# Labels



## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

I'm fuming right now. I just got another batch of t-shirt samples, and just now noticed the country of irigin label. I can't go into details, all I can say is my customers WILL not buy any product made in that country. My fault..."attention to detail, attention to detail".


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Annushka said:


> I'm fuming right now. I just got another batch of samples, and just now noticed the country of irigin label. I can't go into details, all I can say is my customers WILL not buy any product made in that country. My fault..."attention to detail, attention to detail".


Sorry to hear that. Hey, at least it was just an order of samples, and not a big batch of shirts...


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

A batch of t-shirt samples or a batch of label samples?


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## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

True, things can always be worse.


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## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

Rodney said:


> A batch of t-shirt samples or a batch of label samples?


samples of t-shirts, but it's the labels (made in ..) that are messing things up a bit


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## Vtec44 (Apr 24, 2006)

Oh wow, sorry to hear that.  Yeah, good thing they're just samples.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Annushka said:


> I can't go into details, all I can say is my customers WILL not buy any product made in that country.


Interesting. If I remember correctly your t-shirts are going to be aimed at ex-pats from a specific country? War between the countries? Intrigue in the world of t-shirts.

It's a problem that doesn't often have to be considered, but it is a little detail that could easily trip up a whole company.


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## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

I know this sounds goofy  but I'm serious. And it didn't even cross my mind that I should be on the look out for something like that. Anyways, I'm very relieved I cought it now.

"Intrigue in the world of t-shirts." lol 



Solmu said:


> Interesting. If I remember correctly your t-shirts are going to be aimed at ex-pats from a specific country? War between the countries? Intrigue in the world of t-shirts.
> 
> It's a problem that doesn't often have to be considered, but it is a little detail that could easily trip up a whole company.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Annushka said:


> I know this sounds goofy  but I'm serious.


Not goofy exactly. I'm just curious as to why... I know you don't want to be specific (which is fair enough), just trying to get an idea


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

Mysterious.....


Made in Tibet to Chinese customers perhaps?


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## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

Not quite lol.

Sorry guys, it's not an issue of mistrust, just don't want to reveal details just yet. Everything is still hanging very much in the air.



monkeylantern said:


> Mysterious.....
> 
> 
> Made in Tibet to Chinese customers perhaps?


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## Mixerfriendly (Sep 23, 2006)

I thought you had to have the 'country of origin' by law, regardless of whether you want it or not.


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## PGCC (Oct 10, 2006)

Why not just remove the tags?

Is it for retail? If not ...who cares, just take them out....


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Mixerfriendly said:


> I thought you had to have the 'country of origin' by law, regardless of whether you want it or not.


You do in the US - hence this being a big deal, because now Annushka is going to have to find a whole new company to provide blanks.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

PGCC said:


> Why not just remove the tags?


Because it would be illegal, and potentially result in company crippling fines you never recover from.

(or potentially you'd get away with it like many companies seem to, but why risk it?)



PGCC said:


> If not ...who cares


The FTC cares. They're kind of like The Shadow, only real.


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## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

Thank you Lewis


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## PGCC (Oct 10, 2006)

Solmu said:


> Because it would be illegal, and potentially result in company crippling fines you never recover from.
> 
> (or potentially you'd get away with it like many companies seem to, but why risk it?)
> 
> ...


For real, thats crazy, I have to check what laws apply here in Cnanda, our walmart sells shirts with tags removed...


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

PGCC said:


> For real, thats crazy, I have to check what laws apply here in Cnanda, our walmart sells shirts with tags removed...


You can reomove the tags, you just have to replace them with something else and include all the legally required information (which, in the US, includes country of origin).

Given that Canada has the NAFTA I'm guessing they require country of origin. On the other hand many people would be surprised to learn it's not required in Australia, so you never know.


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

I have shirts with tags cut out as well. It might not be the same here.

Still, if you plan on even selling 1 shirt to the states, you'd better have the right tags.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Jasonda said:


> I have shirts with tags cut out as well. It might not be the same here.


While Canada probably do have _some_ regulations, they may well be very different to the US. It's certainly possible, but highly unlikely, that Canada has no labelling laws at all. I actually haven't researched Canada's at all (so far I've looked at Australia/New Zealand, the United States, and a smattering on Japan, UK and Europe in general) though, so I don't know.

So far I've found that most places have labelling laws (everywhere I've looked), that they broadly agree on quite a few things (e.g. the need for care instructions), but that they do vary from place to place (Australia's being generally a lot more lax than others).


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Here's a page with info for labeling if you are sending goods TO Canada:

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cm/d11-3-1/d11-3-1-e.html#P226_20019

Here's a page with info for labeling if you are manufacturing goods IN Canada:

http://www.apparel.ca/eng/pubGenInfo/textileCare.cfm



Solmu said:


> While Canada probably do have _some_ regulations, they may well be very different to the US.


The only notable difference I can see is that in the case of clothes made in Canada, care instructions are not required by law.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Jasonda said:


> The only notable difference I can see is that in the case of clothes made in Canada, care instructions are not required by law.


Pretty much every regulatory agency has argued back and forth over the need for care instructions. One view says consumers are smart and specific care instructions aren't necessary - that's the point of fibre content labels, because consumers know how to take care of cotton, vs. silk, vs. wool, etc. and don't need specific instructions on each garment. The other view is that consumers are in fact stupid, and so yes they do need specific instruction.

In Australia and the US the viewpoint that the consumer is stupid won out (personally I agree); looks like Canada has a more optimistic view of humanity


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Solmu said:


> In Australia and the US the viewpoint that the consumer is stupid won out (personally I agree); looks like Canada has a more optimistic view of humanity


Well in that case, just call me "stupid". I need care labels on my clothes! Sheesh.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Jasonda said:


> Well in that case, just call me "stupid". I need care labels on my clothes! Sheesh.


If it wasn't clear, I was joking.

It's easy to know how to wash a t-shirt after the first few... but if none of them had care instructions you might be at a loss. It's all well and good to say "100% Wool"... but who remembers whether wool can be hung in the sun or not? (it can't). "Silk" doesn't really just mean "Silk" since some silk garments will need to be treated with the utmost care, and others can take a little more. All in all care instructions are a good idea, because it's not a big burden for the manufacturer, and it could save you ruining your clothes.

I don't expect anyone to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of care instructions, so there's nothing stupid about needing them (but it's funnier that way ).


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## PGCC (Oct 10, 2006)

Jasonda said:


> Here's a page with info for labeling if you are sending goods TO Canada:
> 
> http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cm/d11-3-1/d11-3-1-e.html#P226_20019
> 
> ...


Jasonda- Thanks for the links, I didnt know about this site....great work!!

Mike

PGCC


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Solmu said:


> If it wasn't clear, I was joking.


I know.  What I meant was that almost everyone will need care instructions for their clothes. It's not that easy to figure out, even if you know the fiber content. For example, I have some silk shirts that can be hand washed and some that need dry cleaning, so I'll be more than happy to remain "stupid" and have the instructions, rather than ruin the shirt. I really can't think of a single reason NOT to have them.


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## LjD (Nov 11, 2006)

If you are selling tshirts in the US. What do you need exactly on your labels? country of origin, fabric and its origins, care instructions, company name, what else? i see some tshirts that have "fabric from US made in china".


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

LjD said:


> If you are selling tshirts in the US. What do you need exactly on your labels? country of origin, fabric and its origins, care instructions, company name, what else? i see some tshirts that have "fabric from US made in china".


Check this thread for what goes on a label:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/showpost.php?p=5569&postcount=22


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