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Managing tags inside clothing

Runcarla

Veteran

Do you leave the tags that are sewn inside a garment in the garment, or do you clip them out?

I often find them annoying, but have used them to understand the best method to care for a garment (launder, iron, etc.), to reference fabric content (to understand the performance and whether I’ll seek out or avoid that fabric in future) and for size information if I’m duplicating or buying something else from the brand .

If labels are itchy (like inside a bra) or highly visible through the garment, or unsightly (when a coat is worn open) I clip them out. Sometimes a save them in an envelope (bra information) but other times I throw them away.

When I thrift, I’m happy when there is a label to provide information on provenance and care, so keeping that in mind, I’m more likely to leave labels inside garments.

How do you manage labels sewn inside garmsnts?

General

34 replies

Latest reply was from Janet

phoebe

I remove them. A seam ripper for tacked in labels, small sharp scissors for labels sewn into seams and an old pair of tweezers to remove anything stuck in seams.

My fabric choices are almost entirely familiar so no need for laundry instructions and so few exceptions it's easy to remember what the tag said.

slim cat

Veteran

Removing as much as I can - the fabric content/washing instructions is less important now since I buy same fabric all the time ( rayon, cotton/modal, linen, denim ... ).

Anonymous

I typically cut them off because they really bother me. I will add that I’m finding that consignment stores in my area do not accept any clothing with the tags cut out. So I’m in a dilemma about that.

marija

It depends if it bothers me. If it doesn't, I keep it on the item. If it does, off it goes! I do keep the maintenance tags on, especially if it is something special to care for.

I do like seeing the provenance of clothing on the tags of thrifted items. The other day I picked up a sweater from Eileen Fisher. I would never have thought it would have appeared at a "Bibles For Missions" store for $5! And I may have passed it up had I not known what it was.

Dee

Veteran

For the most part these labels will stay unless they are really bothersome, but all scarf labels are carefully removed.

SarahD8

Veteran

I will leave them in unless they bother me but they probably bother me 80% of the time so out comes the seam ripper!

Actually it's really tags in the back of tops or along the side seam of tops that tend to bother me. Other tags can more often stay.

Like phoebe and slim cat I don't have much trouble remembering what a given garment is made of or the laundry instructions so I don't worry too much about that.

Irina

Veteran

I remove if it bothers me. Not a lot of my clothes requires me to check washing instructions.

Indigoprint

Veteran

I like labels for the reasons you provide.
I tolerate them as I need to remember the fiber content and washing instructions. I tried to clip and manage in a seperate file system but that did not work for me. If they bother me, I try to sew them more discretely into the seam. I have also relocated them to another less annoying part of the garment.

Joy

Veteran

A good friend’s mother removed tags especially on bras it made things hard to prepare her for her funeral not knowing what size to get. If you cut out tags, keep a list of sizes in a handy place.

Bijou

Veteran

I rarely remove tags - but if they are scratchy particular on the back of my neck, out they come. I have noticed that some bras have huge tags and those get cut out. I am about 90% tags stay in, 10% tags removed.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I’m with Bijou. Most of my tags stay in, it just feels more complete to me. The occasional one that can be seen ( eg because the garment is sheer) will get removed.

bj1111

Veteran

I ah e sensitive skin and remove remove remove

Sal

Veteran

I mostly leave them in similar to Bijou and Jenni. The ones on scarves are the most annoying.

bella

(website)

Veteran

I prefer to leave them on when I can because I like to look at care instructions before throwing a garment in the washing machine. Unfortunately, some brands have huge tags, almost like a cloth pamphlet (looking at you Inditex group!), so I have no choice but to remove them. I also prefer to remove tags on gym clothes and scarves.

LaPed

Veteran

I almost always leave them in, just in case I decide to resell/donate the item in question. Every now and then I encounter a tag so stiff and scratchy it has to come out, but it seems to be rarer and rarer. A lot of my clothes these days come with a printed-on label rather than sewn-in.

Ginger

Veteran

Like many others, I only remove them if they're really bothersome. Sometimes there's just a sharp corner or edge on a label that I can shave off with sharp scissors. I buy a lot of duplicates from ebay or Poshmark, so I do try to avoid removing labels unless it's necessary. I want to remember what brand and size things are! If there's unusual care instructions I'll save them but usually I know what to do with certain fibers.

Anonymous

I leave them unless they itch, cause if I duplicate the item, I want to know what size it was.

Joy

Veteran

I remove white tags on scarves. They show too much. All scarves get dry cleaned.

unfrumped

Veteran

I’d like to leave in because I’m a fabric content junkie, and sometimes want to refer to exact %’s to compare with maybe an apparent duplicate, or if a maker changes its formula over time.

But over time the tags have become larger, multiples together, and so more annoying. I do buy fabric blends, which can include weird combinations of 3 fibers, but still the breakdown of garments is generally, regular machine wash vs hand wash or very delicate machine. And then, drying for cotton T’s and shorts vs maybe 2- 5 min low dry then hang or lay flat.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I cut the tags off bras and scarves and leave the rest!

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I usually leave them in unless they are very irritating or visible.

Roberta

Veteran

I learned the hard way by cutting out a couple of tags in sweaters, that I can't always tell which is the front and which is the back after the tag is gone! I suppose if I can't tell it doesn't make a difference. I tend to cut out the size tag if it's a separate little tag sticking out from the brand label. Those really bother my neck. But now I feel bad for the poor folks at Salvation Army trying to figure out what size my clothes are so they can put them in the right section of the store! I never thought of that.

Chiara

I find it better if the laundry tag is sewn in a side seam- back of neck is always irritating!
And then, why the huge labels on scarves?!? Hard to remove without leaving a stitch impression visible…

Style Fan

Veteran

I only remove them if they are irritating me. Labels on scarves are removed.

Echo

Veteran

I generally remove tags. The ones in the side of a garment don't usually bother me, but those in the collar almost invariably irritate or flip outward and show unintentionally. My size is fairly consistent, and I know what I tend to wear in different brands. It is unlikely that I will forget the size. As for wash instructions, I wash almost all of my clothes on cold and air dry, so that is generally not relevant for me, either. I very much appreciate the printed tags that some althleisure wear contains!

lyn67

Veteran

Big labels always got removed-scarves especially-but has happen to me what Roberta said!:-)

Star

Veteran

I always removed all tags, they drove me nuts. However since I started 2nd hand shopping I stopped this. I like to see the tags when shopping and so now appreciate the need to leave them in. The nuts thing may have been psychological :). I certainly cut out those that are like small notepads!

cat2

Veteran

Interesting. I leave most of them in, because my husband and I each do some laundry and it minimizes the laundry accidents.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am impressed at your forethought in saving tags in bags, Carla!

I leave some on. I also take some of in part -- e.g. Zara tags which have multiple layers in different languages -- I either take those out entirely or snip down the length, prune the layers. And some -- the really bothersome ones -- I take out. I definitely dislike them on scarves.

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