Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
When writing fabric composition in percentages, it is calculated by weight, listing fibres from the largest to the smallest share, with the total adding up to 100%. Only products made from a single fibre can carry labels such as “100%”, “pure”, or “entirely”. Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 allows small tolerances and, under certain conditions, grouping minor shares as “other fibres”.
How to write fabric composition percentages
The percentages refer to the net weight of textile fibres, excluding non-textile parts such as buttons, zips, and labels. Fibres must be named by their official designations, with the percentage placed before or after the fibre name.
- “65% polyester, 35% cotton” – correct, descending order.
- “35% cotton, 65% polyester” – incorrect, order reversed.
- “Cotton/polyester” – incorrect, missing percentages.
- “95% cotton, 5% elastane” – correct, even small shares are indicated.
Single-fibre products: “100%”, “pure”, “entirely”
The terms “100%”, “pure”, and “entirely” are reserved for products made exclusively from one fibre. The regulation permits up to 2% of foreign fibres if their presence is technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice and not intentionally added. For products that have undergone carding, the tolerance is up to 5%. If the share of another fibre is higher, the product is considered blended and all fibres must be listed.
Blended products: descending order and full composition
For products made of two or more fibres, each fibre is listed with its percentage, and the total equals 100%. Fibres are arranged by weight. If two fibres have the same percentage, the order does not matter, but percentages must be accurate.
“Other fibres”
Fibres constituting up to 5% of the weight, or up to 15% in total, may be designated as “other fibres” when they cannot be easily identified during production. The total percentage must be indicated before or after the phrase, for example, “90% wool, 10% other fibres”. If a fibre is known, best practice is to name it specifically.
Decorative and antistatic fibres
Visible and removable decorative fibres not exceeding 7% of the weight, as well as metal and other fibres with antistatic effects up to 2%, do not have to be included in the percentages. Therefore, a product with decorative metallic yarn may still be labelled “100% cotton” if conditions are met.
Tolerances and rounding
The regulation allows a manufacturing tolerance of 3% between the declared percentages on the label and the results of laboratory analysis, calculated relative to the total fibre weight. This covers natural variations in production. In practice, percentages are rounded to whole numbers rather than shown with decimals.
| Situation | How to write |
|---|---|
| Pure cotton | 100% cotton |
| Cotton with a little elastane | 96% cotton, 4% elastane |
| Three fibres | 50% wool, 30% polyamide, 20% cashmere |
| Unidentified small shares | 88% polyester, 12% other fibres |
| Face and lining | Face: 100% wool; lining: 100% viscose |
How to determine the percentages
Percentages are not guessed. Sources of information include:
- Fabric supplier specification – usually on the invoice or technical sheet.
- Laboratory analysis – used when in doubt or for important orders, performed by an accredited lab.
- Sample testing – for own blends, the brand calculates percentages by weight of the yarns used.
If a product consists of several fabrics, percentages are given separately for each part, not as an average for the entire garment.
Common mistakes with percentages
- The total is not 100% due to rounding – e.g., 33%, 33%, 33%.
- Labelled “100% cotton” for a product containing 3% elastane.
- Using a trademark instead of the fibre name.
- Using abbreviations like CO and PES instead of full fibre names.
- Different font or size for individual fibres, emphasizing the more attractive one.
- Using the same label for items with different compositions within one collection.
- Declaring yarn composition instead of finished fabric, after elastane or other fibres are added.
Why percentages matter to the buyer
For buyers, percentages provide a quick reference for quality and care. A sweater with 70% wool behaves differently from one with 30% wool, and a T-shirt with 5% elastane retains its shape better than one without. Accurate percentages reduce complaints: the customer knows what they are buying. For retailers and chains, percentages are part of incoming quality control – if the label and laboratory analysis do not match, the batch can be returned. Large clients often require a document from the fabric supplier proving the composition.
Fabric composition percentages on the label
On the composition label, the composition is usually placed above the care symbols, in all required languages. For many items with different compositions, it is convenient to prepare the label order as a table: item, composition, symbols, quantity. This way, each variant is printed separately without mixing. For the style of the main label, see printed labels and the entire labels category.
Polkom – printing composition and symbols
Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of labels and accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags with over 30 years of experience. We print composition labels with the exact composition, care symbols and your logo, with text verification and sample approval before production. We deliver across the EU. Send your item table via the contact page to request a quote.
