Clothes sold in Great Britain must tell you what they are made of, and the rules behind that small label are more detailed than most shoppers expect. This guide explains what the label must show, what the percentages mean and where the rules allow some give.
Who has to put a fibre content label on clothing?
According to the GOV.UK page on textile labelling, manufacturers and retailers are responsible for complying with the labelling requirements, and the label must show the fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. The page applies to England, Scotland and Wales.
The detailed rules sit in Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names, which remains available on legislation.gov.uk as part of the law of Great Britain. It applies to textile products made available on the market in Great Britain, and it treats products containing at least 80% textile fibres by weight as textile products. Products must be labelled or marked, or accompanied by commercial documents in the supply chain. A label must be durable, legible and securely attached, and the labelling must be in English.
This is different from the care label, whose symbols tell you how to wash a garment. Our guide to reading clothing care labels covers that side; the fibre content label tells you what the garment is actually made of.
Which fibre names are allowed?
A brand cannot invent a name for a fibre. Under the regulation, only the names listed in its first annex may be used to describe fibre composition, and those names are reserved for fibres that match the annex description. Cotton, wool, polyester, viscose and elastane are the kind of names you will see on labels. A different name for the same fibre would be out of line with the rules.
A manufacturer with a genuinely new fibre can apply to the Secretary of State to have a name added, supported by a technical file. GOV.UK says it will publish guidance on how to apply for a new textile name or manufacturing tolerance.
Trade marks may appear beside the composition, but the regulation requires other information to be kept separate so that the fibre list stays clear.
How is the list ordered, and what does “other fibres” mean?
The label lists each constituent fibre by name with its percentage by weight, in descending order. A jumper labelled 70% cotton, 25% polyester and 5% elastane is therefore mostly cotton, and the order tells you at a glance which fibre dominates.
Small amounts can be grouped. Under the regulation, a fibre making up 5% or less may be described as “other fibres” together with its total percentage, and several fibres that together make up no more than 15% may be grouped in the same way. It is a useful flag: if the “other fibres” line is a large share of the label, part of the garment has been left unnamed.
Percentages are calculated on the dry weight of the fibres, applying agreed allowances for moisture, not on the weight of the garment as it hangs in a shop.
Can a garment really be “100%” or “pure”?
Terms such as “pure”, “100%” and “all” may only be used for products made of a single fibre. There is a small allowance: up to 2% of other fibres is permitted, or up to 5% for carded products, if this is technically unavoidable and is not added as a routine. A “100% cotton” shirt can therefore contain a trace of something else that arrived through the production process, but not a deliberate blend.
Wool is held to a tighter standard. Under the regulation, extraneous fibres in wool products must not exceed 0.3%.
What do the wool terms promise?
“Virgin wool” and “fleece wool” are protected descriptions. Under the regulation they may only be used for wool that has not previously been part of a finished product, and that has not been over-processed or damaged. They are not a general synonym for “good wool”.
A wool description can also be used for a mixture, but only if the wool makes up at least 25% of the mixture’s weight, and the full composition must still be shown. If wool is not the main fibre, the percentage line is what tells you how much of it you are getting. For another fabric where weight and construction matter, see our piece on denim weight, wash and care.
Which parts of a garment does the label cover?
The label does not always account for every thread. The regulation sets out several allowances:
| Item | Rule under the regulation |
|---|---|
| Purely decorative, visible and isolable fibres | Up to 7% of the finished product’s weight may be left out of the composition |
| Metallic or antistatic fibres | Up to 2% of the finished product’s weight may be left out |
| Components with different fibre content | Each must state its composition |
| Minor components that are not main linings | No labelling needed if they are less than 30% of total weight |
| Non-textile parts of animal origin | Must be stated: “Contains non-textile parts of animal origin” |
GOV.UK agrees on the central point: if a product consists of two or more components with different fibre contents, the content of each must be shown. A coat will often show an outer shell, a lining and a filling separately, and a main lining is not covered by the 30% allowance.
A worked example
Take an illustrative 300g knitted top. Decorative fibres of up to 7% of its weight could be left out of the label, which is 21g (0.07 × 300). Antistatic or metallic fibres of up to 2% could also be left out, which is 6g (0.02 × 300). So the declared composition may describe slightly less than the whole weight of the cloth, and that is permitted.
How accurate does the percentage have to be?
Fibres are not weighed one by one as a garment is cut, so the regulation applies a manufacturing tolerance of 3% between the stated and the analysed composition. Extraneous fibres below 2% (5% for carded products) need not be declared. Illustratively, a label saying 60% cotton that is found on analysis to contain 57% would sit within the tolerance, while a result of 50% would not.
The regulation provides for market surveillance authorities to check conformity, and the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012 give UK enforcers powers to act on breaches. A clear mismatch between label and cloth is a matter for your local trading standards service.
Do the rules apply when you buy online?
Yes. Under the regulation, the fibre composition must be clearly visible before purchase, including where the sale is made online. That means a product page should show the composition rather than leave the shopper to find it on a label after delivery. If a listing lacks it, it is reasonable to ask the seller before buying.
Some items fall outside the standard fibre-naming duty. The regulation includes derogations, for example for certain items listed in an annex and for goods sold by the metre, where different arrangements apply.
Reading a label with the rules in mind
The fibre label is a regulated piece of information, which makes it more dependable than many marketing phrases. It tells you which fibre dominates, whether a “pure” claim stands, whether the lining is a different material, and whether animal parts are included. It does not say anything about quality, durability or environmental impact. For claims about sustainability, our guide to what to look for in fashion green claims explains why a fibre name alone proves little.
Composition also affects what is practical if you plan to change a garment, as the article on what a tailor can and cannot alter explains.
Conclusion: a short label with firm rules behind it
The fibre content label is brief by design, but each line is governed by rules on names, order, percentages and tolerances. Read it from the top: the first fibre is the main one, “100%” means a single fibre, grouped “other fibres” are limited, and separate components should be listed separately. These rules reflect the position published by GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk at the time of writing, and are worth rechecking if the law changes.
This article gives general information based on published guidance, not legal advice.
Sources: GOV.UK (Textile labelling); legislation.gov.uk (Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names)
