What every label carries
Three things are on the sewn-in label of every garment we sell, children’s and adult alike, and all three are repeated on the product page before you buy:
- Fibre content by percentage — for example 95% cotton, 5% elastane. Not “cotton blend”, not “cotton rich”. The actual figures.
- Care instructions — wash temperature, drying, bleaching and ironing.
- Country of origin — where the garment was assembled.
Children’s garments carry a fourth thing: the permanent tracking label with a batch number. Where it sits is stated on each product page. See the safety standards page.
The fibres we use
Cotton
The bulk of what we make. Combed cotton jersey for bodysuits and tees, ribbed cotton for sleepwear, woven cotton twill for overalls and shorts, double gauze for swaddles. Cotton breathes, washes at 40°C, and gets softer rather than worse.
Cotton with elastane
Usually 5%, up to 8% in leggings. Enough to hold shape at the knee and cuff. Elastane is what fails first in a children’s garment, and it fails faster in high heat — which is why our care labels say tumble dry low rather than hot.
Cotton with polyester
80/20 in fleece for hoodies, joggers and sweatpants. Polyester keeps the brushed face from matting and stops the garment stretching out of shape by the third wash.
Recycled polyester
Shell, lining and fill on outerwear. It handles weather, packs down and dries quickly, which cotton does not. We say recycled polyester because that is what it is; we make no wider environmental claim on the strength of it.
Washing and drying
Follow the label on the garment first — it is specific to that piece. These are the general rules behind those labels.
- Wash at 40°C for cotton and cotton blends, 30°C for knitwear, coated rain gear and anything with a zip closed across it.
- Wash prints inside out. The print survives the machine; it does not survive being scrubbed against a zip for forty minutes.
- Tumble dry low, or not at all. High heat is what kills elastane and shrinks cotton. Knitwear dries flat; coated rain gear does not go in the dryer.
- No bleach, on anything. It breaks fibres and lifts colour unevenly.
- Fabric softener is optional at best. It coats fibres, reduces absorbency on bibs and swaddles, and can affect the fit of snug sleepwear over time. We would skip it.
- Close every zip and fasten every snap before washing. An open zip is a cheese grater in a drum.
Caring for snug-fit sleepwear
Our sleepwear complies with the federal rule through its close fit, so anything that changes that fit matters more than it would on a t-shirt.
- Do not use fabric softener on sleepwear. Over time it can relax the knit.
- Tumble dry low, not hot. Hot drying degrades elastane and the garment loses its recovery.
- Replace it when it is outgrown, not when it wears out. A snug garment that has become loose is no longer doing the thing it complies through.
- Keep the yellow tag on until first wear so whoever dresses the child sees it.
The reasoning is on the safety standards page.
Where things are made
- Portugal — jersey, knitwear and woven cotton. Most of the range.
- Vietnam — outerwear, coated rain gear and denim.
- India — cotton double gauze swaddles.
Every product page names the country for that garment. We do not describe any product as made in the United States, because none of them are, and that claim carries a specific legal meaning we have no basis for.
Claims we do not make
Fabric marketing is where most of the unsupportable claims in this industry live. Here is what we will not say, and why.
- We do not describe any fibre as organic. That word requires certification such as GOTS covering the whole chain of custody. We do not hold it, so we do not use it. If we ever do, we will publish the certificate number alongside the claim.
- We make no antibacterial, antimicrobial or dust-mite claim. Those are pesticidal claims about a treated article and they are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Our fabrics carry no such treatment and we advertise none.
- We make no hypoallergenic or sensitive-skin claim. Any fibre can irritate any skin. We publish the full composition so you can avoid what you need to avoid.
- We do not call anything eco-friendly, sustainable or chemical-free. Those words mean nothing without a specific, measurable basis. Where we use recycled polyester we say recycled polyester, and we leave it there.
- We make no flame-proof or fire-proof claim. Our sleepwear is tight-fitting and explicitly not flame resistant, and our other garments meet the general apparel standard, which is a minimum rather than a feature.
- We do not promise a garment will last a given number of years. Children grow. We tell you how much room is left in centimetres instead.
These are enforced in our build process: a fixed list of prohibited claims is checked against every page of this site before it can go live.
Making things last
Most children’s clothing is outgrown long before it wears out, which makes hand-me-downs the point rather than a consolation.
- Wash cooler and dry lower than you think you need to. It is the single biggest factor.
- Treat marks before washing rather than washing hotter afterwards.
- Reattach a loose button when you notice it, particularly before passing a garment down.
- Check fastenings on hand-me-downs. Our pull tests cover the garment as it left us, not after three years and two children.
- Do not pass down sleepwear that has become loose on the next child. The fit is the safety feature.
Questions about a specific fabric or a stain? Email support@frankadamapparel.shop — we would rather help you save a garment than sell you another one.