Labelling of clothing

All textile articles - such as clothing - you bring to the Dutch market, must have a label with information in Dutch. Consumers must be able to check the composition of the product.

What information should be on the label?

The Commodities Act Decree on Textile Articles (Warenwetbesluit textielproducten) indicates what information must be included on labels on clothing and textile fabrics. Requirements for clothing labels include:

• the article’s composition must be stated on the label
• the label must be durable, easily legible and visible
• the label is in the language of the country where it is sold
• the proportions of the various materials used are stated on the label
• if there are parts of animal origin in the article, this must be indicated by using the phrase ‘Contains non-textile parts of animal origin’

You may only use the textile fibre names mentioned in Annex I of the European Textile Regulation on textile fibre names. You are not obliged to include laundry instructions in the textile products.

These requirements do not apply to custom-made clothing.

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, NVWA) performs checks on clothing labels.