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Selling clothing, footwear and textiles in the UK

In Great Britain, textile products are labelled with their fibre composition in English, under assimilated Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. Footwear is labelled with the materials of its upper, lining and sole. Nightwear meets flammability and labelling rules, and general product safety and UK REACH apply alongside.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Fibre labelling
Assimilated Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011
Language
English
Footwear
Materials of the upper, lining and sock, and outer sole
Nightwear
The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985
Chemicals
UK REACH covers substances in articles such as clothes
Who answers
The manufacturer, or the person placing it on the GB market

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a textile product that needs a fibre composition label? Read more
  2. 2Does the label give each fibre and its percentage by weight, in English? Read more
  3. 3Does it contain non-textile parts of animal origin, such as leather or fur? Read more
  4. 4Is it footwear, needing a material label for upper, lining and sole? Read more
  5. 5Is it nightwear, and does it meet the flammability and label rules? Read more
  6. 6Is it safe, and do UK REACH restrictions apply to its substances? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Fibre composition labelling

How textile products show what they are made of.

  • Textile products are only made available on the market if labelled, marked or accompanied with commercial documents in line with the Regulation.
  • A textile product is labelled with the name and percentage by weight of each constituent fibre, in descending order.
  • A product with two or more components of different fibre content states the content of each, unless a component is not a main lining and is under 30% of the total weight.
  • Products containing non-textile parts of animal origin carry the phrase "Contains non-textile parts of animal origin".
  • Labels are durable, easily legible, visible and accessible, and securely attached. The labelling must be in English.
  • The fibre composition must be clearly visible to the consumer before purchase, including when buying online.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your care and content labels against the fibre labelling rules, and keeps the fibre test reports with each style. Ask about this

Footwear labelling

The material label on shoes.

  • The label shows the material that makes up 80% of the surface area of the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole.
  • Where multiple materials are used, the two main materials in the composition of the footwear are shown.
  • Manufacturers are responsible for correct, accurate labels that are not misleading; retailers make sure the footwear they sell is labelled correctly.
  • For footwear placed on the UK market, the manufacturer's authorised agent is based in the UK rather than the EU.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each footwear style's material specification with its label, so the claim can be checked against the spec. Ask about this

Nightwear flammability

Fire safety rules for nightdresses, pyjamas, dressing gowns and bath robes.

  • Children's nightwear, other than pyjamas, babies' garments and cotton terry towelling bath robes, must be made of fabric that meets the flammability performance requirements of BS 5722 after washing.
  • Pyjamas, babies' garments, cotton terry towelling bath robes for children, and adults' nightwear carry a label: "KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE" in red if they do not meet the requirements; those that do carry "LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722", the fire warning, or both.
  • Nightwear treated with flame retardant chemicals carries a washing label: "DO NOT WASH AT MORE THAN 50°C. CHECK SUITABILITY OF WASHING AGENT".
  • The 1985 Regulations prohibit supplying nightwear that does not meet them; they do not apply to second-hand nightwear.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps flammability test reports with each nightwear style and checks that the label wording matches the result. Ask about this

General safety and chemicals

The safety duty and chemical rules that apply to clothing and textiles.

  • Where no product-specific regulation applies, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require producers to place only safe products on the GB market.
  • UK REACH applies to substances that make up an article, such as clothes, manufactured in or imported into GB.
  • UK REACH and EU REACH operate independently; EU REACH applies in Northern Ireland.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps suppliers' restricted substance declarations and test reports with each product, and shows which are due for renewal. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerSupplying the fibre label or marking and the accuracy of what it says.Fibre and material specifications kept with each style.
Person placing on the GB marketThe label and its accuracy where the manufacturer is not established in GB.Overseas suppliers' labels and test reports read before the goods arrive.
Distributor and retailerMaking sure products carry the right labels; becoming the manufacturer if it labels under its own name.The documents each product needs, shown when a buyer asks.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The GOV.UK textile labelling guidance applies to England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, EU REACH applies, and the EU General Product Safety Regulation applies from 13 December 2024.

Questions businesses ask

What must a clothing label show in the UK?
The fibre composition: the name and percentage by weight of each fibre, in descending order, in English. Fur and other animal parts are shown too.
Do clothing labels have to be in English?
Yes. Under the Regulation as it applies in GB, fibre labelling or marking must be provided in English.
Who is responsible for textile labels in Great Britain?
The manufacturer, or the person placing the product on the GB market if the manufacturer is not established in GB. Distributors make sure products carry the right labels.
Does a product with leather trim need a special label?
Yes. Textile products with non-textile parts of animal origin carry the phrase "Contains non-textile parts of animal origin".
Must fibre content be shown when selling clothes online?
Yes. The fibre composition must be clearly visible to the consumer before purchase, including when buying by electronic means.
What does a footwear label show?
The material making up 80% of the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole. Where multiple materials are used, the two main ones are shown.
Does children's nightwear have to be flame resistant?
Most children's nightwear must meet the BS 5722 flammability requirements. Pyjamas, babies' garments and terry towelling bath robes may instead carry a "KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE" label.
Does adult nightwear need a fire safety label?
Yes. Adults' nightwear is labelled "KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE" in red if it does not meet the flammability requirements. Nightwear that does meet them carries "LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722", the fire warning, or both.
Does UK REACH apply to clothing?
Yes. UK REACH applies to substances that make up articles, such as clothes, manufactured in or imported into Great Britain.
Which safety law applies to clothing with no specific rules?
The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 in GB, which require producers to place only safe products on the market.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the UK?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the split between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one ready. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in the UK and what your paperwork needs to show.

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