Begin with the exact claim
A supplier sending a certificate for fabric is making a different claim from supplying a certified finished garment. Before using that evidence in a Shopify listing or TikTok Shop product description, identify what you need to establish: the selected fabric, a component or the completed article.
OEKO-TEX describes STANDARD 100 as certification for textiles tested for harmful substances. It is not a general badge that establishes every environmental claim, working condition or aspect of garment quality.
Check the number at its source
Ask for a readable current certificate and the exact material or product reference. Navigate to OEKO-TEX's official Label Check, rather than relying on a supplier screenshot or a similar-looking website. Enter the certificate or label number and compare the result with the document provided.
Save the checking date and result with the document. If the number cannot be matched, do not guess from a logo. Ask the supplier or issuing institute to resolve it. A valid result still needs to be connected to the goods in your order.
Use a certificate-check worksheet
This is an original blank worksheet, not a real certificate or an assertion that a supplier has been verified.
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| Check | Record | If the answer is unclear |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme | Exact certification name, such as STANDARD 100 | Ask what the certificate establishes; do not treat different schemes as interchangeable |
| Identity | Number, certificate holder and issuing institute | Ask how the seller is connected to the named holder |
| Validity | Validity dates and dated official check result | Request current evidence or clarification from the issuer |
| Scope | Covered material or articles and stated product class | Ask whether the specific composition, finish and intended article fall within the scope |
| Order connection | Material reference, supplier documents and relevant order | Ask for the evidence connecting this supply to the certificate |
| Intended use | Internal sourcing evidence or a finished-product claim | Confirm the applicable certification and label-use conditions before using a consumer-facing claim |
Hohenstein's certificate guidance explains how the official check can help establish validity and scope. Where a reseller is involved, a different company name is a question to resolve, rather than automatic proof of fraud.
Do not promote a component certificate into a garment claim
A garment includes more than its main fabric. Its trims, thread, print and other components can affect the certification question. Hohenstein's STANDARD 100 guidance specifically distinguishes using pre-certified components within certification from labelling or marketing the finished product as certified.
If your evidence covers only the fabric, record that limited scope. Ask the issuer or responsible certification holder what is needed for the finished article and its intended use. Do not present the whole garment as certified merely because one input has a certificate.
Three useful outcomes
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| Outcome | Record it as | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Validity and relevant scope supported, order connection documented | Evidence for the named material or article | Keep the supporting records and confirm any proposed label or claim separately |
| Valid number, but scope or order connection unresolved | Incomplete evidence | Request clarification before relying on the claim |
| Expired, unmatched or conflicting evidence | Unresolved certificate issue | Ask for current matching evidence or contact the issuer |
These outcomes help organise a sourcing decision. They do not certify a supplier, replace testing or establish that a garment meets every requirement in every sales market.
Keep public wording within the evidence
Use the current OEKO-TEX labelling guide and obtain clarification where permission or scope is unclear. This guide does not grant permission to use a logo or approve market-specific advertising claims.
Keep the actual evidence beside the garment brief and the supplier decision. If a material changes, revisit whether the earlier evidence still applies rather than carrying its badge forward automatically.
Keep supplier evidence connected
The useful question is what the evidence supports for this garment.
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