A towel sample confirms more than colour and size. Approving it properly means checking it against every part of your specification — and keeping it afterward as the reference the full order is measured against.
What Changes the Answer
How rigorous this needs to be depends on the order. A reorder of an already-proven product needs a lighter check. A new specification, a new supplier relationship, or a program headed for commercial laundering (hotels, gyms, spas) all warrant the full checklist below, including a wash test.
The Sample Approval Checklist
GSM Check
Weigh the sample or confirm it falls within the agreed GSM range.
Dimensions
Measure the finished size, not the folded display size.
Colour Match
Compare against your Pantone reference or approved swatch in daylight.
Absorbency
Test how quickly and how much the sample actually absorbs.
Shrinkage
Wash the sample once and remeasure against the original dimensions.
Colourfastness
Check for fading or bleeding after the wash test.
Stitching & Hems
Check for even stitching, secure hems, and no loose threads.
Branding Placement
Confirm embroidery or label position, size and alignment.
What "Pass" Looks Like
Where This Doesn't Apply
One wash cycle isn't always enough. For commercial laundering environments — hotels in particular — a single wash test confirms basic shrinkage and colourfastness but doesn't fully predict durability across hundreds of industrial wash cycles. Ask about multi-wash testing for large hospitality programs.
A sample approved without a shrinkage test is a colour-and-size approval only, not a durability approval — useful to know when deciding how much testing a given order actually needs.
Cotelle's Sampling Process
Every order supplied by Cotelle moves through specification confirmation and sample approval before bulk manufacturing begins. The approved sample becomes the control reference production is checked against through to quality control and export.
Ready to request a sample against your specification?
Send Your Specification