Clothing labels: To cut or not to cut them, that is the question
How many times have you felt a certain discomfort caused by some label? In some cases, the labels on our clothes sting or make us itch, and so the habit of cutting them has become very common. However, this could be a mistake, because when we cut this accessory, we are increasing the probability of the garment being damaged early.
The importance of labels
It may even seem like a disposable accessory, even more when we see the scissors indicating where we should cut a label, but it’s in it that we have access to relevant information on how we should take care of our clothes, and, for that very reason, we shouldn’t discard it.
A label is an adornment required by law in the EU, and it’s through it that the final consumer has access to information about the product, which can help extend its useful life. There are several types of fabrics, printing, and dyeing, so not every rule applies to all materials. Each symbol on the label represents the accurate procedure to be followed with the garment in question when washing, drying, and ironing.
In addition to labels helping us to ensure that the care we take with the garment is appropriate, they’re also important when recycling, as a garment can only be recycled if it has information on its composition.
Information specified in the labels
Labels should:
- Specify the composition of the garment, i.e., identify the name and percentage of the textile fibres in descending order of percentage;
- Specify storage conditions, i.e., washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and professional cleaning instructions;
- Specify the manufacturing site;
- Specify the garment size;
- Show, if deemed relevant, the brand’s logo;
- Show, if deemed relevant, any message that the brand wants to spread, such as encouraging responsible and sustainable consumption.
Knowing how to care for our clothes allows us to consume better
Conscious consumption starts, firstly, from knowing how to buy and, secondly, from the way we take care of what we buy.
When we follow the instructions on the label, unnecessary wear and tear will be avoided, so the life cycle of the product will be extended, and, thus, we are contributing to more sustainable consumption and avoiding new investments as consumers.
How to reduce the hassles caused by labels
With all of this in mind, we can agree with the fact that labels are a fundamental component in the life cycle of a garment, right? That’s why it’s important to stop cutting them.
But this doesn’t mean that some labels don’t cause us discomfort, so we present some solutions to work around this issue:
- Sew the label close to the clothing, preventing it from being loose;
- Make the label smaller by cutting the edges, preserving the important information, and sewing it;
- None of this satisfies you? In that case, just cut the label, but before that, make sure that you have read and memorised or kept in a safe place all the instructions necessary for the good maintenance of the garment.
