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 FREE customizable templates in Adobe Illustrator (the same ones I used during my 15+ years working in fashion!)… I have it all for you here!
What Should Be Included in a Clothing Care Label?
At minimum, here are the essential contents to have on your clothing labels.
- Fabric Content: List the materials used in the garment to help consumers understand the fabric’s characteristics and care needs.
- Wash & Care Instructions: Include icons and written instructions on how to clean and maintain the garment properly.
- Country of Origin: Provide the country where the garment was manufactured.
- Other Details: While not required, here is some other info you can add on your clothing care label.
- Garment Size
- Garment Style Number / SKU
- Link to Your Website
- Branding (like your logo, or any message you want to add!)
Understanding Wash & Care Symbols in Clothing Care 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.
Laundry Symbols
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!
Bleaching Symbols
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
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.
Ironing Symbols
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.
Dry Cleaning Symbols
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!
Download My Free Customizable Clothing Care Label Template
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.
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