How to Read a Clothing Label to Find out What the Fabric Really Is
Quick answer
To tell if a garment is natural fiber, find the sewn-in care tag and read the fiber percentage line. At JULAHAS, we count a piece as natural only when every fiber listed is cotton, linen, wool, or silk. Polyester, nylon, acrylic, and elastane are synthetic, and words like "eco" prove nothing.
JIVA Wool Silk Kimono Deep Salmon
I get this question from customers all the time, usually after a sweater labeled "natural" turned out to be mostly acrylic. The confusion is understandable. Labels use small print, long fiber names, and marketing words that sound like facts but aren't. I'm Kanak Hirani, founder of JULAHAS, an ethical fashion brand in Amstelveen, Netherlands. I spend my days with wool, cotton, silk, and linen, and I've learned to read a tag in about ten seconds.
Below, I walk through what each part of a label means, from the fiber line to the percentages to the certification marks that point to a published standard. You'll also see how to handle a tag that's missing or doesn't match the product page, which happens most often with handmade pieces.
Once you know where to look, you can shop or sort through your own closet with confidence. You won't need a fabric lab or any special knowledge, just the tag and a few minutes.
- Read the sewn-in care tag before you buy, and check any lining or trim tag separately, because hang tags and product pages describe a piece but only the tag states what it is made of.
- Cotton, linen, wool, and silk are the natural fibers, while polyester, nylon, acrylic, and elastane are synthetic, and viscose, rayon, modal, acetate, and lyocell form a semi-synthetic group of their own.
- In a blend, add up the natural percentages and read the first-listed fiber as the main one, since the list runs from the largest share to the smallest.
- Certification marks answer one narrow question each: GOTS points to a published organic standard, and STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX points to testing for harmful substances, not to natural fiber.
- When a handmade piece has no tag or the listing disagrees with it, ask the maker for the fiber content in writing and keep that message with your order.
Where do you find the fiber content on a clothing label?
The fiber content is printed on the sewn-in care tag, usually inside a side seam or at the back of the neck. It lists each fiber along with its share of the fabric.
Read that tag before you buy, not after the first wash. If a piece has a lining or contrast trim, look for a second tag, because the lining can be a different fiber from the outer fabric.
Hang tags and online product pages describe the piece, but only the sewn-in tag states the fiber content. A hang tag might tell you about the design or the brand's values. It rarely gives the percentages you need.
Handmade, made-to-order pieces often don't carry a printed tag the way factory-made clothing does. If you're buying from a maker, ask for the fiber content in writing, and keep that message with your order. At JULAHAS, we state the fiber, whether wool, cotton, silk, or linen, on each product page, so you can check it before you add anything to your cart.
Which fibers on a label count as natural?
Cotton, linen, wool, and silk count as natural fibers on a clothing label, because each one comes straight from a plant or an animal. These are the four fibers we work with at JULAHAS.
Cotton and linen are plant fibers. Wool and silk are animal fibers. The Britannica entries on wool and silk describe where each one comes from, if you want the background.
A label that names only one fiber, and that fiber is cotton, linen, wool, or silk, is fully natural. You don't need to look any further for that piece.
Peace silk is a special case. On the tag, it still reads simply "silk," because the difference lies in how the silk is harvested, not in the fiber itself. That means the tag alone can't tell you whether a silk piece is peace silk. For that detail, you'll need to ask the maker or read the product description.
How do you spot synthetic and semi-synthetic fibers on a label?
Look for polyester, nylon (also written polyamide), acrylic, and elastane (also written spandex) on the fiber line. Each one is synthetic, so a piece that lists any of them is not fully natural.
Rayon, viscose, modal, acetate, and lyocell sit in a separate group. They start from plant material, usually wood pulp, but a factory processes that material into fiber. I treat them as semi-synthetic rather than as natural fiber like cotton or linen.
Read every fiber on the line, not just the one you were hoping to see. A tag that names acrylic next to wool describes a piece that is not fully natural, whatever the product title says.
Elastane deserves its own note. A small amount in a cotton piece, say a few percent, adds stretch and does not change what the main fabric is. Whether that trade-off suits you depends on how you plan to wear the piece. If you want a snug fit that moves with you, it can make sense. If you want a fully natural garment, skip it.
What do the percentages mean when a label lists a blend?
A blend label gives each fiber's share of the fabric, so a wool and silk blend with the larger share in wool is mostly wool with silk added. The list runs from the highest share to the lowest, which tells you which fiber leads.
A blend can still be a fully natural piece. Our JIVA Wool Silk Kimono pieces, for example, combine wool and silk, and both are natural fibers.
To see how natural a piece is, add up the natural fibers on the tag. If cotton and linen make up most of the line and a little polyester makes up the rest, the natural share is the cotton and linen combined, and the polyester is the part to weigh. Go by that total, not by the words in the product title, which can name one fiber and skip the rest.
The percentages also tell you how the garment will behave, because each fiber contributes its own traits. Wool brings warmth, and silk brings drape, so a wool and silk kimono jacket layers over a tee on a cool morning and still hangs softly. A higher wool share leans warmer and more structured. A higher silk share leans lighter and more fluid.
Read the numbers as a recipe for how the fabric will feel and wear, not only as a pass or fail on natural content.
Which words and certification marks on a label can you trust?
Only the fiber percentage line and certification marks you can look up on the issuing body's own page are worth trusting. Words like "natural," "eco," "pure," and "conscious" are marketing, not fiber content, and no rule says what they must mean.
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a published standard for organic fibers, and the standard itself spells out what it requires. STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX is a different kind of mark. It covers testing of the finished textile for harmful substances, and says nothing about whether the fiber is natural. A polyester shirt can carry it.
A mark answers one question about one claim. It never replaces reading the fiber line, so I check both.
What each label claim does and does not tell you
| Claim on the label | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber percentage line | Exactly which fibers are in the fabric, in order of share | How the fiber was grown or the fabric was dyed |
| GOTS | The fabric meets a published organic standard | Anything about fit, durability, or how the piece was made by hand |
| STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX | The finished textile was tested for harmful substances | Whether the fiber is natural or organic |
| Natural, eco, or pure | Nothing you can check | The actual fiber content |
What should you check when a label and a product page do not match?
When a product page and the sewn-in tag disagree about fiber, believe the tag and ask the seller before you buy. If the page says wool and the tag says mostly acrylic, the page is wrong or incomplete, and a good seller will tell you which.
Ask three specific questions:
- What are the exact fibers in the piece?
- Are those fibers in the main fabric, or only in the lining or trim?
- Is the piece handmade or made to order?
That third question matters because a handmade piece may not carry a printed tag at all. In that case, take a screenshot of the product page's fiber line so you have a record if the tag is missing.
Listing notes can add to the picture, but they answer a different question. Some of our pieces are listed as IMPERFECT, with notes such as "color bleed," as on the IMPERFECT JIVA Wool Silk Kimono Water. That note describes how the dye behaves, not what the fiber is. Read the listing note and the fiber line together, and you'll know both what the piece is made of and how to wash it.
Common fibers on a clothing label and the group each one belongs to
| Label word | Fiber group | Starting material |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton | Natural, plant fiber | Seed fibers from the cotton plant, as in the NEW COTTON Cape Mermaid Magic |
| Linen | Natural, plant fiber | Stem fibers from the flax plant, as in the Linen Bina Button Back Top Sea Glass |
| Wool | Natural, animal fiber | Fleece from sheep, as in the Wool Kimono Madras Check |
| Silk | Natural, animal fiber | Cocoon filament from silkworms, as in the Julahas x Aeshaane Peace Silk Scarf Madras Check No.8 |
| Polyester, nylon (polyamide), acrylic | Synthetic | Petroleum-based chemicals made into fiber |
| Elastane (spandex) | Synthetic | Petroleum-based chemicals, usually blended in small amounts for stretch |
| Viscose, rayon, modal, lyocell, acetate | Semi-synthetic | Plant material such as wood pulp, processed into fiber |
Should you buy this piece as natural fiber?
Decide from the fiber line and nothing else. If every fiber listed is cotton, linen, wool, or silk, buy it as a natural piece. If any other fiber appears, you now know which group it belongs to and can weigh it on your own terms.
One exception is worth making on purpose. If you want stretch, a blend with a few percent elastane can suit you, and you can set the minimum natural share you're comfortable with before you shop.
Start with the tags in your own closet. Pull out three pieces you reach for most, read each fiber line, and see what you've actually been wearing. If you shop from a maker and the tag is missing, ask for the fiber content in writing before you check out.
Keep this list on your phone and run through it at the rack or at checkout.
- Find the sewn-in tag and read the fiber percentage line first.
- Mark any polyester, nylon, acrylic, or elastane as non-natural.
- Treat viscose, rayon, modal, acetate, and lyocell as semi-synthetic.
- Add up the natural fiber percentages in any blend.
- Check lining and trim tags separately from the main fabric.
- Ignore words like "natural" or "eco" unless a fiber percentage backs them up.
- Look up any GOTS or OEKO-TEX mark on the standard's own page.
- Ask the maker for fiber content in writing when a handmade piece has no tag.
What if a clothing label has no fiber content listed?
Treat the piece as unknown fiber until the seller or maker tells you otherwise. In the U.S., clothing sold in stores is generally expected to carry a fiber content tag, so a missing one on a factory-made piece is a reason to ask questions before you buy. If the tag was cut out, check the original packaging or the retailer's listing.
For a secondhand find, look at the seam allowances and the weave, then use the burn-free checks in the next answer. Don't guess from how soft it feels, because finishing can make polyester feel like cotton.
Is viscose or rayon a natural fiber?
No. Viscose and rayon are semi-synthetic, and in practice the two words describe nearly the same fiber.
You'll find them in flowy dresses and soft blouses because they drape well. They can feel cool and smooth, but they often weaken when wet, so follow the care tag closely and expect different behavior from cotton or linen.
Does 100% cotton mean the fabric is organic?
No. A cotton-only label says the fiber is cotton, with nothing else blended in. It says nothing about how the cotton was grown, which pesticides or fertilizers were used, or how the fabric was dyed.
Organic is a separate claim that needs its own proof, from the certification marks covered above. Without that proof, the label is accurate but silent on organic, so ask the seller how they know.
How can I tell what a fabric is without a label?
Start with touch, drape, and a close look at the weave, then test a loose thread if the piece is yours. Cotton feels dry and a little crisp, and it wrinkles easily. Linen shows uneven slubs (small thick spots in the yarn) and creases sharply. Wool feels springy and warm, while silk feels smooth and has a soft sheen.
For a firmer check, pull a loose thread from a hidden seam and hold a flame to it over a sink, with a bowl of water nearby. Plant fibers burn quickly and leave soft gray ash. Wool and silk burn slowly, smell like hair, and leave a crushable ash. Synthetics melt into a hard bead. Do this only on a scrap, and only if you're comfortable around a flame.
Even then, blends are hard to read by touch, so the result is a clue, not proof.
What does it mean when the label says dry clean only for a natural fiber?
It usually means the maker chose the safest method for the whole garment, not that the fiber itself can't be washed. The lining, dyes, structure, or finish may react badly to water, even when the main fabric is wool or silk.
If you want to hand wash, test first. Dab a hidden spot with cool water on a white cloth and see if any color transfers. Never wash a piece with a "dry clean only" tag in a machine. When in doubt, a gentle hand wash in cool water and drying flat is the lower-risk choice, but a cleaner can tell you more after seeing the garment.
Written by
Kanak Hirani, Founder, Julahas
Kanak Hirani is the founder and creative director of JULAHAS, a responsible fashion brand built around handcrafted, multi-wear garments and ethical artisan production. She combines her background in sustainable fashion with a deep love for textiles, natural materials, and women-led craft communities in India. Through JULAHAS, she helps women find stylish, long-lasting pieces that feel personal, practical, and connected to positive impact.
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