Fashion Guide: What Clothing Labels Actually Mean And How To Check

This plain guide explains what you can actually verify on any clothing label, no hype, no empty promises.

Always check fibre composition first

In the EU every garment sold online must show full fibre percentage by weight before you complete purchase. This is not a brand choice. This is legal requirement, enforced across every shop and platform.

If you do not see this listed clearly on the product page, that is the first thing to note. You do not have to guess. You do not have to take anyone's word for it. If it is not there, you can ask, or walk away.

Fibre tells you how long the garment will last, how it will wash, how it will feel against your skin. It tells you the cost per wear you can reasonably expect. You do not need any fancy descriptive words, you just need this list. Never skip this step.

Read the Fabric care guide to understand how each fibre will behave over time.

What certified label terms mean

When you see the name of an independent certification scheme on a label, that means a third party audited that specific production batch. Every certificate has a unique number. It is held by the factory that made the garment.

Organic, when attached to one of these schemes, has a defined set of rules the grower and processor agreed to follow. Recycled content, when stated as an exact percentage alongside a certificate, is also a verifiable claim.

These are not promises about feeling good. They are documented checks that were completed. No brand is allowed to print the scheme logo unless they hold the valid, current certificate for that exact individual product.

Terms that have no fixed meaning

There is no legal definition for most descriptive words used on clothing product pages. Words that describe an attitude, not a garment, carry no weight at all. No regulator checks them. Nobody has to prove anything to use them. They are just writing.

This applies to every shop, everywhere. If that is all you see on a product page, you have not been given any verifiable information about the garment itself. You are being told how the brand would like you to feel. That is fine, but it is not information you can check.

You are under no obligation to treat these words as facts about the item you are thinking of buying.

What you can do every time you shop

First: before you add anything to basket, scroll until you find the full fibre composition. If it is not there, stop. Second: check the size chart properly before ordering. Garments that fit well get worn far more often. Use the Size calculator to get this right. Third: check the washing instructions. If you are not willing to follow them, the garment will not last. Fourth: think about how many times you will actually wear this. Work it out: a €60 coat worn 60 times costs €1 per wear. A €15 t-shirt worn 3 times costs €5 per wear. That number is the most useful calculation you can make about any clothing purchase.

Browse the Mix & Match Wardrobe for items designed to work together.

Plan what you own before you buy more

Most clothes sit unworn not because they are bad quality, but because they do not go with anything else you already have. You can avoid this almost entirely.

Before you browse new items, log the things you already wear regularly. See what gaps you actually have. Test combinations. Do not buy anything that will only work with one other item you own. Do not buy anything for an imaginary future version of yourself.

You can do this in the Mix & Match Studio with any items you own, and any items you are thinking of buying. This one step will mean almost every new item you buy gets worn properly, for years. That is better than any label claim.

When information is missing

Sometimes data is missing. Sometimes it is stored only in back office systems and not shown on the public product page. Most of the time this is just messy stock data, not a deliberate choice. But that is not your problem.

You do not owe any brand the benefit of the doubt. If the information you want is not there, you can message support and ask. If they will not show it to you, you can choose not to buy. That is your only power as a shopper, and it is more than enough. You never have to buy something when you are not given clear information.

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose.

Where to start in the store: Everyday Clothing, Sweaters & Cardigans and Jackets & Coats.

A note on labels: WowStore does not hold any of the certificates named in this guide today, and we do not use them to describe our products. We explain them so you can read a label with confidence wherever you shop.

How giving works when you shop with us

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. After your order you pick one of three causes: CARE International, Cool Earth or Project Zero. The donation is paid out through PayPal Giving Fund UK. Those three causes, together with how we run our own store (honest product data, fair prices), are matched to 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

That is the heart of the 1% Movement: small choices × millions of us = change. It is a giving promise we can show you, and it is the only promise we make on this page.

Questions people ask

Can I trust claims written on product pages?

Only trust claims that have a specific number and a named independent certificate. General descriptions are not checked. You can always ask support to show you the certificate for an individual product.

What is the first thing I should check on any clothing listing?

Check for the full fibre composition with exact percentages. In the EU this is required by law to be shown before purchase. If you cannot find it, do not proceed.

How do I know a garment will get worn?

Before you buy, count how many existing items you own that work with it. Test combinations first. Garments that fit well and match your wardrobe get worn far longer.

Do all brands have to show certification?

Yes, if they print a certification logo on the product page or label. They hold the certificate for that exact product, or they are not allowed to display the logo.