Clothing sold in the United States is subject to federal labeling requirements enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. These requirements are not optional, and they apply to every clothing brand selling in the US market — from major retailers to independent designers selling direct-to-consumer. Non-compliance can result in FTC enforcement action, consumer protection penalties, and customs holds for imported goods. This guide covers what the law actually requires, what is optional, and how woven and printed labels cover the different requirements.
The Three Federal Labeling Laws
Three separate federal laws and their implementing regulations govern clothing label requirements in the US. It is important to understand which law applies to which requirement, because they are administered separately and have different enforcement histories.
1. The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (TFPIA)
This law requires that all textile products sold in the US be labeled with the fiber content of the item. The label must list all fibers present in the fabric, in descending order by weight percentage. Any fiber composing 5% or more of the fabric must be identified by its generic name as defined by the FTC. Fibers composing less than 5% may be listed collectively as "other fiber" unless they serve a functional purpose. The label must also include the country where the product was manufactured and the name of the manufacturer, importer, or brand (or an FTC-registered RN number in place of a company name).
2. The Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423)
The FTC's Care Labeling Rule requires that every article of wearing apparel sold in the US include a permanent care label that specifies how the item should be cleaned. The care instructions must be accurate — meaning the manufacturer must have a reasonable basis for the instructions stated — and the label must be permanently attached and legible for the useful life of the garment. Care instructions may be expressed in words or using the standard care symbols defined in ASTM D5489 (which align with the international GINETEX symbols). If care symbols are used without words, the label must include a legend or reference point explaining the symbols, or the symbols must be industry-standard enough to be self-explanatory.
3. The Country of Origin Labeling Requirement (19 U.S.C. 1304)
Administered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rather than the FTC, this requirement mandates that imported goods disclose the country of origin. For clothing, this is the country where the fabric was cut and sewn into a finished garment — not the country where the fabric was woven or dyed. "Made in USA" claims have specific FTC standards: to claim US manufacture, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the United States, with no meaningful manufacturing performed outside the country.
What Must Appear on the Label
Taken together, the following information is legally required on clothing sold in the US:
- Fiber content — all fibers at 5% or more, by generic name, in descending order of percentage
- Country of origin — where the garment was cut and sewn
- Manufacturer identifier — company name or FTC-registered RN number
- Care instructions — washing, drying, ironing, bleaching, and dry cleaning information
All four of these elements can appear on a single label or be distributed across multiple labels. It is common practice to include brand name, care instructions, fiber content, country of origin, and size on a single sewn-in neck label, with an additional separate care label lower on the garment when required by the care symbol set or when the neck label space is constrained.
Size Labeling
Size labeling is not mandated by federal law in the US in the same way that care and fiber content are. However, it is a strong commercial expectation and is required by many retail buyers and platforms. Size labels are typically either woven or printed and sewn at the center back neck or at the interior waistband. There is no federally mandated size standard — US clothing sizing is not regulated — but brands must be consistent in their own sizing and must not mislabel sizes in ways that could constitute deceptive advertising.
RN Numbers
An RN (Registered Number) is a number issued by the FTC to US businesses that manufacture, import, distribute, or sell textile, wool, fur, or related products. Using an RN number on your label is an alternative to printing your full company name. Registering for an RN number is free and done through the FTC's online system. For small brands with long company names, using an RN number can free up valuable label space. For brands that are well-established and want the name visible on the label, the full company name is the standard choice.
Permanence Requirements
The Care Labeling Rule specifically requires that care labels be permanently attached and remain legible for the useful life of the garment. This rules out paper hang tags for care information — hang tags are not permanent. The label must be sewn in or otherwise permanently affixed. Ink and heat-transfer labels that fade with washing do not meet the permanence requirement.
Woven labels, when properly sewn into the garment, easily satisfy permanence requirements. The design is part of the thread structure and will not fade or wash out over the life of the garment. For detailed care information that requires small, legible text, screen-printed care labels on polyester satin are a reliable and permanent solution.
What Woven Labels Cover vs. What Printed Labels Cover
Both woven labels and printed labels can satisfy the FTC's permanence and legibility requirements, but each has practical limits.
Woven Labels
Woven labels excel at brand name, logo, and size — elements that benefit from the premium appearance and tactile quality of woven fabric. For care and fiber content text, woven labels require damask weave to achieve the thread density necessary for legible small text. A well-produced damask label can include brand name, size, fiber content, country of origin, care symbols, and an RN number on a single label — but this requires careful artwork preparation and appropriate label dimensions to keep the text legible at the woven scale.
Printed Labels
Printed labels — typically heat-transfer or screen-printed fabric labels — can carry much finer text at smaller sizes than woven labels. They are often used for the compliance information (care, fiber content, country of origin, RN) because the information is dense and the text is small. Many brands use a woven brand label at the top of the neck with a printed compliance label below or separate from it. The compliance label handles the regulatory information; the woven label handles the brand identity.
What Is Optional but Standard Practice
Several things appear on almost every garment label but are not legally required by federal law:
- Size: Commercially expected and required by most retailers, but not federally mandated.
- Website or social media: Optional. Common on premium and direct-to-consumer brands as a brand touchpoint.
- Lot or batch number: Optional. Useful for quality control and recall management but not required by clothing labeling law.
- Hang tags: Hang tags with additional brand information, pricing, or storytelling are entirely optional and cannot substitute for permanent sewn-in labels for regulatory information.
State-Level Requirements
California has additional disclosure requirements for products sold in the state, including Proposition 65 chemical disclosure for certain materials. Brands selling into California should review CA Prop 65 requirements separately, as they apply to specific chemical components that may be present in dyes, finishes, or hardware. This is primarily relevant for accessories and footwear, but some garment components — particularly zippers, buttons, and snaps — may be subject to Prop 65 disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Etsy and small-batch brands need to comply with FTC labeling rules?
Yes. The FTC's textile labeling requirements apply to all clothing sold in the US, regardless of sale channel or business size. Selling on Etsy, at craft fairs, or direct-to-consumer does not exempt a brand from federal labeling requirements. The practical enforcement risk at very small volumes is low, but compliance is still the correct approach — and it protects buyers who have a right to know what they are wearing.
Can care instructions be on a hang tag instead of a sewn label?
No. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule requires care instructions to be on a permanent label. A hang tag is not permanent — it can be removed. Care information must be sewn in or otherwise permanently attached to the garment.
What is the minimum text size that can appear on a woven label?
For standard woven labels, the practical minimum for legible text is approximately 5 to 6mm cap height. For damask weave, text down to 3 to 4mm cap height can be reproduced clearly. For compliance text that includes care symbols, fiber percentages, and country of origin in a small label, damask weave is recommended. Review the care labels page for specifications.