How to read a fabric label like a buyer
Every garment tells you what it is on the inside seam. Learning to read that label is the single highest-return skill in shopping, because fiber predicts performance better than price does.
Start with the first fiber
Labels list fibers in descending order by weight. The first fiber is the garment's personality. 'Cotton 95%, elastane 5%' is a cotton garment with stretch; 'polyester 65%, cotton 35%' is a polyester garment with some cotton hand-feel. Same category on the hanger, completely different lives in the wash.
The natural fiber tiers
- Cotton - breathable, durable, wrinkles. Long-staple (Pima, Supima, Egyptian) resists pilling and thinning.
- Linen - the coolest hot-weather fiber; the wrinkles are the look.
- Wool - temperature-regulating and odor-resistant; merino is the soft, everyday tier.
- Silk - strongest natural fiber by weight; check momme weight (19+ is durable for shirts).
- Cashmere - softness from long fine fibers; two-ply minimum or it pills within a season.
The synthetics, honestly
Polyester, nylon, and acrylic are not automatically bad - they add durability, stretch recovery, and lower cost. The tell is placement and percentage. Polyester in a structured blazer lining: fine. Polyester as 70% of a 'wool-look' coat: it will not breathe and will look tired fast. Acrylic in cheap knits pills aggressively; it is the fiber most responsible for the sad-sweater problem.
The 5% rule for stretch
Elastane (spandex/Lycra) above roughly 5% is a warning in anything except activewear and swim. More stretch than that in jeans or trousers means the fabric depends on elastic recovery - and elastic dies in heat. The jeans bag out at the knees within months.
Care instructions are a quality signal
'Dry clean only' on a simple cotton dress is a red flag: it often means the manufacturer did not test washing and is outsourcing the risk to you. Confidence looks like 'machine wash cold' on a garment that will clearly survive it.