Size labels are the smallest piece of a garment and the most disproportionately important. Get them wrong and returns spike, retail shelves look messy, and exports get held at customs. Here's how to pick the right type, material and placement.
Size labels are the smallest piece of a garment and the most disproportionately important. Get them wrong and return rates spike, retail shelves look messy, and customs holds export shipments. This is a no-jargon guide to sizing systems, material choices, placement, and how to order size labels that match your brand and your buyer.
Why size labels matter more than they look
A size label does three things at once: it tells the customer if the garment fits, it tells the retailer how to merchandise the rack, and it tells customs what they're shipping. A wrong or missing size label triggers a return; an inconsistent batch creates retail-display problems; a non-compliant export size label can block a container at port.
- Returns & exchanges — clear, correct size labels reduce returns by 8–12% on D2C orders.
- Retail display — folded retailers rely on size tabs to merchandise; mismatched fonts/folds across sizes look unprofessional.
- Compliance — EU and US retail buyers often insist on dual-system labels (e.g. UK + EU sizing).
Sizing systems — pick by your market
Four systems are common in Indian garment production:
Match the system to your market. D2C casualwear typically uses alphabetic. Formal shirts and bottoms use numeric (collar/waist size). Kidswear uses age-based with size-by-height notes. Export programmes often use dual systems on the same label.
Material picker — woven, satin or taffeta?
- Premium feel, permanent colour — woven into the fabric
- Best for boutique, premium and heritage brands
- Limited to 1–4 colours on a small label
- Cost: highest per piece (₹1.5–3.5 at 1,000+ pieces)
- Soft, vibrant, full-colour — best for kidswear and D2C
- Best for contemporary, casual, kidswear
- Any number of colours, gradients OK
- Cost: mid (₹0.80–2 at 1,000+ pieces)
- Most economical at scale, crisp print
- Best for exporters, uniforms, bulk production
- Single colour, very sharp tiny text
- Cost: lowest (₹0.40–1 at 1,000+ pieces)
Where to place size labels — by garment type
Placement is as important as the label itself. Standard convention across the industry:
- T-shirts / casual tops: below the main neck label, inner back, ~30mm wide
- Formal shirts: inside collar band on left, separate from brand label
- Trousers / jeans / shorts: waistband interior, on top of pocket bag at right hip
- Dresses / kurtas: below brand label at neck, OR side-seam at hip for floor-length
- Jackets / outerwear: inner left chest, near the pocket; some brands use a hem tab
- Kidswear: back-neck under brand label, with age + height info combined
- Uniforms: back-neck, large & legible — staff need to find size at a glance
- Underwear / loungewear: tagless heat-press on inner waistband, no fabric label
Hem tab vs neck position: hem tabs are visible on the rack (good for merchandising) but get cut off by customers. Neck labels are permanent but invisible to the retailer. Many brands use both — see our hem tags vs neck labels guide.
Pre-made stock vs custom size labels
If you use the standard alphabetic size system (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL) and don't need a logo on the size label, pre-made stock size labels are dramatically cheaper than custom — and ship same-day with zero MOQ.
- Pre-made (stock): ₹0.20–0.50 per piece, ships same day, MOQ 50 pieces.
- Custom (with brand mark): ₹0.50–3 per piece, 7–10 day production, MOQ 100 per size.
For first-time founders and small batches, start with pre-made stock labels. Switch to custom once you cross 500+ pieces per size.
Pro tips before you order
Get all sizes from a single batch. Avoids colour drift between sizes.
Production slack + future cutting losses. Cheaper than re-ordering one size later.
End-fold for neck labels, straight-cut for waistband, loop-fold for tabs.
Adding a second language later means a re-print, not a re-stitch. Lock the format before bulk.
Quick start: WhatsApp us your sizing system + estimated quantity per size, and we'll send a per-piece + total quote in 2 hours. Message Labelwala or use the quote form.