FAQ

Questions, answered the way we review

Short answers to what readers ask most — all of them from the same position: read the construction, check what the label is legally required to say, and skip the adjectives.

How do you review a garment without wearing it for a year?

We don't pretend a week of handling equals a year of wear. What we do instead is read the construction decisions that predict how a piece ages: canvas versus fused chests, stitch density, seam allowances, the attachment of a sole. Construction is decided at the factory and can't be marketed away — the standard says, the tag says, and both are checkable before you buy.

Is a care label legally binding?

Parts of it are. In the US, the Care Labeling Rule requires manufacturers to attach care instructions that use a regular method of care and won't harm the garment. The symbols themselves follow the ASTM system. What the label is not required to do is guarantee results — it tells you the method the maker stands behind, not an outcome. That gap is where most care disappointments live.

What does the Textile Act actually require on a clothing label?

Three things matter most: fiber content by generic name and percentage, the country of origin, and the manufacturer or dealer identification (an RN number fills that slot). The rules apply to most everyday clothing and household textiles. What the Act doesn't cover is fit, quality or durability claims — 'premium' and 'heirloom' are unregulated words.

Gold-filled, vermeil, plated — is there a legal difference?

Yes, and it's enforced by the FTC's Jewelry Guides. Gold-filled refers to a mechanically bonded layer with a minimum karat-fraction set by the guideline; vermeil is gold plating over sterling silver at a minimum thickness; 'gold' or 'gold-tone' unqualified usually means plating with no floor at all. Listings that blur plated into gold-filled are the ones we flag by name.

Why do size charts fail even within the same brand?

Because a size chart is a spec sheet for a pattern, not for your body. Grading rules, ease allowances and block patterns differ between product lines, and vanity sizing shifts the numbers over the years. The practical fix in our sizing guides is to measure a garment you already own and compare flat measurements — the tag size is the least reliable number on the page.

Do you accept free products or brand collaborations?

No. Everything scored on this site is read from the maker's own spec sheet and public standards, bought at retail where a physical purchase is involved. Brands do not preview, review or pay for coverage. Commission from shopping links never changes a verdict — it changes nothing we can see in the construction.

What is 'The Rulebook' column about?

One standard or regulation at a time, taken seriously: the Textile Act's label requirements, the FTC's jewelry guides, zipper brand naming conventions. The structure is always the same — what the rule says, what it governs, and what it can't reach. Knowing the third part is what stops you from expecting a law to do a spec sheet's job.

What is 'Under the Lining' column about?

Construction anatomy. A blazer shoulder, a sneaker sole, a glasses hinge — taken apart on paper, explaining which layer does which job and where each design fails. Every piece ends the same way: the one part to touch before you buy. You can't always see good construction, but you can almost always feel it.

How should I use this site before making a purchase?

Start with the category guide for the type of piece, then check the label against what the relevant article says it must carry. If a listing claims something the standard doesn't recognize — tarnish-proof, hypoallergenic, Grade A cashmere with no certification — treat the missing reference as the finding. Buy the shoulder, read the tag, and let the marketing copy scroll past.