Format

Explainers

What a material, construction, term or certification means and does not mean, from the body that defines it.

Materials·Explainer·September 12, 2026·5 min
Why Sock Makers Blend Merino Wool with Nylon and Spandex: What Darn Tough Says About Durability, Fit and '100% Merino' Claims
A 100% Merino wool sock sounds like the top of the range, but Darn Tough – a brand that knit Merino socks – argues otherwise. We walk through the brand's own explanation of yarn blends versus garment composition, why it adds nylon in high-wear zones and Lycra spandex for fit, and what its example fiber breakdowns (48/45/7 and 61/36/3) suggest about reading a sock's label. All durability and comfort claims here are the brand's, not independent test results.
Fit·Explainer·September 12, 2026·4 min
Levi's Shrink-to-Fit™ Jeans: How to Size and Care for Them, According to Levi's Own Guides
Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans are cut from unpreshrunk raw denim, so the size you buy is not the size you end up with. Levi's help-center pages give a sizing table that depends on whether you plan to machine wash, plus care steps for raw denim. Here is what the brand says, with measurements in inches and centimeters, and where its guidance stops.
Labels·Explainer·September 12, 2026·4 min
What the OEKO-TEX MADE IN GREEN Label on Clothing Certifies
The MADE IN GREEN label from OEKO-TEX combines testing for harmful substances with requirements about the facilities a product was made in, and each labelled item carries a product ID or QR code you can verify yourself. Here is what the label issuer says the label covers, what its requirements are, and how to check a label using OEKO-TEX's Label Check tool.
Materials·Explainer·September 12, 2026·4 min
What Denim Weight Means — and Why Levi's Own Guides Disagree on the Categories
Denim weight is measured in ounces per square yard, but 'lightweight', 'midweight' and 'heavyweight' are brand-defined shorthand, not standardized terms. Levi's own Denim Dictionary and its Off The Cuff terminology guide draw the category boundaries differently. Here is what the measurement actually describes and how to read it.
Materials·Explainer·September 12, 2026·3 min
What Selvage (Selvedge) Denim Actually Is: Shuttle Looms, the Self-Edge, and Why It Costs More
Selvage denim is woven on old shuttle looms that produce a narrow fabric with a self-bound edge that cannot unravel. Nudie Jeans' own explainer describes how shuttle looms work, why the edge shows up on cuffed vintage hems, how to spot it on a new pair, and why the brand says it is more expensive — while admitting the edge itself does not make the denim mechanically stronger.
Labels·Explainer·September 12, 2026·4 min
What the Leather Working Group (LWG) Rating on Leather Shoes and Bags Actually Certifies — and What It Doesn't
A Gold, Silver or Bronze LWG rating is an environmental audit of a tannery or manufacturer's processes, not a certificate of animal welfare, leather quality or the durability of your shoes. Here is what the audit covers, how the medal levels work, and where the label's meaning stops.
Labels·Explainer·September 12, 2026·3 min
What the OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Label on Clothing Actually Certifies
STANDARD 100 is OEKO-TEX's label for textiles tested for harmful substances, from yarn to finished product. Here is what the testing covers, how the four product classes differ, how long a certificate lasts, and how to check a label yourself.
Labels·ExplainerEU·September 12, 2026·4 min
The bluepass Label: What bluesign's New Certification Mark Means, and What It Doesn't
bluesign is transitioning its bluesign® APPROVED and bluesign® PRODUCT labels to a single bluepass mark, with consumer-facing deadlines tied to an EU directive in September 2026. Here is what the mark certifies, the three label types, how to verify one, and the limits bluesign itself states — including that it does not make "free of" claims.
Labels·Explainer·September 11, 2026·4 min
What the GOTS Label Grades Mean on Clothing: 'Organic' vs 'Made with Organic (Materials)', In-Conversion Grades, and Which Claims Are Not Allowed
A guide to the four GOTS label grades, what a label must show for the certification to be verifiable, and which shorthand claims the standard itself rules out — including 'GOTS cotton' and 'made with GOTS-certified fabric'.
Labels·Explainer·September 11, 2026·4 min
OCS vs GOTS: What the Organic Labels on Cotton Clothing Actually Certify — and What the Difference Is
Both labels point to organic cotton, but they certify different things. Textile Exchange explains how organic claims work from the farm to the finished garment, where OCS and GOTS diverge, and what the December 2022 change on GOTS inputs means for chain of custody.
Materials·Explainer·September 10, 2026·4 min
What the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Logo on Down Jackets and Bedding Actually Certifies
The RDS logo on a puffer jacket or duvet means the down inside was certified against animal welfare criteria — including a prohibition on live-plucking and force-feeding — with third-party audits and chain-of-custody tracking from the farm to the final product. Here is what the standard covers, what its page says it does not, and why it remains in use after Textile Exchange's December 2025 transition to the Materials Matter Standard.
Materials·Explainer·September 10, 2026·3 min
What the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) Logo on Wool Clothing Actually Certifies — and How the Materials Matter Standard Transition Changes It
RWS is a voluntary standard from Textile Exchange covering sheep welfare, land management, social criteria and chain of custody from farm to the final business-to-business seller. It does not give shoppers farm-level transparency. Textile Exchange is transitioning RWS into the Materials Matter Standard, with effective and mandatory dates in 2026 and 2027. Here is what the logo means, what it does not, and how to check a claim.
Labels·Explainer·September 9, 2026·4 min
What the RCS and GRS Logos on Clothing Actually Certify
The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and Global Recycled Standard (GRS) are Textile Exchange standards for third-party certification of recycled content and chain of custody. This explainer covers what each logo verifies, the recycled-content thresholds behind consumer-facing labels, what the standards cover and leave out, and the transition to the Materials Matter Standard — as stated by Textile Exchange.