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Which Clothing Tags Do You Remove?

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I just got a McQueen scarf from Yoox on deep discount (pictured), and when it arrived I had the usual “ugh, tag” reaction. On really fine fabrics, trying to remove the clothing label can sometimes feel like a game of Operation! So, inspired by that thought, here's today's topic: What clothing labels do you remove? Which ones do you leave on even though you know you should remove them? On a related note, are there any clothing brands you specifically hate the tags or clothing labels of — or buy them because you prefer their clothing labels?

For my own $.02:

What Clothing Labels You Should Remove

I've always heard that you should remove the labels on scarves (certainly the care labels, and possibly the brand label like the one pictured) but that you could choose to keep the label affixed and just fold the scarf so the tag is hidden.

Remove the label that comes on the sleeve of your winter coat. (Here's a fabulous stock photo example of the winter coat sleeve label, which I wasn't willing to pay $175 to use to illustrate this post!) 

On a related note, as we've noted in the past, you should rip any vents that are sewn shut with an X (such as on blazers or skirts), and you may also find it easy to rip the pockets for pants and blazers that are sewn shut. (If you can see the lining of the pocket on the inside of the pant or blazer but can't access it, that's an indication that it's meant to be ripped.)

Brands with Itchy Clothing Labels

Personally, I don't have an issue with itchy clothing labels, but I've started noticing them because one of my sons is sometimes sensitive to them. I also remember that one of the female partners I worked with at my firm always wore Hermès scarves along her blazers in large part because she found the blazer collars to be itchy. So I'm curious to see what people say! In general, the places we find eczema-friendly clothing for kids tend to have friendly tags — for example, H&M Conscious and Hanna Andersson — and I've found Eileen Fisher clothing to have pretty comfort-friendly labels.

Readers, over to you: What clothing labels do you always remove? Do you ever find clothing labels to be itchy or annoying — and if so, do you avoid that brand in the future? 

Further Reading

25 Comments

  1. Trying to get a jump on holiday shopping and I’ve got the family covered, but I am stumped when it comes to my husband this year. His big gift is a new watch, but we usually do several smaller gifts ($5-25) in each others stockings as well. He works in banking, is outdoorsy and loves to read, cook and watch college football. Any fun suggestions? Also, what are YOU asking for this year – I don’t have a clue what to put on my list!

    1. For men, scratch off tickets, fun socks, nice shaving supplies, unusual candy/snacks, magazine subscription. I don’t really like cooking gadgets, but I do like nice spice blends/rubs. Several times we bought each other identical stocking stuffers from Restoration Hardware.

    3. Book of the month club membership, fun socks, travel umbrella, skin care-face lotion for winter, Kiel’s hand cream, chapstick. Small gift cards to coffee/lunches places near work. Fun lounge bottoms. Candy he likes. Pena he likes. Ear buds, nice gloves

    4. Book of the month club membership, fun socks, travel umbrella, skin care-face lotion for winter, Kiel’s hand cream, chapstick. Small gift cards to coffee/lunches places near work. Fun lounge bottoms. Candy he likes. Pena he likes. Ear buds, nice gloves

  2. Is it normal to have weeks where you just want to sit down and cry for no real reason? I’ve been feeling burnt out and weepy a lot. Work is intense-ish from a combination of horrible office politics and workplace dysfunction in addition to just too much to do (StartupLife). DH’s work is similar and they are also in the middle of a funding cycle.
    Our toddler is very very active and I have been solo-parenting about 50% of the time over the last 3-4 weeks.

    1. That’ll do it. I get the same way when work is busy and my husband is traveling/working a lot and i have the two kids by myself a lot. It’s hard and overwhelming at times. You are not alone, you are doing a great job, and make sure you have people to vent to that understand!

    2. Yes it’s normal. Last week was horrible for me and I ended up just crying in the kitchen one afternoon last weekend. Having a toddler and an intense job is hard! Good luck!

      1. Ohhhh yes. I started crying the other day while trying to update my resume.

    4. Can you call a girlfriend, take a hot bath, watch a comedy, go window shopping and sit by yourself with a cup of coffee? Even take the toddler somewhere toddler-friendly and also A Semi-Nice Place – a bookstore cafe, or even a mall foodcourt (I think they still have those). Please please please get Some Time to Yourself to do Nothing or Meditate or Laugh or Chill (or cry as needed, no worries)

  3. One suggestion – a seam ripper (used for sewing) is one of those perfect, satisfying tools that will do this without without cutting a hole in your clothing. I use mine on pillows and if there are shoulder pads to remove.

  4. I remove all clothing tags because they itch and poke so horribly. Anything that isn’t braindead-easy to care for gets its tags stapled to an index card, with a description of the piece and date/place of purchase. I keep these index cards in a recipe box in the laundry room.

    Not only does this help me care for the piece appropriately, but it lets me easily repurchase anything that demonstrates a good track record/holds up well.

  5. I like leaving the labels on scarves in case I want to re-sell them especially if it is a McQueens scarf. On coats- I would rip it off if the label was on the sleeve.

    1. I keep all tag’s on so that when I give them away, people can see they are quality, and not just some knock off that you can buy on Canal Street. Dad says it always pays to buy quality, and he is right. That is why I spend my money at L&T, Nordstroms and Saks, but not with the guy on the street with cheap knockoff’s. FOOEY on those! Besides, that guy on the street is NOT paying sales tax, and is not reporting his income to the IRA. DOUBEL FOOEY ON HIM!

  7. Removing labels is my default. The ones at the neck irritate me, and the ones in the side seam never lay right.

  8. I remove a lot of tags from clothes, shoes and accessories. I also remove bows, small outside pockets (added on the bust), little charms, the suit/coat tacking stitches, uncomfortable elastic, fake drawstrings, backup buttons sewn on tags, those hanger ribbons and brand name tags or medallions. I use a seam ripper, a pocket knife with scissors and a lot of patience.

    In clothes, I remove all outside (including the non-tag-stuff-above) and a lot of inside tags. All outside tags and random embellishments go before first use. The first that go are the plasticky paper (or papery plastic?) ones (a la IKEA tags), which I rip out. I cut tags that are sewn into the seams with scissors, and cut tags in knits or that can be fully removed with a seam ripper. And patience, a lot of patience. But I’d rather have a cashmere sweater that I’ve mended because I made a hole than one with an itchy label in the back.

    I don’t like itchy labels. I don’t like crinkly labels. I don’t like ostentatious labels. I don’t like big labels. I don’t like lumpy labels. I don’t like labels that say that a normal piece of clothing from a normal fabric has to be dry cleaned.

    If I’m uncertain about the brand’s quality (especially if viscose/modal/rayon) I wait until after first wash before removing it, so that I can return it after washing it per instructions.

    Which labels are OK? Anything non-itchy/lumpy/etc. that is placed in a skirt or dress at a place where it will never annoy me or create a lump or drag the silhouette. Anything that will not affect comfort or silhouette will be considered to stay. Anything in knickers or bras will go no matter what. Anything that is visible will go no matter what.

    If I’m looking a scarf or a piece of clothing where the label cannot be removed without destroying the item, I will not buy it.

  10. Ah, yes. I remember growing up it used to be a popular myth that you weren’t supposed to remove the tags from mattresses, even though it was only for the manufacturer/retailer. I always leave my sewn in labels in my clothes until they start to create a problem with itchiness or flipping out and becoming visible. Then I cut them out without mercy.

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