Fibre content labelling

Most textile goods such as clothing, socks and hosiery, fabrics and carpets must be labelled with fibre content information.

Some textile goods are excluded, including:

• second-hand goods
• footwear and textile materials used in the manufacture of footwear (eg, insoles)
• goods made up from fabric selected or provided by the customer
• belts, corsets, handkerchiefs, hats, household cloths
• miscellaneous goods such as artificial flowers, bags and cases, shoelaces and toys.

The label or marking must be in English, clearly readable and not less than 1.5 mm high. It must be easily accessible for you to read.

The label should include a list of the fibres used from the highest amount to lowest amount, and may include percentages, for example:

• 80% cotton, 20% elastane
• cotton, elastane.

The label must be a permanent label which you can see when examining the clothing. It must be on the good, or if it is not able to be seen because of the way the good is packaged, displayed or folded, it should also be on a removable label or the packaging.

Some goods (such as baby bibs, hosiery and household cleaning cloths) do not need a permanent label but they must still provide fibre content information on a removable label or packaging.

What other labels are required?

• New clothing and footwear requires country of origin labelling.
• Any type of clothing, household textile or furnishing needs a care label.
• Children's nightwear must have a fire hazard warning label.

Any person supplying, offering to supply or advertising the supply of new textile goods.

This includes goods for sale:

• in a shop
• on online auction sites
• at markets or stalls.

If you think a product has not got the correct fibre content label, you can raise a concern with us.