GOTS vs OEKO-TEX vs Fair Trade: what clothing labels actually mean

Certifications are useful, but each one answers a different question. A product can carry one and say nothing about the things another covers. Here's what the common labels on natural fiber clothing check.

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)

Checks: organic fiber content and how the textile is processed (spinning, dyeing, sewing), including restrictions on chemicals and social criteria for workers along the supply chain. Doesn't mean: that every fiber in a product is organic. GOTS has label grades based on the share of organic fiber, so read the label. GOTS certified clothing.

OEKO-TEX Standard 100

Checks: that the finished textile has been tested for a list of harmful substances. Doesn't mean: organic, natural, or ethically made. A polyester shirt can carry it too. It's a safety test, not a sustainability standard.

Fair Trade

Checks: fair prices and premiums for producers and labor standards, either at the farm (e.g. Fairtrade cotton) or in the factory, depending on the scheme. Look at which part of the supply chain the label covers.

Fair Wear

Not a product label: Fair Wear is a membership organization. Member brands commit to improving conditions in the garment factories they use and are assessed on it.

B Corp

Certifies a whole company's social and environmental performance, not a specific product or fiber.

Fiber-specific standards

Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and ZQ cover animal welfare and land management on wool farms. Masters of Linen certifies European linen spinners, weavers and knitters working with European flax, and European Flax certifies the flax fiber itself.

How to use them

Match the label to what you care about: organic farming (GOTS), chemical safety (OEKO-TEX), workers (Fair Trade, Fair Wear), animal welfare (RWS, ZQ), origin (Masters of Linen, European Flax). Brands should be able to show you a certificate, and most schemes have public databases you can search.