of 3 weeks or less. The longest upper bound any of them quotes is 6 weeks. That is the time to make one sample once the factory has a complete brief and materials; most styles need more than one round, and shipping is extra.
The rest of this guide explains which sample types exist, what drives cost, what to send so the first round is useful, and how to approve a sample so bulk matches it.
What do Portuguese factories report for sample lead times?
Data: NovaSupplier factory profiles, October 2026. 27 active factories publish a sample lead time. Figures are self-reported by each factory and describe one sample round.
The clock starts late. A factory's lead time usually runs from the point it has an approved brief, a pattern or reference, and the fabric. If fabric must be sourced or dyed, add that time. Confirm in writing when the clock starts.
It is per round. Two rounds at 2 weeks each, plus shipping and your review time, is closer to 6 weeks than 2.
It is not production. Bulk production is a separate stage, typically 6 to 10 weeks after sample approval. The production timeline guide maps the full calendar.
Which types of clothing samples will you need?
Not every project needs every sample type. A small first run of a basic T-shirt might go from one proto straight to a PP sample; a tailored jacket in a new fabric may need all of them.
Sample type
Purpose
Fabric
When you need it
Proto (prototype)
Check the pattern, construction and overall look
Often a substitute fabric
First round of any new style
Fit sample
Check measurements and fit on a body or form in the base size
Final or close-to-final fabric
After proto, until the fit is right
Salesman sample (SMS)
Selling, wholesale showrooms, photography
Final fabric and trims
When you sell before production
Size set
Check grading across the size range
Final fabric
When you produce several sizes and the grade is new
The PP sample is the one that matters contractually. It is the physical standard the factory produces against, so keep one signed and labelled copy and ask the factory to keep the other.
How many sample rounds should you plan for?
There is no reliable industry statistic for the average number of rounds, and the factories on NovaSupplier do not publish one. In practice the number depends on three things you control:
Brief completeness. A full tech pack with measurements, tolerances and construction details removes guesswork. A sketch and a reference photo leaves the factory to interpret.
Whether the fabric is final. Each fabric change can change shrinkage, drape and fit, which resets the fit check.
How you give feedback. One consolidated comment sheet with measurements and photos produces a better second round than a series of messages.
For budgeting, NovaSupplier's startup cost guide recommends planning for at least two sample rounds per style rather than one.
What drives the cost of a clothing sample?
A sample costs far more per piece than the same garment in bulk, because one garment carries the pattern work, cutting set-up and a skilled sample maker's time on its own. The main cost drivers are:
Pattern making. Creating a pattern from a sketch or reference is the largest single cost on a first sample. Bringing a production-ready pattern lowers it.
Development from a reference. Some factories can develop a style from a physical garment you send. This saves you a pattern maker but the factory's time is charged.
Fabric. Sample yardage from a mill, or a dye lot for a custom colour, can cost more than the sewing.
Trims and decoration. Custom labels, zips, prints and embroidery each need set-up for a single piece.
Complexity. A lined jacket with many panels takes longer than a jersey tee.
Rush requests. Shorter lead times usually cost more.
As a planning range, NovaSupplier's cost guide for starting a brand puts a standard garment sample from a Portuguese factory at €150 to €500. Only a few factories publish a sample price on their NovaSupplier profile, so most will quote per project once they see your brief. Ask whether the sample fee is deducted from your first production order: some factories do this, many do not. Our guide to what it costs to produce clothing in Portugal covers bulk pricing.
What should you send a factory before the first sample?
The first round is only as good as the information behind it. Send:
A tech pack with flat sketches, a measurement chart for the base size, tolerances and construction notes (what a tech pack needs)
Fabric details: composition, weight in GSM, knit or weave, colour reference, or a physical swatch
Trims list: labels, zips, buttons, prints, with placement
A physical reference garment if you have one, marked with what to copy and what to change
Your target quantity per style and colour, and target price, so the factory samples something it can actually produce at that level
Quantity matters because it decides which factory is realistic. Across the factories that publish MOQ data on NovaSupplier (60 factories, 772 product ranges, Oct 2026), 364 ranges have a minimum of 100 units or less and 80 have a minimum of 50 or less. The low MOQ guide explains how to find them. If you need to brief several factories at once, use the RFQ template and check what a factory needs before it will quote.
How do you approve a sample so bulk matches it?
Approval is a check against the spec, not a feeling. For each round:
Measure. Lay the garment flat and measure every point on your chart. Record the deviation from spec and whether it is within tolerance.
Wash test. Wash one sample as your care label will instruct, then measure again. Shrinkage that shows up only after washing is a common cause of bulk complaints.
Fit on a body. Try it on a fit model or yourself in the base size and photograph front, side and back.
Check details. Stitching density, seam finishes, label placement, print position and colour against the approved reference under daylight.
Write one comment sheet. Numbered comments, each with a measurement or photo, and a clear "approved", "approved with comments" or "resample".
Sign the PP sample. When approved, sign and date a tag on the sample, and confirm in writing that bulk will match it.
Shipping adds time to every round. Inside the EU a parcel from Portugal does not go through customs. To the UK or the US it does, and duty or tax can apply even to one garment. Our guide on how to ship clothing samples from a Portuguese factory covers paperwork, customs and couriers.
On NovaSupplier the sample payment and the shipping sit together in NovaSupplier Logistics. The factory creates a sample payment and you pay it. When the sample is ready, the factory enters origin, weight and dimensions and you enter the destination. The platform shows EnviaJa and Eurosender rates, you pick and pay one, the factory gets the label, and tracking is on the platform.
NovaSupplier lists 73 active manufacturers, all in Portugal. It is completely free for brands. Manufacturers pay a 3.5% commission on every order placed through the platform, including reorders.
Frequently asked questions
Of the 27 factories on NovaSupplier that publish a sample lead time (Oct 2026, self-reported), the median is 2 weeks per round and 23 quote 3 weeks or less. Add fabric sourcing, shipping and your review time, and expect more than one round for a new style.
NovaSupplier's startup cost guide puts a standard garment sample at €150 to €500. The cost rises with pattern work, custom fabric, trims and complexity, so ask each factory for a quote against your brief.
Sometimes. Some factories deduct the sample cost from the first order; many treat it as a separate development charge. Ask before you pay and get the answer in writing.
Many can. On NovaSupplier, factory profiles show whether a manufacturer can work from a reference garment and whether it offers pattern making or tech pack development.
A fit sample checks measurements and fit, and can be in close-to-final fabric. A PP sample is made in bulk fabric with final trims and labels and becomes the standard that production must match.
There is no reliable published average. Plan and budget for at least two rounds per style, and reduce the number with a complete tech pack, final fabric and one consolidated comment sheet per round.
