What is The Clothing Care Label and Why You Need To Care To Know?
CLOTHING CARE LABEL
TAAS DIGITAL
November 15, 2019
Care Label for Clothing
The importance of care labels in clothing cannot be overstated. These labels, often overlooked amidst the hustle and bustle of clothing line development and manufacturing, are crucial for the timely completion and shipment of your apparel order.
Moreover, omitting clothing care labels could lead to legal issues as all wearable clothing products are required by law to have them.
There are typically four types of labels found on most garments:
Main Label
Size Label
Care label with fabric content
Country of origin (COO) and RN number label
Main Label
Usually located at the center back neck (inside the garment), the main label features the clothing brand. Although not legally required, including it for brand consistency is recommended. The design should align with the overall branding image of the apparel brand. Digital tools can be used for designing and reviewing placement in a 3D format.
Size Label
Clothing lines are designed in size ranges, with two primary sizing methods - alpha (letters) and numeric (numbers). Standard symbols for alpha sizing include notes such as S, M, L, and XL, while numeric sizing uses even numbers like 0, 2, 4, 6, etc. Each garment is labeled with a corresponding size label.
Care label with fabric content
This label provides essential information on properly caring for the garment to maintain its quality and longevity.
The symbols describe the garment care information; however, some apparel brands choose to deliver simplified writing, such as dry clean only (not recommended). The care label is there to inform the consumer about the best cleaning practices for certain fabric combinations, fabric content, and decoration to preserve the appearance and fit of the purchased garment after repeated cleaning (ideally).
Additional information should include cleaning practices that could be harmful to the clothing, such as bleach, high iron, or drying temperature.
The garment care label is usually placed at the side seam (wearer’s left side) approximately 4” above the bottom hem (for tops).
Fabric content must be disclosed in full. It would be best to accurately list the percentage of each fiber in descending order (FTC-Federal Trade Commission requirements). If the garment has trims and decorations (belts, braids, ribbons) in the range below 15% of the garment, they are exempted from the labeling requirements. Ornamentation below 5% of the overall clothing item is also excluded from the labeling requirement. However, the label should contain the phrase “ exclusive of ornamentation” after all percentages of fibers are listed. All fibers should be listed by their generic names. For example, spandex, lycra, and elastane are all the same. The name “spandex” is an anagram of the word “expands,” and lycra is a brand name for spandex (made by Invista/former DuPont). The generic name spandex is mostly used in the U.S., while the rest of the world uses the generic name elastane.
Country of origin (COO) and RN number label
This label indicates the place where the garment was made. In some cases, when the fabric is imported from another country, the label must read made in XX country from imported fabric or assembled in XX country from imported materials.
In general, you don’t have to create four separate labels. All information can be included on a single label. However, it must be legible to read and not detract from the required information.
RN number is the manufacturer’s registered identification number. The Federal Trade Commission issues RN numbers to U.S. companies that manufacture, import or handle textiles. If the clothing item is imported, the label must have the RN number of the importer.
What information is required on a clothing label by law?
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established two separate laws for the information required on all clothing labels. Under the Textile and Wool Acts Requirements, the label must list three pieces of information about the garment:
Fiber content
Country of origin
Manufacturer, importer, or dealer
Under the care labeling rule, care instructions for the garment must be disclosed.
All requirements for the clothing label have very particular parameters outlined in the Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the textile and wool acts” and The Textile Products Identification Act.
You can find additional information about clothing care labeling rules and regulations at FTC’s Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule and Product Responsibility Best Practices.
Remember, care labels serve not only as a legal requirement but also as a guide for consumers to maintain the quality of their garments. Therefore, they should always be addressed in the manufacturing process.
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