How we judge
Every garment gets a score out of 100 for what it is made of, what has been done to it, and how it was made, plus a separate measure of how sure we are.
Step one: the gate
Any synthetic, anywhere, scores zero. That includes polyester thread, elastane in a waistband, plastic buttons and nylon labels. If a brand does not disclose a component, we say so, and the garment cannot earn full marks for purity.
Step two: six axes
Each axis is scored 0 to 100, then weighted. The weights add up to 100.
01 · Purity · 25%
What every part of the garment is made of: fabric, thread, elastic, buttons, labels. Any synthetic anywhere sends the whole garment to zero.
Full marks: Every component declared natural.
02 · Chemistry · 25%
What has been done to the fabric. Undyed fiber scores highest. Plant dyes, restricted dyes and lab tests count; hazardous finishes score zero.
Full marks: Undyed, no finishes, and a lab or certifier check.
03 · Growing · 15%
How the fiber was grown, from regenerative organic farming down to conventional.
Full marks: Regenerative Organic Certified, then organic, then conventional.
04 · Provenance · 15%
Where it was grown, spun and sewn, and whether we can trace it. We score the evidence, not the country: a verified chain anywhere beats an unverified one anywhere else.
Full marks: Farm, mill and factory named and verified.
05 · Durability · 10%
Fabric weight, construction, and how demanding the garment is to care for.
Full marks: Heavy, well built, easy to keep for years.
06 · People · 10%
Labor standards at the farm and the factory, and animal welfare where wool is involved.
Full marks: Independently certified fair labor throughout.
Step three: the evidence meter
- Claimed. The information comes from the brand’s own product pages or materials.
- Checked. We confirmed a certificate in the certifier’s public database.
- Tested. The claim is backed by independent lab or third-party testing.
Scores are based on brand-published information unless marked otherwise. The evidence meter does not change the score; it tells you how much weight to put on it.
Tiers
| Score | Tier |
|---|---|
| 80–100 | Best available |
| 60–79 | Excellent |
| 40–59 | Good |
| 1–39 | Natural, unproven |
| 0 | Excluded |
Independence and corrections
Brands cannot pay for a rating or a better score, and affiliate relationships do not affect scores. Natural Clothes is in beta and scores are provisional. If you think a rating is wrong, tell us and we will review it.