How to Read Clothing Labels

Taken together, they represent a sort of identity card for each piece of clothing. A concise overview that helps us use it optimally, understand what we're wearing, and care for it over time. And above all, how to avoid ruining it. We're talking about clothing labels, which must appear on every product and line, unless it's a fake or a piece imported from China. What does a clothing label contain? What basic information should we learn to easily read? Labels generally contain two types of information. The first group includes information about the manufacturer, brand, place of production, and type of fabric used. This gives us a good idea of the item of clothing we're wearing. The second group of information, however, refers to washing instructions (hand, machine, dry cleaning), ironing, and drying. This information is essential for avoiding damage to clothing and ensuring it lasts a long time.

Index of topics

Smart Labels

With the help of the latest technologies, smart labels equip clothing with tags that transform the garment into a unique piece while still complying with the logic of mass production. Thanks to this technological advancement, new T-shirts can interface with smartphone apps or platforms and provide information not only on the condition of the garment but also on our health, perhaps by measuring our perspiration or movement. This allows us to tap into a veritable treasure trove of information that is always with us. This special identity card for each garment also combats the scourge of counterfeiting and allows us to enjoy the excellent Made in Italy products with peace of mind. From this perspective, one of the most cutting-edge technologies is RFID, anti-counterfeit labels associated with a special microchip, called a tag or transponder. These tiny devices store a wealth of information regarding the garment's origin, composition, and manufacturing process, in addition to traditional data such as size, color, and model. In this way, the tag is able to certify the authenticity of the garment and at the same time functions as an invisible anti-theft system as long as the garment is inside the store.

Washing in water

On the label, the basin of water indicates that the garment can be washed in water, while the hand immersed in it indicates that it can be hand-washed. Finally, the various numbers indicate the maximum temperatures. Only the cross above in the basin means that the item in question cannot be washed in water.

Dry cleaning and bleaching

Let's now move on to another category of symbols. The circle indicates that you can dry clean the garmentThe various letters indicate the type of wash: F stands for dry cleaning with trifluoride-based products, P stands for dry cleaning with perchloroethylene products with caution, A means dry cleaning with caution, W means the garment is dry clean only. The triangle indicates bleaching. If it's white, you can bleach the garment; otherwise, it's best not to.

Drying

Drying clothing, on the other hand, is represented by the square symbol. Specifically, the square with the inner circle indicates tumble drying, while the one without the inner circle indicates air drying. The dots in the first row indicate the temperature: one low, two normal, while the cross means the item cannot be tumble dried. If you find the square symbol with a horizontal line, it means the item should be laid out to dry on a flat surface, the three vertical lines indicate air drying, and the envelope indicates drying on a hanger.

Ironing

Finally, ironing. There are also instructions on the label for this process: iron Without symbols, it means that the garment can be ironed. The dots inside the iron indicate, based on their number, the temperature level to use (low, medium, and high), while a cross on the iron means that that item of clothing should not be ironed.

How to choose the washing program

As we've seen, the symbols on our clothing labels provide important information regarding washing and drying and should therefore be read before choosing the right washing machine program. Generally, labels associate different symbols with the various methods and stages of washing. The basin indicates washing in water, the circle indicates dry cleaning, the triangle indicates bleaching, the square indicates drying, and the iron indicates ironing. Then there are the symbols for washing with water, both by hand and in the machine, the dry cleaning symbols, the bleaching symbols, and those relating to drying: the square with a circle, which indicates that the garment can be tumble dried, and the square with an X, which indicates that the garment cannot be tumble dried. Finally, we can find the symbols relating to ironing, which are represented by an iron with dots, the number of which varies depending on the maximum temperature.

Clothing labels

Clothing labels must also indicate the garment's origin and the material from which it was made. If the fabric is mixed, the label lists the various yarns used in descending order, from most to least used. If the fabric is made of a single material, the label will state, for example, 100% wool, cotton, or other. In addition to the materials, as mentioned, the label must also indicate the garment's origin.

The meaning of Made in

The wording “Made in" is a formula in international business jargon that indicates the place of production of clothing. It is important to underline that it does not necessarily correspond to the place where the garment was designed. The classic example is Made in Italy, which stands for “made in Italy”.

How to read clothing labels