How clothes and shoes are made, sized, labeled and cared for.

A guide for people in Europe and North America who want to buy well and keep what they buy. Every article quotes the official page it rests on and says where that page's advice stops.

Labels·Explainer·October 27, 2026·3 min

What Gore Says Its Certifications Cover: bluesign®, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 and GRS on GORE-TEX Products, as the Brand States Them

Gore, the maker of GORE-TEX fabrics and laminate, describes three third-party certifications on its own blog: bluesign®, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 and the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). This profile collects those brand-attributed statements, including the share of shipped Fabrics volume the brand reports as certified, where the figures stop, and how you can check certifications on a product you are considering.

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Fit

How Levi's Says to Size Its Jeans: Measuring, the Size Charts and the Fits

A walkthrough of Levi's own Product Size Guide: how to measure waist, hips and inseam, what the men's and women's size charts list in inches, how the height-range note works, how the brand defines its fits, and what it says about stretch and shrink-to-fit denim.

Care

How to Clean and Care for Nubuck and Suede Shoes (sneakers/trainers), Following KEEN's Own Brushing, Stain and Storage Steps

Nubuck and suede look soft and velvety because of a raised surface texture called the nap, and that texture is what dictates care. This guide walks through the routine as KEEN's shoe care guide (October 1, 2024) gives it: brushed-off dry dirt, a damp cloth, an eraser for stubborn spots, vinegar or rubbing alcohol for heavy stains with a patch-test caution, nap repair with a suede brush, an optional PFAS-free waterproofing spray, and seasonal storage stuffed with newspaper. Also included: what distinguishes nubuck from suede, where the brand's advice stops, and how to check each step against the source page.

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Labels·What the rule saysUK·October 26, 2026·5 min
What the rule says (UK): the DMCC Act 2024 ban on fake and hidden incentivised reviews — and what it means when you read clothing and shoe reviews
The UK's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 adds prohibitions on submitting or commissioning fake reviews, reviews that conceal an incentive, and publishing reviews in a misleading way. A reader's guide to what the Act's Explanatory Notes say, and how to read clothing and shoe reviews with it in mind.
Care·Guide·October 26, 2026·3 min
How to Clean and Care for Nubuck and Suede Shoes (sneakers/trainers), Following KEEN's Own Brushing, Stain and Storage Steps
Nubuck and suede look soft and velvety because of a raised surface texture called the nap, and that texture is what dictates care. This guide walks through the routine as KEEN's shoe care guide (October 1, 2024) gives it: brushed-off dry dirt, a damp cloth, an eraser for stubborn spots, vinegar or rubbing alcohol for heavy stains with a patch-test caution, nap repair with a suede brush, an optional PFAS-free waterproofing spray, and seasonal storage stuffed with newspaper. Also included: what distinguishes nubuck from suede, where the brand's advice stops, and how to check each step against the source page.
Fit·Explainer·October 25, 2026·4 min
How Levi's Says to Size Its Jeans: Measuring, the Size Charts and the Fits
A walkthrough of Levi's own Product Size Guide: how to measure waist, hips and inseam, what the men's and women's size charts list in inches, how the height-range note works, how the brand defines its fits, and what it says about stretch and shrink-to-fit denim.
Fit·Brand program·October 24, 2026·3 min
Levi's Tailor Shop Repair Services: What Red Tab Members Get, What Repairs Cost, and How Long They Take — As the Brand States It
A brand program profile of Levi's Tailor Shop repair services, drawn from the company's own help-center pages: who can use them, when repairs are free, what paid repairs start at per the page as updated April 21, 2026, why zipper damage is sent to the warranty process, and the turnaround-time estimates the brand publishes. Details may change without notice.
Labels·ExplainerEU·October 22, 2026·4 min
What the EU Ecolabel on Clothing and Textiles Actually Certifies — Criteria, Validity Through 2028 and the Ongoing Revision
The EU Ecolabel is the European Union's official voluntary label for environmental excellence, and it covers both textile products and footwear. Based on the European Commission's own product-page material, we explain what the label guarantees for textiles and shoes, which criteria decisions currently apply, how long those criteria remain valid after the 23 December 2025 amendment, and what the ongoing revision means for shoppers.
Labels·What the rule saysEU·October 22, 2026·4 min
What the Rule Says (EU): Directive (EU) 2024/1799 Promoting Repair — What It Requires, Since When, and What It Covers
An explainer of the EU's Directive on repair of goods, per the European Commission's page: adoption and application dates, the Annex II scope mechanism, the repair-based guarantee extension, the European Repair Information Form, national repair-promotion measures, and what the rule, as the Commission describes it, names for clothes and shoes.
Materials·Explainer·October 21, 2026·5 min
What KEEN.DRY Is: How the Brand Describes Its Waterproof Membrane, and Waterproof vs Water-Resistant vs Water-Repellent
A source-based explainer of KEEN.DRY, drawn from the brand's own February 10, 2020 explanation: an internal membrane described as a thin bootie that keeps water out while letting vapor escape, the brand's distinction between waterproof, water-resistant and water-repellent materials, its PFAS-free repellency treatment, and its own account of third-party flex testing to a 50,000-flex internal standard. All claims are attributed to KEEN as the brand states them.
Care·Guide·October 19, 2026·4 min
How to Remove Stains from Wool: Woolmark's Steps for Wine, Coffee, Grease, Ink and More
Wool is naturally stain resistant, according to Woolmark, but spills happen. Here are the wool-marketing body's official stain-removal steps for red wine, coffee, blood, ink, grease and makeup — plus the editors' own precautions beyond the page.

What the rule says

All rules explained

Labels·What the rule saysUK·October 26, 2026·5 min
What the rule says (UK): the DMCC Act 2024 ban on fake and hidden incentivised reviews — and what it means when you read clothing and shoe reviews
Labels·What the rule saysEU·October 22, 2026·4 min
What the Rule Says (EU): Directive (EU) 2024/1799 Promoting Repair — What It Requires, Since When, and What It Covers
Labels·What the rule saysEU·October 18, 2026·5 min
What the Rule Says (EU): The 2-Year Legal Guarantee on Clothes and Shoes — Repair, Replacement, Refund, and Where Commercial Warranties Fit
Labels·What the rule saysEU·October 17, 2026·4 min
What the Rule Says (EU): The Planned Revision of the Textile Labelling Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 — Timeline, Scope and Status

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How articles are made

Every article starts from recorded official pages: brand help centers and care guides, standards bodies, regulators and consumer-information services. The text is written only from that evidence, a separate check compares each claim with its source, and an editor accepts or sends it back.

The official pages are listed at the end of every article
A brand's statement stays a statement until a rule or a standard confirms it
Images are either from the cited official page, with a credit, or made for the article and labeled as such
Corrections keep the address and the first publication date

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