The small label inside a garment is regulated in detail. What it must say, in what order and with what precision is set by federal law rather than by the brand.
Fiber content must be listed by weight
Labels must name the generic fiber, not a trade name, and list fibers in descending order of weight so the dominant material appears first.
Fibers present in small amounts may generally be grouped as other fibers unless they serve a definite functional purpose, in which case that purpose is stated.
This is why a label reads cotton and elastane rather than naming a branded stretch fiber, though a trade name may appear alongside the generic term.
Country of origin has a defined meaning
The label must disclose whether the product was made in the United States, imported, or a combination of the two, based on where substantial manufacturing occurred.
For apparel, assembly location generally drives the origin claim, which is how a garment sewn in one country from fabric woven in another is labeled.
Claims of domestic origin are held to a further standard, requiring that all or virtually all of the product be made domestically, which is enforced separately.
The manufacturer must be identifiable
Labels carry either the company name or a registered identification number issued by the regulator, so a garment can be traced back to a responsible party.
That number is what appears on labels showing only digits, and it exists so brands can avoid printing a corporate name that means nothing to shoppers.
Traceability matters for recalls and for enforcement, since a complaint about a mislabeled garment needs an identifiable party to answer it.
Care instructions follow a separate rule
A distinct regulation requires care labeling, and it obliges the manufacturer to have a reasonable basis for the instructions given rather than to state the gentlest option.
Instructions must cover washing or dry cleaning, and warn where a common care method would damage the item, which is why a dry-clean-only label is a claim with evidence behind it.
Symbols may be used in place of words under defined conditions, which is why some labels carry only pictograms and others carry full sentences.
Enforcement shapes retail practice
Sellers as well as manufacturers can be liable for mislabeled goods, so retailers require label compliance in vendor agreements and test samples on arrival.
Online listings are expected to disclose fiber content as well, since a shopper cannot inspect a label before buying and the same deception rules apply.
For a shopper the label is therefore a documented statement rather than marketing copy, and it is the most reliable information on the garment.