What is GOTS certification and why does it matter?
Short answer
The Global Organic Textile Standard certifies that a textile contains at least 70% certified organic fibre (95% for the 'organic' grade) and that every processing step — spinning, dyeing, finishing, sewing — met restrictions on chemicals, wastewater and working conditions. It is the strictest widely-available textile certification.
The detail
What distinguishes GOTS from fibre-only standards is the chain of custody. Every facility that touches the product must hold its own certificate, and transaction certificates trace specific shipments — which is why GOTS fraud is detectable.
Check the licence number and the certifier name, then search the public GOTS database. A brand claiming 'GOTS cotton' without a licence number is claiming the fibre, not the finished garment.
At a glance
- Covers
- Fibre content, chemical inputs, wastewater treatment, social criteria across the chain.
- Two grades
- 'Organic' (95%+) and 'made with organic' (70%+).
- Verify
- Licence number in the public GOTS database — not just a logo image.