What a garment label must say in the US and the EU, and what it may claim

A garment label is a legal statement sewn into a product. In the US, fibre content, country of origin and the identity of the maker or seller must appear, and care instructions follow the FTC Care Labeling Rule. In the EU, fibre names and percentages follow Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. A wrong label can hold goods at the border or force a relabel in a warehouse, at a cost far above the label itself. This guide covers what a label must say, and what a label or hangtag may claim only with evidence.

Garments Hub BD is a sourcing desk; factories on its bench make the goods and sew in the labels you approve. Send the label artwork with the tech pack and confirm the wording with your importer for each market, because the factory prints what you approve and the brand selling the goods answers for what the label says.

Fibre content: names, order and tolerance

In the US, the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act requires generic fibre names with percentages by weight, listed in order of weight. A fibre below 5 percent is generally shown as "other fiber" unless it has a clear function, such as elastane for stretch; wool fibres follow the Wool Products Labeling Act. In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 allows only the fibre names in its annex, with percentages by weight, in the official language of each country where the garment is sold. Both markets allow a manufacturing tolerance of 3 percent of the total fibre weight, which covers variation, not a wrong declaration.

Generic names catch many first orders. Viscose made from bamboo is labelled viscose in the EU and rayon or viscose in the US, where "made from bamboo" may follow the name; "bamboo" alone is not a fibre name in either market. The stretch fibre is elastane in the EU and spandex or elastane in the US. Trade names of fibres are not generic names, so the generic name must appear regardless. "100 percent", "pure" or "all" is reserved for garments of a single fibre: the EU allows a small share of unavoidable foreign fibres, the US allows none beyond exempt ornamentation and trim.

Wool and cashmere naming

Wool garments sold in the US also come under the Wool Products Labeling Act, which separates wool from recycled wool and defines speciality fibres such as cashmere by fibre fineness, so a fibre named cashmere must meet that definition. In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 names cashmere as the hair of the Kashmir goat, and terms such as "virgin wool" may be used only for fibre that has never been in a finished product. In both markets, a product name or hangtag that suggests more cashmere or wool than the fibre line shows is a misleading claim.

Care instructions in words or symbols

The FTC Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR 423, Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods) requires a permanent care label giving regular care for the garment: washing or dry cleaning, drying, bleaching and ironing, with any warnings. The brand must have a reasonable basis for the instructions, such as test results. Symbols from the recognised US system may replace words.

EU law does not require a care label on clothing, but retailers expect one. The care symbols used in Europe are registered trade marks licensed by an association, so use them under its terms. In either market the care label should match what was tested: if the shrinkage and fastness tests were run at 30 degrees with line drying, the label should not say 40 degrees and tumble dry.

Origin, identity and size

For the US, the label states the country of origin, such as "Made in Bangladesh". On garments with a neck, it sits inside the centre back neck, on or beside the main label. The label also names the manufacturer or a US business that markets the garment, or carries that business's RN, a registered identification number the FTC issues to US businesses.

EU textile rules do not require a country of origin, but any origin shown must be accurate. EU product safety rules do expect the name and contact address of the manufacturer and of the importer on the garment, its packaging or a document that comes with it. Neither fibre law sets a size system; label sizes in the system your market and retailers use.

Claims a label or hangtag may carry only with evidence

A performance or environmental claim needs a test report or certificate on file before the hangtag is printed, and the claim must not go further than the evidence. A reorder in a changed fabric or finish needs fresh evidence before the same claim is reused. Typical claims and what stands behind each:

• Moisture wicking and quick dry: wicking results to AATCC 197 or AATCC 195, and a laboratory drying result, on the finished fabric.
• UPF: a rating tested to AS/NZS 4399, EN 13758-1 or AATCC 183; in the EU, the UV mark only at UPF 40 and above under EN 13758-2.
• Antimicrobial or anti odour: biocide rules apply in both markets; the treatment must be permitted, and claims to protect the wearer need far more than a test report.
• Compression in mmHg: measured pressures for each size at stated points; a medical claim brings medical device rules.
• Recycled or organic: a current GRS, RCS, GOTS or OCS certificate covering the product; GOTS "organic" needs at least 95 percent certified organic fibre.
• Fill power: tested to IDFB testing regulations; in the EU, down and feather composition labelled to EN 12934.

Recycled claims during the standard change

GRS and RCS are being replaced by Textile Exchange's Materials Matter Standard. Audits to the new standard begin on 31 December 2026, no GRS audits are held after 31 December 2027, and remaining GRS certificates are withdrawn by 31 March 2029. Write "GRS certified" only of a certificate that is current on the day the label is approved, and check the certificate against the issuer, not a copy sent by email.

What to put in your label specification

• Fibre lineGeneric fibre names with percentages by weight, in order of weight, written for each selling market.
• LanguageEnglish for the US; the official language of each EU country where the garment is sold.
• CareWashing, drying, bleaching and ironing in words or recognised symbols, matching the wash used in testing.
• Origin and identityMade in Bangladesh, the US business name or RN, and EU manufacturer and importer contact details.
• PlacementPermanent sewn labels, with origin at the centre back neck on US garments that have a neck.
• Claim evidenceA current test report or certificate for every performance, recycled or organic claim before hangtags print.
• ApprovalLabel and hangtag artwork approved in writing with the PP sample, so bulk labels match it.

Questions buyers ask