Organic Cotton Fleece

Two certifications matter. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) covers the whole chain from farm to finished garment, including dyes, water use and labour. OCS (Organic Content Standard) certifies fibre origin only — it says the cotton is organic but not that the dye house is compliant. Retail buyers usually ask for GOTS.

• GOTS — full-chain; can label a garment 'organic'.
• OCS 100 — 95%+ organic fibre; label as 'organic cotton content'.
• OCS Blended — mixed content; only claim by percentage.

Organic cotton fibres are usually slightly shorter-staple than premium conventional (unless you spec Supima or Peruvian Pima organic). That shows up as marginally more pilling at the same GSM. Compensate with combed yarn and a tighter knit — the finished garment reads identical to conventional.

GOTS restricts azo dyes, formaldehyde binders and several softeners. The colour range is 95% of conventional, but expect slightly muted saturation on neon and fluorescent shades — those pigments are usually banned. Lab dips should be re-done against the GOTS colour library.

Raw organic cotton is 30–50% more than conventional at the fibre level, but that dilutes to a 12–20% FOB increase on a finished hoodie once labour, trims and packaging are averaged. GOTS certification of the finished garment adds ~3% on top for the audit and label licence.

• Fabric line: 'GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton French terry, 320 GSM'.
• Certification: GOTS scope certificate must accompany every shipment.
• Trims: main labels, thread, drawcord and neck tape all GOTS-certified for a full 'organic' claim.
• Packaging: recycled polybags or GOTS-compliant paper bags to complete the story.

• Certifying fabric but not trim — the garment can't carry the GOTS label. Everything sewn in has to be certified.
• Using neon Pantones — GOTS-restricted dyes force a colour substitution; approve alternates before bulk.
• Skipping the transaction certificate — no TC = no proof of chain; downstream retailer audits will reject.