Three kinds of claim
What a textile certification can prove
Certifications answer different questions. Knowing which question you need answered narrows the list quickly.
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What the fabric is made of
Organic content (OCS, GOTS) and recycled content (RCS, GRS) certify the share of organic or recycled fibre and track it through the supply chain.
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How the raw material was produced
Animal-welfare standards such as RWS certify the farms that produce the wool and keep that wool identified up to the product.
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What the fabric contains
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 tests textiles for harmful substances. It says nothing about organic or recycled content.
Chain of custody
How a certified claim reaches your product
Content standards work as a chain. Every company that owns or processes the material must be certified for the claim to survive to the label.
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Scope certificate
Each certified company holds a scope certificate listing the products and processes it is certified for.
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Transaction certificate
Each certified shipment travels with a transaction certificate linking it to the certified input.
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Every stage
Fibre, yarn, fabric, product maker and brand: if one stage is not certified, the chain breaks and the product cannot carry the claim.
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Label rules
Each standard sets minimum content and its own wording and logo rules for the product label.
Scheme by scheme
What each certification means, and our status
For each scheme, the left column explains the standard; the right column states what Mr Balaclava can document for your order today. We only state a certification where we hold the evidence.
What this certification means
Textiles made from certified organic fibres, from fibre processing through manufacturing, with environmental and social criteria. A product labelled "organic" needs at least 95% certified organic fibre; "made with X% organic" needs at least 70%.
Every processing and trading stage must be certified, and shipments carry transaction certificates. A fabric being organic does not make a finished product GOTS certified.
Standard owner: Global Standard gGmbH (opens in a new tab)
Mr Balaclava availability
Not claimed
Mr Balaclava does not currently hold or claim this certification. If your product needs it, tell us at the brief stage and we will check what the fabric supply chain can document.
What this certification means
Verifies the presence and amount of organically grown material in a product and tracks it through the supply chain. It is a content claim only: no chemical or social criteria for processing.
Chain of custody from the farm to the final product, with a transaction certificate for each certified shipment.
Standard owner: Textile Exchange (opens in a new tab)
Mr Balaclava availability
Not claimed
Mr Balaclava does not currently hold or claim this certification. If your product needs it, tell us at the brief stage and we will check what the fabric supply chain can document.
What this certification means
Verifies recycled content and adds social, environmental and chemical requirements for processing. A product needs at least 20% recycled content to be certified, and at least 50% to carry the GRS label.
Every stage that handles the product must be certified; transaction certificates document each shipment. Buying recycled polyester alone is not a GRS claim.
Standard owner: Textile Exchange (opens in a new tab)
Mr Balaclava availability
Not claimed
Mr Balaclava does not currently hold or claim this certification. If your product needs it, tell us at the brief stage and we will check what the fabric supply chain can document.
What this certification means
Tracks recycled raw material through the supply chain to support a recycled-content claim (at least 5% recycled material). A content claim only: no processing criteria.
Chain of custody through each certified stage, documented with transaction certificates.
Standard owner: Textile Exchange (opens in a new tab)
Mr Balaclava availability
Not claimed
Mr Balaclava does not currently hold or claim this certification. If your product needs it, tell us at the brief stage and we will check what the fabric supply chain can document.
What this certification means
Certifies wool from farms that meet animal-welfare and land-management requirements (mulesing is not allowed) and keeps that wool identified up to the final product.
Farms are certified and each later stage keeps the chain of custody. Merino from an RWS farm is only an RWS claim on the product when the chain is unbroken.
Standard owner: Textile Exchange (opens in a new tab)
Mr Balaclava availability
Not claimed
Mr Balaclava does not currently hold or claim this certification. If your product needs it, tell us at the brief stage and we will check what the fabric supply chain can document.
What this certification means
Tests textiles for harmful substances against a published limit catalogue. A certificate covers the specific articles tested, in a product class (class I for baby articles up to class IV for decoration material).
The certificate belongs to its holder, for example the mill that makes the fabric, and is renewed every year. A certified fabric does not make the finished product or its maker certified.
Standard owner: OEKO-TEX® Association (opens in a new tab)
Mr Balaclava availability
Through certified suppliers
Our fabrics and yarns come from OEKO-TEX® certified mills. The mill's certificate for the fabric in your order is available on request. The certification belongs to the mill, not to Mr Balaclava.
Company certifications
Quality and responsible sourcing
Company-level certifications, such as Eco Jersey Limited’s ISO 9001 certification and Sedex membership, and the documents you can request for your supplier file, are explained on our ethical manufacturing and certifications page.
Planning a claim
If your product needs a certified claim
Certified claims shape the supply chain, so they belong at the start of a project.
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Name the claim
Tell us in your brief which claim you want to make and in which markets, for example "organic cotton" or "recycled polyester".
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We check the documentation
We tell you honestly what the fabric supply chain can document for that claim before you order.
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You approve the wording
As the brand owner, you decide the final label and marketing wording, and check it against the rules of your market.
FAQ
Textile certifications: frequently asked questions
Does using recycled polyester make my product GRS certified?
No. GRS needs a certified chain of custody through every stage, with transaction certificates, and at least 50% recycled content to carry the GRS label. Recycled fabric without that chain supports only an uncertified recycled-content statement, and only with the mill's documentation.
Is organic cotton the same as GOTS?
No. Organic cotton is a fibre; GOTS certifies the whole processing chain, including environmental and social criteria. A GOTS claim needs every stage to be certified.
Are Mr Balaclava products OEKO-TEX certified?
No, not as a company. We work with partner mills, including OEKO-TEX® certified mills, and the mill's certificate for your fabric is available on request.
Can you send transaction certificates?
Transaction certificates exist only where every stage of the chain is certified for that scheme. Check our status for each scheme above, and ask in your brief if your product needs one.
Material Library
Fabric families and guides
