Guides

Starting a clothing brand in the UK

The questions that come up between having an idea and having something to sell, answered against the actual regulation or register rather than someone else's blog post.

Start here How to start a clothing brand in the UK Six stages from idea to first drop, each with what it costs, how long it takes and the one law that applies. Tick what you have done; it stays in your browser.

Naming

Choosing a name you are allowed to keep.

How to check if a clothing brand name is taken in the UK Four separate checks decide whether a UK clothing brand name is free: Companies House, domains, social handles and the trade mark register. Only one of them is a legal gate.Why Companies House rejects a company name that looks available Companies House compares names after stripping punctuation, spacing, Ltd, 'the' and a list of common additions. Here is exactly what gets removed, and the 135 words that need permission.Do I need to trade mark my clothing brand? A UK trade mark in class 25 is the only thing that stops someone else selling clothing under your name. What it costs, how long it takes, and when it is worth it.The Instagram handle for my brand name is taken. What now? Social handles carry no legal weight and every platform caps them at a different length. How to pick one variant that works everywhere instead of a different compromise on each.

Labelling

What has to be on the garment, and what only looks like it does.

What has to be on a clothing label in the UK? Only the fibre composition is required by law. Care symbols, size and country of origin are convention. What the regulations actually say, and what buyers expect anyway.Can I use the ISO care symbols on my own labels? The five wash care symbols are trade marks owned by GINETEX and COFREET. Using them needs a licence, issued in the UK by UKFT. Your three legitimate options, compared.How do you write a fibre composition label? Descending order by weight, regulated fibre names, and the exact thresholds for '100%', 'pure' and 'other fibres'. Worked examples straight from the regulation.What file does a label printer need? Why a logo that looks fine on screen closes up at 40 mm, what vector actually buys you, and what embroidery and screen print each need on top.

The two free tools these guides refer to: brand name checker and care label generator.