GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard, and it's one of the only textile certifications that verifies the entire production chain, not just the raw fiber. Most brands that use it don't explain what it actually covers, so here's the breakdown.

What GOTS verifies

To carry GOTS certification, a fabric has to meet requirements at every stage:

• The fiber itself must be at least 70% certified organic, grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified seed.
• Processing is restricted. Toxic bleaches, dyes, and finishing chemicals commonly used in conventional textile production are prohibited or tightly limited.
• Wastewater treatment at processing facilities has to meet environmental standards, meaning the chemicals used in dyeing and finishing can't just be discharged untreated.
• Labor standards are also part of the certification. Facilities are audited against social criteria based on International Labour Organization conventions, covering things like fair wages and safe working conditions.

This is what separates GOTS from a fabric that's simply labeled "organic cotton." A brand can technically use organic-grown cotton and still process it with the same harsh chemical treatments used on conventional fabric. GOTS certification means the entire chain, not just the field, was verified.

Why this matters for activewear specifically

Activewear sits against skin for hours at a time, through heat and sweat, which is exactly the condition that makes chemical residue from processing most likely to matter. A GOTS-certified fabric has been checked for exactly that: what's left in the fabric by the time it reaches you, not just what it started as.

How to actually verify it

GOTS certification isn't self-declared. Certified companies are listed in a public database, and legitimate products carry a GOTS license number that can be checked against it. If a brand says "GOTS certified" without a license number or any way to verify it, that's worth a second look.

The short version

"Organic cotton" describes the fiber. GOTS certification verifies the fiber, the processing, the wastewater, and the labor conditions behind it. It's a meaningfully higher bar, and it's why we chose it as the standard for our Studio line.

Curious which of our fabrics carry GOTS certification and which use other standards? See the full breakdown on Our Materials.