How to read a care label

Short answer: At the top are the fibres and percentages, below them the care symbols, and last the country of production and size. Those four items cover nearly everything you need.

A small label with many answers

A label is small, but it holds more answers than most people think. It tells you what the garment is made of, how to care for it, where it was sewn and what size it is. Once you know the order, you can read a label in seconds and avoid mistakes in the wash.

Fibres first

The composition is listed in descending order. What makes up the most comes first, and the percentages always add up to one hundred. If one fibre is listed first, that is what the garment mainly consists of. The smaller numbers after it are additions that change the properties a little, for example the stretch.

The percentages give a picture

The percentages give a picture of what you are dealing with. A garment with a single fibre often behaves differently from a blend, and two garments with the same fibre first can still feel different if the rest of the blend differs. So read the whole line and not just the first number.

The symbols in the middle

The symbols sit in the middle of the label. There are five symbols in a fixed order: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning. The order is the same on every label, so you can always find the symbol you want in the same place. See also the night T-shirt for men collection.

The five symbols in detail

The first symbol shows washing, often as a tub with a number, which is the highest temperature. A line under the tub means a gentler wash, and a hand means hand washing. A cross over a symbol means you must not use that method. Learn the five symbols and you can read almost any label.

Country and size last

The country is where the garment was sewn, not where the fabric came from. Those can be two different places, and the label only says something about the last link. If you want to know more about the whole route, you have to look elsewhere. See also bamboo split sheets and Turiform.

The small extra label

The size is often on a separate small label next to it. That is because size is something you want to see quickly, while the care instructions are only read now and then. On some garments the size is printed directly on the fabric instead, and then there is no label to cut off.

When the label is cut off

If you cut the label off, you lose the care instructions. If it bothers you because it itches, take a photo first and keep the picture with the receipt. Then you can always look up how the garment should be washed without the label sitting at your neck or side.

What you can use the label for

Use the label as a starting point every time you wash a new garment for the first time. Check the temperature, drying and ironing, and sort the wash by it. Write to customer service if something on the label is unclear, or if the details on the label and on the page do not match.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the label so small

Because it has to sit in a seam without being a nuisance. The details are the same whatever the size, and the most important ones are always gathered in one place.