Yes, it is legal within given parameters. Nonetheless, there are strict guidelines checkmating this practice. According to these guidelines, you are expected to include some basic information on your label. Relabeling gives you additional responsibilities.
What You Must Do Before Relabeling Other Brands Clothing
First, you must leave the fibre content, its country of origin and the country of manufacturing origin as you got it. Even if you are restyling the garment – most tee shirt producers’ fall in this category – you cannot change the country of manufacture to reflect your location.
The above options cannot change. If you attempt to change either of these two elements, you would be guilty of violating the Textile Act. The only thing you can change is the RN number and/or the business name responsible for it -namely you.
Nonetheless, if you remove any label containing required information, you are mandated to keep records on file for 3 years showing from which company the product came.
If you are relabeling, you are also expected to comply with the same regulations as with the original manufacturer. For instance, the country of origin must be clearly displayed on the front of the label. The fibre content and your name may appear on the back of the label; these are not required to be on the front.
If you’re placing some of the required information on the back of the label, the label can only be attached on one side so that the consumer can read the back of it easily.
Generally, labels can also be used as valuable advertising space as you can easily customize the labels to include important information such as your company’s website so your customers will always know how to reach you.
The simplest form of relabeling is by removing the original neck tag, which is found on the inside of the T-Shirt, and replacing it with a custom designed label which is then sewn either under or on top of the neck tape.
By doing this, you’re adding your own unique element to the clothing. Whereas, with printing you usually select your clothing from a specific brand – such as Fruit of the Loom – and then the T-Shirt will be printed but it will still carry the Fruit of the Loom logo on the inside of the T-Shirt.
By keeping the original label, your clothing loses a lot of the “unique” brand feel that buying custom clothing from a bespoke fashion label can bring.
A simple T-Shirt relabeling job which removes the original labels and adds your own custom clothing labels is a brilliant way of adding a seal of quality and ensuring that you receive constant brand recognition as well as adding extra value to your products.
However, if you’re planning on re-labelling smaller quantities of T-Shirts, there are more options available for relabeling the T-Shirts which can still produce a high quality finish and help you with your brand recognition.
7 Different Relabeling Options Available in USA
If you are looking to rebrand other brands clothing with your own, below are few relabeling options which you can use:
- Satin Printed Labels
This printing is more or less one of the most popular options for relabeling T-Shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts. With satin printed labels, you can fully rebrand the product while making sure it remains stylish and comfortable at all times.
Note that satin labels are an ideal option for those looking to use small text which wouldn’t be visible on other options. The satin leaves behind a soft finish which stops running and reduce irritation to the back of the neck and it is an incredibly popular choice amongst many high street brands.
- Woven Satin Labels
You can also use woven satin labels to re-label products. These tags give your garments a unique and more sophisticated look from the inside out.
Note that woven satin labels provides you with the opportunity to use up to four different colours but it’s usually only advisable to have two colours at any time.
The more colours in the material, the bigger the label will become and this could lead to it feeling bulkier and it won’t retain comfort as much.
- Woven Damask
Just like woven satin above, woven damask is another unique way of weaving your labels to create a unique look and feel which creates a sophisticated and stylish brand.
The damask material is designed so that it’s softer than satin and provides a more comfortable feel and still manages to provide high-quality definition.
This labelling style is very ideal if you are considering using smaller text within your label and want to maintain the comfort and durability.
- DTG Print
DTG is simply a process that involves printing ink directly into the fabric of the T-Shirt. This technique requires specialized machinery which can easily print your label directly into the T-Shirt and it gives a fully customized feel as you can add all the content that is important to your brand. There is no minimum quantity to DTG printing and it’s a fantastic option for white garments and for logos without small text.
- Transfer Print
In the transfer printing technique, your label will have to be cut down to the size you want and then printed onto the inside of the T-Shirt using the transfer printing technique, using specialist materials and heat to ensure that it won’t peel away over time.
Note that this technique is perfect for orders of a small quantity and also if you’re using labels with intricate designs. One crucial advantage of using this printing technique is that you can attach the words to any colour background and make them stand out.
- Screen Print
For instance, if you are using a specific Pantone colour scheme and you want this matched throughout the T-Shirt design, then screen printing is the ideal technique for you.
This technique boasts a similar feeling to that of DTG printing and the ink is directly applied into the fabric of the T-Shirt to provide a smooth, irritation free finish and it also provides excellent definition. Screen printing is also highly recommended if you’re thinking about relabeling sports clothing.
Conclusion
Unlike other product categories, fashion clothing and textile regulations can differ based on location and number. Thus, it is a headache for many clothing drop shippers to re-label or private label the clothes sold at the store if they have multiple fashion clothing suppliers from different places.
Before you go on with relabeling any fashion clothing, be sure to do your research to avoid stepping on the wrong side of the law.