How to read a clothing listing

Clothes are hard to judge from photos. A good listing gives you information to decide without guessing.

What a good listing states

  • Fabric composition, for example the percentage of cotton and polyester, not just “soft fabric”.
  • A size chart with real measurements in centimetres, ideally for each size.
  • A return-for-size policy so a wrong size is not a loss.
  • Photos that are not only on a model, including close-ups of the fabric and stitching.

Claims that need a rating

“UV protection” should come with a UPF number, and “waterproof” with a stated rating. A bare adjective is not enough.

How we score clothes

Compliance marks mostly do not apply to clothing, so we move that weight to disclosure. See how we rate. Fit is personal, so we start with narrow, specification-driven items such as uniforms, rash guards and rain gear.

How we score

  • Compliance marks looked up and recorded
  • Listing read line by line, label included
  • No brand pays to be ranked

Full method →