Checklist on How to Select Branded Surplus Garments

Checklist on How to Select Branded Surplus Garments Are you a fan of export surplus garments?

Read this checklist to avoid purchasing a defective or a fake surplus garment.

Most of the garments sold in the export surplus stores are leftover garments or defective garments as per the buyer’s quality specification, or excess quantity produced by export garment manufacturers. In a nut cell, a branded surplus garment made of quality raw materials might be having visible or hidden defects.

Export surplus stores sell original branded garments that may contain defective parts and/or defective trim(s). The branded surplus garment that does not hinder the functionality of the garment is okay with many wearers as they choose to buy surplus products.

Two kinds of defects you may find in surplus garments - Defects in functional trims and aesthetic properties. Following are a few guidelines to purchase original export quality garments and to know the defects that lie in the garments.

1. Check the Brand label - The branded surplus garment don't suppose to sell surplus garments with original labels. So, they cut labels prior to selling surplus goods to whole sellers and retailers. If you find a cut label it might be the original product.

2. Check Shade Variation - Check if there is shade variation between garment parts, like the sleeve-to-body, and front-to-back shade variation.

3. Check the backside of the branded surplus garment where the label is attached. There might be a needle hole or cut.

4. Check Timings - check all rivets and buttons are attached securely (for jeans).

5. Don't miss to check the joins at the crotch area. There might be broken seams or skipped stitches.

6. Wrong placement of logos or distorted logo - Due to the wrong placement of embroidered logo or distorted logo, the garment is considered a defective product. But as a surplus customer, this is not an issue.

7. Check cut and hole - For knits products, there might be needle cuts in stitch lines. Check needle cut by stretching stitches. Just check the branded surplus garment and armhole stitches to ensure the needle cut is there or not.

8. Check broken seam in the waistband - If you are purchasing branded surplus garments with elastic at the waistband. Check the stitch lines on the waistband thoroughly. If you find stitches are not secured or loose thread on the seam line avoid buying that piece.

9. Check garment size – There might be a mismatch between the actual garment size and the size mentioned in the size label. So, don’t believe in the size label only, check garment width and length by opening folds.

Also remember, branded surplus garments make customer fool by selling inferior quality garments by attaching duplicate labels of international brands. Fake garments might look the same in design but the raw materials of the fake garments are not as good as the branded products.

10. For full-sleeve check and stripe shirts - Just check the sleeve underarm stitch line. If check patterns are symmetric then it is an original product. If you find one side of the seam line is straight and the other side is diagonal stripes then most probably that shirt is made locally. Don't buy that piece because the low-quality fabric is used for making the branded surplus garment.

11. Check shirt front placket - if you find fabric selvedge is used in the front placket then it is not a branded shirt. In fake shirts, you would not find buttons in sleeve plackets.