Check a clothing claim

Work through one product claim, keep the supporting details together and leave with clear questions to ask the seller.

This is an organising tool, not an ethical rating or certification. It cannot verify a document or decide whether a seller is telling the truth. Your entries stay on this page and are not saved or submitted. Do not enter personal or confidential details.

1. Identify the exact product

Look for a style, colour, product code or batch. A brand name alone may not identify the item.

Product reference (optional)

Does the claim match this item?

2. Pin down the scope

For example, recycled content in an outer fabric does not describe every part of a jacket.

Exact claim or a short note (optional)

What does the claim cover?

3. Look for supporting evidence

Find what supports this precise claim: relevant composition information, a dated record or the certification scheme's verification route.

Source or document reference (optional)

How closely does the evidence match?

4. Check dates and changes

A document may describe an earlier supplier, composition or product version. A recent webpage alone does not make its evidence current.

Date or version note (optional)

Can you connect the evidence to this version?

5. Keep the unknowns visible

What still needs an answer? (optional)

For example: which component does the percentage measure, or who can confirm the certificate's scope?

Your questions and notes

Choose the answers that match what you have checked, then build your question list. “I have not checked” is a useful starting point.

Use the record in a conversation

Ask the seller one specific question at a time. A clear answer can help you assess the claim; an unanswered question remains an uncertainty. No checklist can establish that a whole product is ethical or impact-free.

For context, read traceability and transparency, our guide to GOTS labels or the practical ethical-shopping guide. Each article links to the relevant primary sources.