Guidelines To Help You Understand Clothing Labels

By Dianne Crane


If you want to know how to take good care of your clothes you have to read clothing labels. They will give you insight on what you are expected to do so as to ensure that you do not reduce the quality of your outfit. To gain a good understanding of the label, you must know how to interpret and follow the various symbols used.

Some companies may use text to provide instructions on how to clean a garment. Other companies will use a combination of symbols and text. The language used depends on where the garment is being sold. If it is being sold internationally, then more than one language will be used to ensure that potential customers understand what is written. Apart from the information provided on the label, also find out general information on the fabric you have purchased.

To know whether an outfit should be washed or not, check for a wash basin on the label. If the garment is meant to be hand-washed, this will be indicated by two hands in the wash basin. If there are dots in the basin, then this is an indication of the water temperature to use when washing. A garment that is meant to be dry cleaned will have a circle on its label. A circle surrounded with a square is an indication of tumble drying.

An outfit that can be bleached will have the symbol of a triangle. A black triangle with an X over it is a sign that bleaching is not allowed. A triangle with lines inside it is an indication that non chlorine bleaching is allowed.

An iron box symbolizes that the outfit can be ironed. An X on the iron shows that it is not necessary to iron the outfit. The number of dots on the cloth indicate how hot the ironing temperature should be. If a steam iron should not be used on the cloth, t this will be presented with an iron box with two lines beneath it and an X over the symbol.

If you see a cup which has wavy lines in it, this means that you can machine wash the garment. The number of dots placed in the cup will guide you on whether to use warm, hot or cold water. If you do not see a cup this means that machine washing can damage the outfit.

The label can be placed in one of several places in a garment. The most common place is the collar. This is mostly in shirts, jackets, dresses or generally clothes which have collars. If the cloth does not have a collar then check one of the inner seams. For skirts and trouser, the label is normally at the back of the garment. Also check on the back zippers as some labels are normally placed there.

Clothing labels are not just useful for clients, but also for store owners. This is because they help to minimize the amount of returns on cloths as a result of shrinkage or damage due to improper care. A label can either be printed or woven. It is possible to know who manufactured a particular outfit by checking the label as designers often include the company's name.




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