Clothing care labels are required for any garment going into production (sometimes they’re legally required), but are also often overlooked in the manufacturing process. These little labels usually include the content, country of origin (where a garment was made), and how to wash/care for it.
If you’re a freelance fashion designer or startup fashion business and aren’t sure exactly what to include… Or you need some customizable templates in Adobe Illustrator (the same ones I used during my 15+ years working in fashion!)… You’ll find it all here!
Flip the bottom part of your shirt. You might see a little white tag a few inches above the hem. That’s called a clothing care label.
Clothing care labels, also known as garment wash care labels, fabric labels, or washing label guides, are tags that contain information to help customers keep their clothing items in good condition. It includes info on the garment such as its fabric content, country of manufacturing, and most importantly, the proper care instructions for washing, drying, ironing, etc.
Think of clothing care labels like little user manuals for customers to maintain their clothing items.
For fashion brands and fashion designers creating these garments, clothing care labels protect against potential issues stemming from damage claims. This is another reason why it’s important to be mindful when creating fabric care labels.
Pro Tip: Working in the fashion industry, it can feel like some of this knowledge is common sense. But the reality is that a lot of people don’t know that knits should not be hanged to dry or that wool shouldn’t go in the dryer. This is why providing all necessary info on the clothing care label is crucial.
There is no direct guide to a clothing care label’s content, as most fashion companies customize it and include details to reflect their brand identity.
At minimum, here are the essential contents to have on your clothing labels.
What does the square icon mean in fabric labels? How about the circle one? Triangle?
Not gonna lie – some of these symbols still confuse me! So, here’s a quick cheat sheet on what each of those tiny symbols mean in your clothing care label.
These symbols indicate the washing method for the clothing items, whether an item can be machine washed or if it requires special care like hand washing. They also provide information about the recommended washing temperature – cold, warm, or hot. Here’s a quick laundry symbol guide to help you!
Usually characterized by a triangle icon, bleach symbols clarify whether it’s safe to use bleach on your garment. They indicate if bleach should be avoided altogether or if it can be used under specific circumstances.
Drying symbols offer guidance on how to dry your clothing items without compromising their quality. These symbols inform you whether it’s safe to use a tumble dryer or if you should opt for line drying, flat drying, or other methods.
For example, fabrics made from natural fibers like wool might need to be dried flat to avoid distortion.
A clothing label’s ironing symbols inform you whether you can iron your clothing items and at what temperature. They help you prevent damage by indicating suitable ironing conditions especially for delicate fabrics like silk or synthetic fabrics like polyester.
Depicted by circles, dry cleaning symbols dictate if your garment needs to be professionally dry cleaned. They guide you on whether it’s safe to have your item dry cleaned or if you should avoid it. For example, a circle with an X mark indicates that the garment should not be dry cleaned.
Check out other additional dry cleaning symbols below!
No more endless icon searching – I made this FREE Customizable Clothing Care Label Template in Adobe Illustrator for you as a guide!
I included everything you need: a customizable template, wash & care icons (with descriptions!), and a symbol guide chart so you have everything laid out for you all in a single file.
Pro Tip: I formatted the clothing care label using a common size that can serve as a general template, but feel free to change the size based on your needs. If you want to put an extra touch of customization, adjust the template easily to meet your requirements! For example, give your brand identity a boost in this tiny label by putting your brand logo, website, or a short quote. Go to town!
Enough with the endless icon searches, right? You now have this customizable clothing care label template – an easy solution that’ll save you aallll the hassle.
