# is it legal to sell t-shirts with no labels?



## daveym (Jun 13, 2007)

i want to remove the branded label in the neck of the t-shirts i use for printing on...the labels have all the info on including size and country of manufacturing. I was going to re-print the size into the t-shirt neck, but this would mean the country of production wasn't anywhere on/in the garment. Is this a neccesity! If it was, what other way is there of getting around this issue if i remove labels.


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

You will have to print all of the required info in the shirt.

Take a look at these threads:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-tag-relabeling-finishing/t20405.html


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

daveym said:


> what other way is there of getting around this issue if i remove labels.


There is no way around it. The required information is required in permanent form in the neck of the shirt. You can print it directly, you can put it on a label. But it must be there.


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## agape indagator (Apr 28, 2009)

what is all the required info?


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

Here is a link that has the required tag info http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-tag-relabeling-finishing/t5620.html.


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## RhinestoneFetish (May 8, 2009)

What about the brand label? Can you remove the label with the company name as long as you leave the label with care instuctions, country of origin, rn# etc?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

RhinestoneFetish said:


> What about the brand label? Can you remove the label with the company name as long as you leave the label with care instuctions, country of origin, rn# etc?


Yes you can.

Occasionally the front label will have one of the pieces of required information (country of origin for example), so you do need to check. But if it's all on the back label, the front can go.

Also, something that people potentially overlook: the country of origin has to be on the *front* of the label. This is why if you look at most blanks, you'll see the front brand label is shorter than the back label. The country of origin is on the bottom of the longer back label, so it is still visible from the front.

So if you want to be *fully* compliant with the FTC regulations, your replacement label will need to do the same thing (or have the country of origin on it).


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## Progeny (Jul 28, 2007)

What I don't understand is some of the big retailers/brands don't have all the info on the shirt. I'm wearing a Schott t-shirt right now, which has a print in the neck with just Schott, a small Medium tag to the left of the neck and a further label on the left seam. There is nothing on the seam label to do with Schott and no mention of any company name/details/numbers or country of origin. It just states the material and how to wash it.

I have looked at other branded t-shirts I own and it's the same with some of those. Do they just not bother that all the required info is there or not or is it just a UK thing? Who would investigate or fine them if the label is wrong?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

It's not just a UK thing; I've seen US blanks that weren't compliant with their laws, and clothing sold in major Australian retailers that isn't compliant with our laws. It's not rare.

My _suspicion_ is that it's rarely enforced unless you're doing something particularly bad (like claiming local manufacture for something made in a sweatshop), but the fact is we have no way of knowing how often fines are issued behind the scenes.

For the first year or two of Threadless' business, their tags didn't meet the US legal requirements. At some point they stopped using their amusing, customer pleasing, care instructions (e.g. "Don't wash. Buy new at Threadless.") and moved over to something legally compliant. I seriously doubt that was driven by customer demand - it's likely that they did it because they were made aware of the law. But how were they made aware of the law? I have *no* idea, could be one of them looked into it and found out, could be they were warned by the FTC, could even be they were fined. I don't know, but I'd certainly like to 

There is at least one simple reason to stay compliant with labelling laws: you never know when a crackdown will come into effect. All it takes is some bureaucrat to realise they're sitting on an untapped opportunity for revenue raising (assuming it _is_ untapped, which it might not be), and _Bam!_, fines ahoy-hoy.


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## Progeny (Jul 28, 2007)

I've looked at most of my t-shirts now and I've noticed a lot don't have all the required things listed, the general public won't notice i suppose but it makes you wonder why big companies are not stating where there shirts are made. I noticed on one brand it said 'made in turkey' but it was tiny on the back of a side seam label, I nearly had to break out the reading glasses to see it! Or am I just getting old?


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

779 Anvil 5.4 oz., 100% Cotton T-Shirt with TearAway™ Label-

These shirts have tearaway labels.. so you wont have to cut them off


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## VirtualIsland (Sep 22, 2007)

Lewis, do you really think they would tell u? the truth that is.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

VirtualIsland said:


> Lewis, do you really think they would tell u? the truth that is.


Would who tell who what truth? A little context goes a long way.


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