The short version: A clothing label must list every fibre by percentage of weight, largest first — that is the law in both the EU and the US. It tells you what a garment is made of, not how well. Read the first and last fibres, check the lining separately, then judge the cloth with your hands.
The composition label is the only fact on a garment that a regulator stands behind. Everything else — the hangtag, the product copy, the word “premium” — is marketing. In the European Union, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names sets what the label must say; in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission enforces the Textile and Wool Acts. Both are more useful than most shoppers realise, once you know what they force a brand to disclose and what they let it leave out.
The question has new weight this autumn. In a survey published by the materials company Samsara Eco and reported by Just Style on 13 October, more than 80% of 5,208 respondents said knowing what a garment is made from matters to them. The respondents were a self-selected community, mostly aged 18 to 24, so the figures describe engaged shoppers rather than everyone. Their top complaints were thinning fabric or holes (62%), split seams (55%) and pilling (50%) — the very failures a label can help you predict.
What does the law make a clothing label tell you?
Every fibre, by name and by percentage of weight, in descending order. Under the EU regulation, each constituent fibre must be named with its share by weight, largest first. Fibres of up to 5% each, or up to 15% together, may be grouped as “other fibres” where their exact share is hard to state at manufacture. Only a product made entirely of one fibre may be called “100%”, “pure” or “all” — with a tolerance of 2% of extraneous fibre, or 5% for carded products, if it is technically unavoidable. Products with non-textile parts of animal origin, such as a leather patch or fur trim, must say “Contains non-textile parts of animal origin”.
The US rules work the same way with some useful differences. The FTC requires generic fibre names with percentages by weight, highest first, plus the country where the garment was made and the identity of the company responsible, either by name or by a Registered Identification Number. Fibres under 5% are usually lumped as “other fiber(s)”, with two exceptions: wool must always be named with its percentage, and a fibre with a functional purpose, such as spandex for stretch, may be named. Percentages may vary by up to 3%, but no tolerance applies to a “100%” or “All” claim. A separate FTC rule requires a permanent care label.
What does a composition label not tell you?
Almost everything about quality. A label states which fibre, not which grade of it. It does not tell you the fibre length, the yarn twist, the density of the weave or knit, the finish, the seam construction or where the raw fibre was grown. Two shirts both reading “100% cotton” can be a long-staple poplin that lasts a decade or a thin, short-fibre jersey that pills by spring.
This month brought a good illustration. TIME named a windbreaker by the German brand Armedangels among its Best Inventions of 2026; its label reads simply 100% lyocell. The same fibre makes plenty of limp, drapey T-shirts. What turned it into a wind barrier was yarn, weave and compaction — none of which appears on the label. The fibre is the starting point; the making decides the rest.
Which fibres are worth paying for?
The answer depends on the job, but the honest shortlist is natural or cellulosic fibres used in the right place. One. Wool, for warmth that breathes and recovers its shape; the more of it in a coat or knit, the better it tends to behave. Two. Linen and good cotton, for shirts, trousers and summer weight. Three. Silk, for linings and fluid pieces where its strength for weight earns the price. Four. Lyocell and other well-sourced cellulosics, for drape and comfort — with the caveat that where the wood came from matters, which is why the campaign group Canopy rates the producers.
Cashmere deserves its own note because it is the fibre most often oversold. Under FTC rules, fibre can only be labelled cashmere if it is the fine undercoat of the cashmere goat, averages 19 microns or less in diameter and contains no more than 3% by weight of fibres coarser than 30 microns. Otherwise it must be labelled wool. The rule sets a floor; it does not grade a good cashmere from a merely legal one.
Which fibre mixes signal cost-cutting?
The tell is a valuable fibre named on the hangtag and diluted on the label. A “wool coat” that reads 30% wool and 70% polyester is a polyester coat with a wool story. A “cashmere blend” jumper at 5% cashmere is an acrylic or wool jumper with a selling point. Because US rules require wool to be named even below 5%, a token percentage can legally appear — and then appear again, larger, in the advertising.
Polyester and acrylic in knits are the next tell. Synthetic fibres are strong, which sounds like a virtue until a pill forms: the strong fibre holds the bobble to the surface instead of letting it shed. Pilling was a top-three complaint in the Samsara Eco survey for a reason. And “recycled polyester” is still polyester — it sheds microfibres much as virgin polyester does.
When is a blend a good sign?
When the minor fibre does a specific job. A few percent of elastane in denim or tailoring trousers lets the cloth recover after you sit down. Nylon in the heel and toe of a wool sock makes it last. A silk-wool mix in a suit can add drape. The question to ask of any blend is simple: what is the second fibre doing that the first could not? If the answer is “making it cheaper”, the label has told you what you needed to know.
How do you read a label in the shop?
It takes under a minute once you have done it a few times. One. Read the first fibre and its percentage: is the hero fibre on the hangtag actually the main one? Two. Read the last fibre: a small synthetic share in a knit is the most common source of pilling. Three. Find the lining and padding, which are often listed separately — a wool coat with a polyester lining and polyester wadding is a different garment from one lined in cupro or viscose. Four. Check the country of manufacture and the company named, so you know who answers for it. Five. Read the care label as evidence: a garment that cannot be washed, cleaned or pressed in any practical way will not last in your hands. Six. Put the label down and handle the cloth — weight, density against the light, recovery when you stretch it, the seams inside. Our seven checks for judging a plain tee and our wool-coat guide show what to feel for.
The label narrows the field; your hands make the decision. It is worth being honest about where that leads. The mid-tier mass market leans hardest on hangtag stories that the composition label quietly contradicts, so it is the easiest place to skip entirely. Vintage pieces from when natural fibres were the default, independent designers and craft workshops that name their mills, accessible-luxury labels that publish full compositions, and a few carefully chosen luxury pieces will reward a careful reader far more often.
Frequently asked questions
Is 100% cotton always better than a cotton blend?
No. A single fibre tells you nothing about its grade or construction, and a small share of elastane can make trousers or denim keep their shape far better. A blend is a problem when the second fibre is there to cut cost rather than to do a job.
What does “other fibres” mean on a clothing label?
It groups minor fibres whose exact share is hard to state. In the EU this covers fibres of up to 5% each or 15% together; in the US, fibres under 5% are usually grouped this way, though wool must always be named with its percentage.
Is viscose or lyocell a natural fibre?
Neither is natural in the way cotton or wool is. Both are man-made cellulosic fibres: wood pulp processed into fibre. Their quality and footprint depend heavily on the producer and the wood source, which is why ratings such as Canopy’s Hot Button Report exist.
Can a cashmere label be wrong?
It can be misleading. US rules require cashmere to meet a fineness standard, and EU rules allow small tolerances, but neither grades quality above the legal minimum. A low-percentage “cashmere blend” is legal and usually poor value.
Why does my label list the lining separately?
Because the lining is a different fabric doing a different job. In the US, linings used for warmth must be disclosed as a separate section. Always read it: a polyester lining can undo much of the comfort of a wool or linen shell.
What this means for you
The composition label will not tell you a garment is good. It will tell you, reliably and under law, when a garment is not what its marketing claims, and that alone filters out a large share of what is on the rails. Read the first fibre, the last fibre and the lining, then let your hands finish the job.
The next move is yours.
Sources: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and labelling · FTC, Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements · Just Style on the Samsara Eco survey · Just Style on Canopy’s Hot Button overhaul · TIME, Best Inventions of 2026
