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Question from reader: My partner and I are in the process of starting our own Maternity line. We have checked into many clothing supply companies. If we were to purchace our blank maternity shirts from say Hanes for instance and we want our own label on the shirt how are we able to do this with out getting ourselves into any legal issues?

Answer from Brett Krkosska: Labeling and Relabeling: Add Your Own Label To Your Clothing Designs
You can buy clothing in bulk and replace the existing label with your own label, commonly called "relabeling." The only exception involves garments protected as "trade dress." If you buy your shirts from a well-known name, you may want to keep the manufacturer's label and simply add your own label. This has the added benefit of givng your clothing line "brand association" with the quality already established by the manufacturer.

The Federal Trade Commission makes this statement regarding garment relabeling:

"Replacing Another Company’s Label With Your Own

An importer, distributor, or retailer may want to replace the original label on a textile product with a label showing its company or RN. This is perfectly legal as long as the new label lists the name or RN of the person or company making the change.

NOTE: If you remove a label containing required information, the label you substitute also must contain that required information. Otherwise, you’ve violated the Textile Act."

So, in order to comply with the Textile and Wools Act, required information includes fiber content, care, and origin country on your label.

You can learn more about labeling requirements under the Textile and Wools Act at the FTC website.

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