What Must Be on a Clothing Label
By The Velocity Wear Team
Labelling obligations are real, differ between markets and are revised. This is an orientation to what is generally involved so you know what to ask about — verify the specific requirements for each market you sell into, because getting this wrong after production means relabelling an entire run.
Fibre composition
The most consistently required element across markets. Textile labelling rules generally require the fibre content by percentage, using prescribed fibre names, in a durable label attached to the garment.
The detail varies: which fibres must be named, how small components are treated, the tolerances allowed, and the language requirements for the market. What is consistent is that you need the actual composition from your manufacturer in writing — which is the same data a product passport regime will want, so it is worth capturing per run regardless.
Care information
Care labelling is mandatory in some markets and customary in others, but commercially it is not optional anywhere: it is your defence when a garment is damaged by treatment it was not designed for.
- **Use the standard symbol sequence,** which is internationally recognised and language-independent.
- **Include decoration-specific instructions.** "Wash inside out, do not tumble dry" protects prints and is the single most useful line you can add.
- **Make it accurate for the garment as decorated,** since a print can change the appropriate care from what the blank would require.
Country of origin
Requirements differ by market, and origin for labelling purposes follows rules about where substantial manufacturing occurred rather than where a garment was finished or shipped from.
Get the origin from your manufacturer explicitly and record it. It matters for labelling, for customs, and increasingly for the traceability data buyers and regulators ask for.
Other elements to consider
- 1**Business identification.** Many markets require an identifiable responsible business on the product or packaging.
- 2**Size marking,** which is largely conventional rather than mandated, but should at least be consistent with your published measurements.
- 3**Safety information** for children’s clothing, which carries additional requirements including rules about cords and drawstrings. Treat children’s apparel as a separate compliance question.
- 4**Barcodes,** if you sell through retail, which are commercial rather than legal but need planning early.
Practicalities
Labels have their own minimums and lead times, frequently longer than the garment. Order them early, and order enough for several runs — it is cheaper per unit and removes a dependency from every future order.
Decide the format too: a woven brand label with a separate printed care label is the common arrangement, since composition and care information suit printing while a brand mark suits weaving. Some brands print care information directly onto the garment to avoid the neck-label irritation that causes people to cut labels out.
