Better Cotton is the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme, run by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). It trains and certifies farmers to grow cotton with less water and pesticide use and better working conditions. However, buying Better Cotton has never automatically meant that your garment contains it. For most of…
Colorfastness is a fabric’s ability to keep its colour without fading or bleeding. It covers washing, rubbing, sweat, and light. Labs grade it on a 1–5 grey scale, where 5 means no change, and grade light fastness on a separate 1–8 blue wool scale. For an apparel brand, however, the…
Recycled polyester fabric is polyester made from previously used plastic, usually PET bottles, instead of new oil-based raw material. For an apparel brand, however, the material itself is the easy part. The harder part is proving the recycled content, keeping that proof attached to each style, and making claims that…
OEKO-TEX is a family of independent textile certifications. Its best-known label, STANDARD 100, confirms that an independent lab tested every component of a product for more than 1,000 harmful substances. However, OEKO-TEX is not one label. Brands can choose between product labels, facility certifications, and a traceability label, and each…
GOTS certification is independent proof that a textile product contains certified organic fibre. It also shows that certified companies processed it under the Global Organic Textile Standard’s environmental and social rules. Crucially, it covers the whole chain. Every company that spins, knits, dyes, sews, or trades the goods must hold…
Fabric GSM is the weight of one square meter of fabric, measured in grams. For example, a 180 GSM cotton jersey weighs 180 grams per square meter, which is a standard midweight T-shirt. As a rule, the higher the number, the heavier and usually thicker the fabric feels. For an…
Pattern grading is the process of turning one approved sample-size pattern into every other size in the range. Specifically, it works by moving points on the pattern by set amounts, called grade rules. For example, a women’s knit top fitted in size M might grow by 2 inches at the…
Sell-through rate is the share of inventory you actually sold during a set period. For example, if you received 1,000 units of a jacket and sold 600 by the end of the season, your sell-through rate is 60%. Most fashion brands aim for 60–80% over a season. Below 50%, a…
The de minimis tariff exemption no longer protects small apparel shipments entering the United States. Since August 29, 2025, a parcel worth $800 or less pays the same duties as a full container. Moreover, CBP made that suspension indefinite on June 24, 2026. Congress has also repealed the exemption outright…
Keystone pricing sets a retail price at exactly double the wholesale cost. Specifically, a $20 wholesale garment becomes a $40 retail price, no other math involved at all. It’s the oldest, simplest markup rule in retail. Apparel brands still lean on it constantly. However, it doesn’t fit every product or…
