Two labels, two different questions. One governs the whole supply chain; the other tests the finished garment. Knowing which is which is how you avoid being reassured by the wrong thing.
Certification labels are supposed to make choosing easier. In practice they often do the opposite, because two of the most common ones — GOTS and OEKO-TEX — answer completely different questions, and a label that looks reassuring may not cover what you actually care about.
Two labels, two questions
The simplest way to hold them apart:
- GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) governs the whole supply chain — from the organic fiber in the field, through spinning, dyeing, and manufacturing, including environmental and social criteria.
- OEKO-TEX (specifically Standard 100) tests the finished product for harmful substances. It asks: does this final garment contain chemicals above safe limits?
GOTS is about how the fabric was made. OEKO-TEX is about what is in the fabric now. A rigorous product ideally answers both.
What GOTS actually guarantees
A GOTS "organic" label requires at least 95% certified organic fibers, restricts a long list of chemical inputs, and audits the manufacturing conditions. It is the stricter, broader standard — but it is a standard about process and origin, not a lab test of the shirt in your hand.
What OEKO-TEX actually guarantees
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests the finished textile for hundreds of regulated and unregulated substances — formaldehyde, certain azo dyes, heavy metals, and more — against limit values set by contact intensity. Products with more skin contact face stricter limits. It says nothing, however, about whether the fiber was grown organically or how the workers were treated.
A label tells you what it was designed to test. The mistake is assuming it tested everything.
How to actually read a label
- Check which certification it is, not just that a logo exists.
- Look for a certificate number you can verify on the issuing body's website.
- Be wary of vague words — "eco," "natural," "green" — that carry no audited standard behind them.
- For something worn against skin all day, look for both supply-chain integrity (GOTS) and finished-product safety (OEKO-TEX).