Appendix II
Defect Classification
Apr 2020
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Table of Contents
1. Classification of Defects.................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Defect Classification for Apparels ................................................................................................................... 4
3. Defect Classification for Non-Apparels............................................................................................................ 8
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1. Classification of Defects
The following details critical and major defects by product type.
Note: Critical defects are listed within product type classification. Critical defects are anything which can
harm the user of the product. The following are some examples of critical defects but are not limited to
this list:
1. Sharp edges, i.e. broken needles, staples, snaps, rivets, wire and pins
2. In baby and kids products, loose components, i.e. buttons, snaps, stones or other miscellaneous
parts
3. Drawstrings at head or neck for baby or kids products
4. Threads or trim which are excessively long or loose which could present a choking hazard to a
baby or child if they become entangled.
Any critical defect found during an audit fails that audit and requires the factory to re-inspect 100% of the
product. Once all critical defects are removed, the order must be audited by GIS PQA or their designated
representative.
Effective July 1, 2019, apply AQL 1.0 to sewing defects – specifically - broken/skipped stitch defect and
long threads (untrimmed thread ends > 1/8”).
This will apply for all Gap Inc brands.
The re-inspection due to fail in sewing defects (broken/skipped stitch and untrimmed thread ends) only is
under Visual Inspection Sampling Plan Level 3.
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2. Defect Classification for Apparels
Effective from Jan 1, 2016, Gap Inc. removes minor visual defects from AQL.
QAS Defect Codes Defect Types Description Apparel - detailed defect type
CC01 Critical Defect - Sharp or 1 Protruding prong ring
Loose Components as defined 2 Loose snap
or hygiene contamination 3 Button damage exposed sharp edge
4 Sharp point at material or trims or fastener
5 Pin, needle or sharp things in garment
6 Small part coming off
7 Foreign material including knife, scissors,
needle, broken glass, bugs, animals...etc.
8 Mold
CC02 Critical Defect - Incorrect Incorrect fabric content
Country of Origin or Care
Content Label
CC03 Critical Defect - Violated Drawstring or ties length exceed Gap Inc.’s
Drawstring or Ties regulated requirement
VF00 Fabric Defects 1 Barre, slub, color yarn, foreign yarn
2 Uneven tension
3 Yarn drawn out, needle line
4 Coarse or thinner yarn
5 Severance yarn
6 Knot
7 Pilling
8 Break yarn
9 Bowing
10 Unsympathetic checkers & stripe
11 Printing or dyeing defect
12 Permanent crease line
13 Shade bar
14 Wrong fabric
VF01 Soil, Oil, Dirt Spot, Stain All foreign material excluding knife, scissors,
needle, broken glass, bugs, animals...etc.
VF02 Color Shading 1 Shading within garment (sleeve, body, neck,
cuff, bottom rib in different tone etc.)
2 Bleach spot not as specified.
VC00 Cutting Defects 1 Poor panel shape by poor cut handling, fabric
edge needle holds in cutting panel
2 Unsymmetrical panel shape
3 Mismatched checkers & stripes
4 Improper notch or mark position
5 Slanting or wrong grain line
6 Wrong fabric face
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VS01 Defective Stitches or Stitch 1 Incorrect SPI
Variation 2 Loose or tight stitching
3 Wrong thread used
4 Stitching margin variation, incorrect margin or
gauge, drop off and exposed stitching
5 Run off/uneven stitch density
6 Slanting stitching
7 Uneven stitching
8 Poor back stitches
9 Bulky stitches
10 Uneven stitching density
VS02 Puckering, Twisting, Curling, 1 Bubbling
& Roping Seams or Hems 2 Wrinkle or crinkle
3 Uneven or thick seam allowance
4 Puckers/twist/curling or roping hem, weaving
shirring defects by sewing
5. Wavy zipper/ binding
6 Pulling appearance at seam
7 Hiking seam
8 Needle chew
VS03 Needle Holes 1 Needle Holes
VS04 Fabric Holes 1 Broken yarn
2 Drop knitting stitch
3 Fabric holes
VS05 Open Seam 1 Raw edge
2 Broken linking yarn
3 Broken stitches, thread breaks
4 Skipped stitch
VS06 Pleats 1 Uneven shirring which is obvious
2 Occur pleats by poor sewing
VS07 Misaligned/Mismatched Parts 1 Asymmetric pocket, placket
or Incorrect Construction per 2 Unmatched stripe
Tech Pack 3 Unmatched button / button hole
4 Uneven button distance
5 Expose under facing
6 Incorrectly placed parts or seams.
7 On garment or between lining/garment or
between trim/garment
8 Exposed seam allowance
9 Show out under part
10 Exposed under placket by misplace buttoning
11 Misplaced bar tacking
VS08 Improper Repair - Poor mending where thread cluster on inside
- Functional thread ends, after repair, exceed
the standard from Gap Technical Designers’
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requirement.
VS09 Untrimmed Thread Ends 1 Untrimmed thread ends > 1/8" excluding
functional thread ends such as ¼” rabbit ears of
button stitch … etc.
2 Any other long thread defect > 1/8"
3 Raw edge by improper button hole opening
4 Knot found at surface
VS10 Malfunctioning, Defective or 1 Trims like zipper and button cannot open
Missed Parts or Trim easily or too loose.
2 Wrong zipper, bur, rivet, button, snap
labeled…
3 Insecure trims
4 Missing trims
VS99 Sewing mark 1 Presser foot mark
2 Feed dog abrasion mark.
VW01 Pressing Defect (badly 1 Hiking appearance
wrinkled, creased, scorched, 2 Glazing mark
or marked) 3 Hi low or wavy at bottom hem by pressing
4 Poor neck shape by pressing
5 Unbalance shape > 1/8"
VW02 Wrong Finish Aesthetic 1 Hand feel, pilling, over wash
2 Color fade out, dye defect
3 Washing line mark/streak mark.
4 Dry Process Washing effect in denim off
position or different in shape/size as approved
like whiskers, grinding, PP spray.
5 Washing effect too light or heavy in both
underground color or weft yarns.
6 Fold mark
7 Permanent crease line
8. Hanger mark
VW03 Incorrect Shade 1 Color change on part of the garment or trim.
VW04 Broken Stitches due to Wash Same as QAS description
VW05 Unattached or loose threads Float thread ends not removed.
VW99 Other Finishing Defects 1 Odor
2 Too damp
3 Feels too sticky
4 Leftover washing chemicals/ stones/sand on
garment
VP01 Defective Printing 1 Off print or missing on the pattern printed
2 Off center or slanting/ distorted print
3 Printing defect
VP02 Defective Heat Transfer 1 Blur label wordings and cannot read
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2 Slanted label setting
3 Insecure label stacked on garment
4 Color fade
5 Off center or slanting print
6 Insecure heat set trims like beans
VE00 Defective Embroidery 1 Misplaced embroidery pattern
2 Stitching too loose or tight
3 Improper position
4 Asymmetric shape
5 Wrong thread density
6 Left over interlining not tear off
7 No sharp points allowed for baby and kids
VT01 Incorrect or Missing Trim 1 Insecure label, wrong or missing label
(except OCR/barcode) 2 Improper trim sewing which lead to falls off
risk.
3 Incorrect color or missing/ insecure
button/snap
VT02 Incorrect Placement of Trim 1 Main label at obvious position placement
(ex: button, flasher, sticker) deviation >1/8"
2 Care label inside garment placement deviation
+/- ½”, sewn with letters unseen.
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3. Defect Classification for Non-Apparels
QAS Defect Codes Defect Types Description Non-apparels - detailed defect type
CC01 Critical Defect-Sharp or 1 Sharp points or edge of hardware or plastic
Loose Components as Parts
Defined or hygiene 2 Insecurely attached hardware or plastic parts
contamination 3 Velcro corner not trimmed
4 Foreign material including knife, scissors,
needle, broken glass, bugs, animals...etc.
5 Mold
CC02 Critical Defect-Incorrect COO / brand or care content Label, imported ID,
Country of Origin or Care care instruction not as specified
Content Label
CC03 Critical Defect-Violated Drawstring / ties or bungee cord length exceed
Drawstring or Ties Gap requirements
VF00 Fabric Defects Material defects (Shell & lining fabric / leather /
PVC / hardware / plastic parts)
VF01 Soil, Oil, Dirt Spot, Stain Dirt marks, soil, paint stain, over edge painting,
glue marks, chalk marks
VF02 Color Shading 1 Shading in one pair
2 Bleach spot not as specified.
VC00 Cutting Defects 1 Incorrect grain line or nap direction, drill holes
or notch marks shown out
2 Cutting edges not smooth for hardware goods.
VS01 Defective Stitches Skipped / wavy or broken joints, untidy joints,
uneven joints, margin uneven, joints in
unbalanced tension, incorrect SPI, not uniform SPI
VS02 Puckering, Twisting, Curling 1 Seams: significant puckering, grinning, roping,
& Roping Seam or Hems twisted, stretched, slippage
2 Assembling joints slant/wavy.
VS03 Needle holes Needle holes or chews
VS04 Fabric Holes Fabric or leather holes
VS05 Open Seam Open seam/edge caused by poor stitching or
gluing, raw edge, broken jointed edge
VS06 Pleats Part caught by irrelative job
VS07 Misaligned / Mismatched 1 Misaligned / Mismatched parts
parts or Incorrect 2 Missing trim or loose/wrong components.
Construction Per Tech Pack 3 Unbalance pair products. E.g. Ear-rings, sun
glass.
VS08 Improper Repair - Poor mending where thread cluster on inside
- Functional thread ends, after repair, exceed the
standard from Gap Technical Designers’
requirement.
VS09 Untrimmed Threads 1 Untrimmed thread ends > 1/8" excluding
functional thread ends such as ¼” rabbit ears of
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button stitch … etc.
2 Any other long thread defect > 1/8"
3 Protruded parts/edges.
4 Excessive glue protruded, untrimmed mold
edges.
5 Untrimmed/unpolished edges for hard goods
VS10 Malfunctioning, Defective Malfunctional zipper, missing parts or label
or Missed Parts or Trim parts cannot open/wear/function properly, parts
detached easily.
VS99 Sewing mark Same as QAS description and not any of above
sewing defects.
Wavy zipper / binding or piping, feed dog
abrasion marks, presser foot marks…etc.
VW01 Pressing Defect (badly E.g. Badly wrinkled, creased, scorched or marked
wrinkled, creased, or wrong/poor polishing in surface defect.
scorched, or marked)
VW02 Wrong Finish Aesthetic Distorted shape, poor corner shape, hidden
piping, incorrect stuffing effect, asymmetric
shape. i.e. poor polishing in product shape defect.
VW03 Incorrect Shade 1 Color change on part of the garment or trim.
2 Poor/wrong paint, enamel or other coating lead
to shading.
VW04 Broken Stitches due to Frey edges
Wash broken or distorted parts, cracks
VW05 Unattached or loose Float thread ends not removed.
threads
VW99 Other Finishing Defects 1 Poor edge painting,
2 Incorrect fastening function plating defect
(tarnished / ruffed-off),
3 Odor, mildews
4. Poor washing effect / washing defect
5. Poor embossment, gluing defect (over
cementing), bubbles, dent / scratched
6 Wrinkled marks, scorched mark by heat iron,
7 Flash point or edge not trimmed, filler
exposed...etc.
VP01 Defective Printing Incorrect screen printing color, misplaced printing
position, off print, missing printing
VP02 Defective Heat Transfer Blur label wording by poor temperature, slanted
label setting, unsecured label sticking
VE00 Defective Embroidery 1. Incorrect stitch density
2. Incorrect embroidery pattern
3. Placement as not specified
VT01 Incorrect or Missing Trim 1 Insecure label, wrong or missing label
(except OCR/barcode) 2 Improper trim sewing which leads to fall-off risk.
3 Incorrect color or missing/ insecure button/snap
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4 No sharp points allowed for baby and kids
garment
VT02 Incorrect Placement of Trim 1 Main label at obvious position placement
(ex: button, Flasher, Sticker) deviation >1/8"
2 Care label inside garment placement deviation
½”, sewn with letters unseen.
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