TESTING AND CARE LABEL

APPAREL

By: Priyanshi Pundir, Anjali Radhey, Arvinder Kaur, Kanika Garg, Karishma Verma

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kangra

Department: Textile Design
 TESTING METHODS
Some of the source of standard test methods for apparel testing are

Standard test methods for apparel testing

CASUAL WEAR
Neat yet Informal Attire
 CASUAL WEAR
• Casual wear/attire/clothing is a dress code category that comprises anything not
traditionally appropriate with more formal dress codes: formal wear, semi-
formal wear, or informal wear.
• In general, casual wear is associated with emphasizing personal comfort and
individuality over formality or conformity.
• Work wear worn for manual labor also falls into casual wear. Basic materials used
for casual wear include denim, cotton, jersey, flannel, and fleece.
• Casual wear is perfect for each event – every season and every reason with
designs, as fresh as spring; colors, as cool as winter; and range, as vibrant as
summer.
 CLASSIFICATION OF CASUAL WEAR
SMART CASUAL:
• Business Casual: Business dress has three primary categories: Power Business,
General Business, and Business Casual.
• Active Casual/ Sporty Casual: This category encompasses apparel for gym, running,
rollerblading, biking, tennis, racquetball, golf and other such sports. Most sports
have particular items of clothing that support participants in performing well in
that game. This category is not about playing a sport, but more about the relaxed
look of a spectator.
• Rugged Casual: The Rugged Casual category draws garments from the typical
apparel of the more outdoorsy sports, like hunting, fishing, backpacking, rock
climbing, etc.
 TEXTILE TESTING FOR CASUAL WEAR
• Fiber Identification
• Eco Textile Testing (banned Azo colorants, heavy metals, etc.)
• Feather and Down Testing
• Care Label Instructions
• Performance Testing
• Flammability Testing
• Thermal and Water Vapor Resistance Testing
• Chemicals Quality Assurance test
 EVEREST FOR CASUAL WEAR:
• Except fabric with softer hand feel, more elasticity, and easy to clean, Everest
specially developed ESR&R fabric with water- and oil-repellence, and soil release
for casual wear, keeping clothing always new. With ESR&R, the wearer needs no
worry for the daily stains during casual activities.
 SERIES OF FABRIC FOR CASUAL WEAR:
EVEREST
• Ever Stretch Spun Bottom
• Ever Casual Sports
• Ever Four Way Stretch
• Ever ESR&R
• Ever Seersucker
• Ever Crinkle
• Ever QSR
• Ever i-Film
JACKETS
 • A product is recognised as being waterproof when it has the capacity to stop
water getting in, and thus protects the walker from bad weather.
• There are different levels of waterproofing, and different tests to measure
them.
• On the one hand, the waterproofing of a fabric is given, and on the other,
the waterproofing of an entire product is proven. So check that, as well as using
a waterproof material, your jacket has watertight zip fasteners.

• TWO TYPES OF TEST: WATER COLUMN VS. SHOWER

HIKING
• The water column test
• This test measures the resistance of a fabric to water pressure.
The results of the test are expressed in mm of a water column or mm
Schmerber (the name of the textile manufacturer Charles Edouard Schmerber

JACKET who created this measuring tool).

• 1 Schmerber = 1 mm water column = 0.1 mbar
• Average rain pressure is in the range of 1000 to 2000 Schmerber. It is
therefore considered that a garment which resists the pressure of a 1.3-metre
water column (ie 1300 mm) is waterproof (according to the standard ISO 811).
But beware, a jacket designed with a waterproof fabric to the level of
2000mm Schmerber will protect you from the rain, but maybe not a downpour
or a long storm. Indeed, the higher the Schmerber rating, the more waterproof
the material.
The shower test
In our opinion, this is the most representative test as products designed using extremely
waterproof fabrics may let in water via their seams, flaps and zips...
In this test, products are placed in a shower to test their overall waterproofing.

WHAT LEVEL OF WATERPROOFING FOR WHAT USE?

After the test, the following classifications can be defined:
A product scored as 2 protects users from light showers giving 6 cm of rain in 1 hour
(which corresponds to the average monthly rainfall on flat land in France),
A product scored as 3 protects users from a shower giving 12 cm of rain in 2 hours,
A product scored as 4 protects users from a storm giving 30 cm of rain in 3 hours,
A product scored as 5 protects users from a thunderstorm giving 1.8 metres of rain in 4
hours.
 X LIGHT PADDED
JACKET
• designed for a different function such as heat provision, and their
water-repellency is just a "bonus", as they are not designed to protect
you from the rain
A solely water-repellent jacket (not waterproof) is only designed to
provide minimum protection, and is only suitable as a temporary fix.
Where there is a risk of rain, consider taking a 3rd waterproof layer.
• WATERPROOF3-layer fabric (15,000 mm). W/P seams & zips. Tested
under 450L/hr/M² for 4hrs
• BREATHABILITYHydrophilic membrane (RET=6): limits condensation
inside the garment.
• VENTILATION45cm underarm ventilation zips that help to eliminate
perspiration (Size: L)
• FREEDOM OF MOVEMENTStretch fabric and ergonomic cut for
freedom of movement.
• LIGHTWEIGHTWeight: 565 g in size L. The best ratio weight /
protection / resistance.
• COMPACT DESIGNLightweight, compressible fabric for minimal weight
and pack space.
• ABRASION RESISTANCEDurable reinforcements on the shoulders, cuffs
and hips.
• POCKETS2 hand pockets and 2 chest pockets with waterproof zips. 1
inner chest pocket.
 • Insulation Types
1 Down
• Ducks’ and geese’ plumules are warm and lightweight. Down
jackets are good for mild exertion level activity.
• In terms of jacket weather ratings, the higher the number, the
warmer the down. Fill power ratings range from 300 to 900; fill
power is the volume in cubic inches that one ounce of down
fills up. A high-quality rating starts at about 550. The other
jacket weather ratings associated with down are its down to
feather ratio, generally 70/30, 80/20, or 90/10. The more

BOMBER
down, the warmer the jacket.
• Just don’t get it wet! Rain, snow, humidity, and sweat affect
the thermal efficiency of goose down. If down gets wet it stops
working and dries slowly. If you’re active consider water-

JACKETS resistant down, synthetics, or a down/synthetic hybrid.

2 Water-resistant down
• Like down, water-resistant down is light, warm, and packable.
Polymer treatment helps down fight dampness.
• Note: Water-resistant down is just as light as regular down, but
it is expensive and doesn’t perform as well as synthetics do in
wet weather. Good for moderate exertion.
 BREATHABILITY CHART

Precipitation Pressure
Waterproof rating Water resistance
Conditions it can Conditions it can
(mm) (provided under …)
withstand withstand
None to minimal
0-5,000 Light rain, dry snow None
moisture
Light rain, average
6,000-10,000 Light pressure Light
snow
Moderate rain, avg.
11,000-15,000 Medium pressure Light
snow
Heavy rain, wet
16,000-20,000 High pressure Medium
snow
Extremely high Heavy rain, wet
20,000+ High
pressure snow
 TESTING GORE-TEX OUTERWEAR
Our jackets and other outerwear products undergo intense testing. If at any stage a product
doesn’t match up to our high quality standards, it’s sent back to the drawing board.

• THE MARTINDALE TEST

The test that fabric has nightmares about. To replicate conditions and uses for
which the product is intended, wool or sandpaper is rubbed against the fabric
over and over again with considerable pressure. Depending on how tough the
fabric needs to be, this vigorous rubbing continues, non-stop, for hours. Or
even days.
• THE COLD FLEX TEST
GORE-TEX fabrics are squashed and stretched repeatedly in extreme
temperatures for hours on end. The fabric has to survive this punishing test—
and emerge fit for its intended purpose.
• THE RAIN ROOM
Our very own weather machine. This sophisticated testing facility is designed to
simulate a wide variety of rain conditions. Using specially engineered rain nozzles
strategically positioned in the chamber, we test a garment's waterproof design in
conditions that range from light drizzle to wind-driven rain.

• THE COMFORT TEST

Comfort is the state in which we’re neither too warm nor too cold, when there’s a
balance between the heat we produce and the heat we lose. We compare
laboratory measurements with personal feelings of comfort from our testers. This
ensures best possible comfort for a wide range of activities and conditions.

•ATHLETE TEST
Human trial test with athletes in various conditions
INTIMATE WEAR
 VALUES WE WANT IN INTIMATE
APPARELS

UNDER GARMENTS

GOOD DESIGN COMFORTABLE

AESTHETICS

DURABLE
Regular Undergarments Lingerie
FIBRES USED FOR INTIMATE WEAR
• Cotton
• Silk
• Rayon
• Nylon
• Polyester
• Spandex

• However, new types of fibers offer new possibilities to intimate apparel

designers.
Various testing parameters have been set for sheer fabrics like lace and net.
 TESTING METHODS
• Breaking Strength (woven fabrics only)
• Tearing Resistance (woven fabrics only)
• Yarn Distortion (woven fabrics only)
• Resistance to Yarn Slippage (woven fabrics only)
• Bursting Strength (knit fabrics only)
• Dimensional Change
• Colourfastness to washing, dry cleaning, bleaching, burnt gas fumes, crocking,
perspiration and light
• Smoothness Appearance
• Flammability
 YARN DISTORTION TEST
• This test method covers the measurement of yarn distortion of one set of yarns over
the other in woven cloth following the application of surface friction.

• This test method especially is applicable to open-weave fabrics, such as nettings,

marquisettes, gauzes, chiffons, and heavier fabrics made from slippery surface yarns.
RESSISTANCE TO YARN SLIPPAGE

• To evaluate the fabric condition when

pulled apart at a sewn seam.

• A seam is sewn in a fabric, which is

clamped at one end and pulled by
weights at the other end. (Performed
in both warp and weft directions.)

• The weight is increased until seam

separates a specified distance.

• The number of pounds required to

cause this separation determines the
rating.
 SMOOTHNESS APPEARANCE TEST:
• Laundering and subsequent drying can affect the surface appearance of an item. The
test method is intended to determine the

• Smoothness Appearance (SA) of flat fabric specimens as directed in AATCC Method

124 of fabrics after the applicable laundering or dry-cleaning procedure.

• SA in fabrics is the visual impression of planarity of a specimen quantified by

comparison with a set of reference standards.

• Evaluation is performed using a standard lighting and viewing area by rating the
appearance of specimens in comparison with appropriate reference standards.
FORMAL WEAR
 FORMAL WEARS
• Formal wear, formal attire or full dress is the traditional Western dress code category.
• Weddings, christenings, confirmations, funerals, Easter and Christmas traditions, in
addition to certain audiences, balls, and horse racing events.

• Formal dress also plays an important role in office wear. A tuxedo, trousers,
tie or bow, plain shirt with polished shoes, is all you want to create a formal
look.
FABRIC USED
• Polyester cotton
• Terry cotton
• Cotton
• Polyester
• Polyester Viscose
• Anti Bacterial
• Teflon coated
• Fire retardant
• Stain Resistant

• Velvet
• Chiffon
• Georgette and Silk
Georgette
• Crepe
• French Crepe Light.
• Satin and Duchess
Satin.
• Organza -100% Silk
Organza.
TEST FOR FORMAL WEAR

Eco Textile Testing – The trend of green consumerism has extended to textile and
apparel products. Major European and U.S. textile product buyers have
responded to this public awareness by viewing their textile products from an
ecological standpoint, and are establishing relevant requirements.
Eco-Testing includes:

• AP/APEOs Quick Test

• Banned Azo Colorants and Ozone Depleting Chemicals
• Heavy Metal, Pesticide Residues, and Fungicides, such as Dimethylfumarate
• Formaldehyde Content
• Eco-Textile Certification
• GB 18401 Testing
Care Label Instructions

• Colorfastness to washing, bleaching, and dry cleaning

• Dimensional stability, appearance retention, and
ironing

Performance Testing
• Dimensional stability to washing and dry cleaning
• Colorfastness to light, crocking (rubbing), washing,
bleaching
• Physical tests - Strength, abrasion, pilling resistance
• Chemical Tests - finish analysis and pH

Flammability Testing
• It is critical that materials used in formal wear are in
compliance with flammability regulations.

Thermal and Water Vapor Resistance Testing

• These tests can be performed on fabrics, films,

coatings, foams and leather, including multilayer
assemblies, for use in clothing, quilts, sleeping bags,
upholstery, and similar products.
Attachment Test

• Security of metallic buttons, • Button tension, torque &

rivets etc. impact test
• Security of button snap • Small parts attachment
• Strength of buttons • Button toxicity
Appearance of Seams

• Durable press items after repeated home • Seam inspection

launderings • Bursting strength and
• Stitch and seam type elongation
• Seam efficiency (ASTM-D1683)

Seam strength (N)

Seam efficiency (%) = --------------------------------------- x 100
Fabric breaking force (N)
Analysis Flame Tests Color Fastness Tests

Fiber Identification Federal Test Method Light (Xenon & Carbon Arc)
Fiber Content 5903 & 5905 Weather (Xenon & Carbon
Moisture Content California Title 19 Arc)
Non Fibrous NFPA 701 Large & Laundering and Dry Cleaning
Materials Small Bleaching
Alkali Solubility MVSS 302 Crocking
pH Determinations Flammable Fabric Act Perspiration
Oil Extractions 1610 & 1615 Heat and Water

Fabric Shrinkage Tests Strength Tests

Construction
Laundering Ball Burst Methods
Size & Weight Dry Cleaning Grab & Strip Methods
Determinations Cloth (Cotton, Wool, Tear Test (Tongue, Trapezoid,
Thickness Synthetics) Pendulum)
Yarn Size Garments Steam Efficiency
Yarn Count Socks Stiffness (Cantilever Bending)
Crease Resistance (Cold Press
Recovery)
Others

• Flammability
• Hydrostatic High & Low
• Adhesion of Seams
• Heat Aging
• Yarn Slippage
• Resistance Test (Water,
Chlorine, Leaching High & Low
Temp)
• Stoll Flex
• Wyzenbeek

Test Description and Methods

https://www.precisiontesting.com/index.php/product-testing
 Denim

Denim is a twill weave woven and 100% cotton fabric which is

consists of different colors of warp and weft yarn.

Denim is common raw material for garment manufacturing.

Usually denim fabric is produced by using cotton
• Washing procedure
• It is washed in domestic washing machine at 40*C for 1.5 hours,dried in domestic tumblr dryer at
normal temperature for approximately 50 min.

• Tear strength
• It is tested with the elemdorf method ,the ISO 13937 Determinataion of tear force using ballistic
pendulum methods, specimen are randomly taken from the garment and

• Abrasion resistance
• ISO 12947-2
• Martindale test is done

• Colour fastness to rubbing

• Evaluated according to ISO 105-X12.Two samples are cut of size 50mm X 140 mm and it is done on
both wet and drying rubbing clothes

• Dimension stability
Tested according to two standards ISO 3759 and ISO 5077

Determining spirality after laundering

ISO 16322-3

• Quality audit and measurement evaluation

 Levi Strauss & Co. + EvrNu
• Levi Strauss & Co. + EvrNu Create First Pair of Jeans From Post-Consumer
Cotton Waste
• Levi Strauss & Co. has partnered with textile technology startup Evrnu™,
SPC to create the world’s first jean – in the form of pair of Levi’s® 511®
jeans – using five discarded cotton T-shirts to make new fiber. The cutting-
edge method not only converts consumer waste into renewable fiber, it
also uses 98 percent less water than virgin cotton products, according to
Evrnu data
• This first prototype represents a major advancement in apparel
innovation. We have the potential to reduce by 98 percent the water that
would otherwise be needed to grow virgin cotton while giving multiple
lives to each garment,”
SPORTS WEAR
 TYPE OF FABRICS USED
• Knitted fabrics are the most
commonly used for functional
sportswear garments due to
their good handle and ability to
provide greater freedom of
movement.
• Synthetic fibers are often
preferred over natural fibers
because of their lower capacity
for absorbing moisture and
ability to transport water
vapour.
• The core temperature of the
human body is high during
physical activity so to keep the
wearer cooler, drier, and more
comfortable in hot environments.
Sports wear garments designed
must be able to effectively
alleviate thermal stress and
promote thermo physiological
comfort.
 DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES OF
SPORTSWEAR
• Good air and water vapour permeability
• Rapid moisture absorption and conveyance capacity
• Absence of dampness
• Rapid drying to prevent catching cold
• Low water absorption of the layer of clothing just positioned to the skin
• Dimensionally stable even when wet
• Durable
• Breathability and comfort
• Easy care performance
• Lightweight
• Soft and pleasant touch
 TEST METHODS
• Air permeability test
• Thermal insulation test
• Ultraviolet protection
• Perspiration fastness
• Windproof
• Washing fastness
• Moisture vapour transfer
• Sweat absorption
• Fast drying properties
• Rubbing fastness
• Light fastness
• Water resistance test
CARE LABELS
 What is a Care Label?

• A care label include laundry symbols to indicate how a particular item should best
be washed, dry cleaned or ironed. Or information on the composition of the
material. Other times they are used for branding purposes with logos, websites
and contact details.
• A care label gives the recommended care instructions. The label must be attached
so that it will not become separated from the product, and it must remain legible
during the useful life of the product. You should be able to see the care label or
find it easily.
Washing
 95C
•Very hot.
•White cotton and linen articles without
special finishes.
•Very Hot minimum wash Drip-dry.
•Cotton articles with special finishes
capable of being.
•Boiled but requiring drip-drying.
50C
•Hand-hot.
•Cold rinse, short spin or drip-dry.
•Colored nylon, polyester, cotton and
viscose acrylic/cotton mixtures.
70C
•Hot.
•Cotton, linen or viscose
•Articles without special finishes where
colors are fast at 60°C.
•Hot medium wash.
•Cold rinse, short spin or drip-dry.
•White nylon, white polyester/cotton
mixtures.
40C
•Warm.
•Cotton, linen or viscose articles where
colors are fast at 40°C but not at 60°C.
•Acrylics, acetate and triacetate, including
mixtures with wool, polyester/wool
blends. Wool, including blankets and wool
mixtures with cotton or viscose, silk.
 •30C
•Cool.
•Cold rinse, short spin.
•Do not wring.
•Silk and printed acetate fabrics with colours not fast at 40°C.
 Ironing

200C 150C 110C

Linen, Viscose. Polyestermixtures. Acrylic, Nylon, Triacetate,
Polyester.
 Dry-cleaning

Any solvent Except Petroleum Solvent

trichloroethylene only
•Normal textiles •Normal textiles •Normal textiles
drycleanable in all dry cleanable in dry cleanable in
solvents. trichloroethylene, white spirit. HCS
•Normally used for white spirit, Solvent and Solvent R 113.
drycleaning R 113, Solvent 11. •Examples glitter
•Examples: acrylic, fabric.
velvet, unlimited
woolens.
References

• www.fibretofashion.com
• www.386.com

Books

Textile Chemical Processing

Resesrch Article

Quality Analysis and Testing of Undergarments by Dibyendu Bikash Dutta

THANK YOU !