Product labels or social audits: which certifications to require from your garment manufacturer

Two families of standards, two different questions

Before drafting a specification, it is essential to distinguish two families of standards that do not measure the same thing:

This distinction has a practical consequence: a manufacturer can be BSCI-audited without being able to produce certified organic cotton, and vice versa. Requiring “a certified manufacturer” means nothing; you must specify which standard, at which level, and for which scope.

Note: GOTS includes a social component (criteria based on ILO conventions), making it a product label with a dual dimension. But it does not replace a dedicated social audit for a brand whose distribution explicitly requires one.

Requirements by product type

Which certification to require follows from your product and your distribution channel, not from the full list of existing labels.

Layette and baby clothing. Product safety is the first criterion: require OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 in product class I, the strictest class, covering articles for children up to 3 years. Check that the certificate scope covers your article type — see our dedicated article on STANDARD 100 for baby clothing.

Organic material collections. Require GOTS if you want a finished product labelled organic (with the processing and social dimension), or OCS if your need is limited to tracing the organic content of the material. Both require transaction certificates with each shipment: only products covered by a valid transaction certificate can be sold as certified. Details in our guide to GOTS organic cotton fabrics.

Mass retail and European chains. Many retailers impose a social audit on their suppliers: BSCI (with a minimum grade, often C or B), WRAP or ICS depending on the retailer. Find out your distributor’s exact requirement before copying it into your specification — the three standards are not always interchangeable in their eyes.

Premium brands and designers. The requirement often combines material + safety: GOTS or OCS for the material, STANDARD 100 for product safety, with the social audit supporting the brand narrative.

How to combine them without mistakes

A structured sourcing approach typically combines three levels:

1. Material: GOTS or OCS if you claim organic.
2. Product safety: OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, at the class suited to your product (class I for babywear).
3. Social: BSCI, WRAP or ICS according to your distribution’s requirements.

Two frequent mistakes to avoid:

• Assuming one label covers another. OEKO-TEX says nothing about organic material; GOTS does not replace a dedicated social audit; a BSCI audit guarantees neither the material nor the safety of the finished product. Each standard has its own scope.
• Requiring a label without checking the scope. A STANDARD 100 certificate in class II does not cover layette; a GOTS certificate whose scope excludes dyeing cannot deliver a certified dyed product. The certificate scope is authoritative, not the logo.

For a detailed description of each standard, see our guide to textile certifications.

Verify before signing

Any required certification must be verifiable before the first order. The procedure is the same for all standards:

1. Ask for the certificate or audit number, not just the logo.
2. Check it in the corresponding public database: the GOTS certified suppliers database, the OEKO-TEX label check, the amfori platform for BSCI (via the manufacturer, who can share their report).
3. Verify three elements: current validity, the certification body, and the scope — product types, classes and processes covered.
4. For product labels, require transaction certificates with each delivery of certified products: this is the document attesting that the delivered goods are covered.

A manufacturer that genuinely holds its certifications provides these elements without difficulty: numbers, scopes, validity dates. Reluctance at this stage is a signal to take seriously.

Our certification scope

For reference, here are the standards under which LOI Confection is audited or certified, with verifiable details:

Only products covered by a valid transaction certificate are GOTS or OCS certified; they are labelled separately. Scope certificates are not proof that delivered goods are certified.

If your specification mentions one of these standards, state it in the brief: the choice of materials and components, the traceability file and the production schedule depend on it. You can send it via the contact page.