GOTS Certified: What the Standard Actually Verifies

The word “organic” appears everywhere in fashion. Sometimes it refers to the fibre itself. Sometimes it is little more than marketing language. GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard, is one of the certifications designed to bring measurable standards and accountability to those claims.

It is one of the most widely recognised organic textile certifications in the world, and it covers far more than the raw material alone.

What Is GOTS?

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard. It is an internationally recognised certification for organic textiles that applies across the entire production chain, from the certified organic fibre at the source through to the finished labelled product.

That includes processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, trading and distribution. Certification is independently assessed by approved third-party certification bodies rather than being self-declared by brands or manufacturers.

What GOTS Certification Covers

GOTS certification sets standards across several areas:

• Organic fibre content, including minimum certified organic fibre requirements

• Processing standards, with restrictions on certain chemicals, dyes and finishing agents

• Wastewater treatment and environmental management requirements

• Social criteria, including worker rights and workplace conditions

• Packaging and labelling requirements

• Distribution and chain of custody verification throughout the supply chain

The strength of GOTS is its scope. It does not only certify that a raw fibre was organic. It helps verify that organic integrity is maintained throughout production.

Why GOTS Matters for Clothing

An organic raw material can still lose many of its environmental and safety benefits if it is later processed with harmful chemicals or produced within facilities that lack responsible standards. GOTS exists to help bridge that gap between raw material sourcing and finished product manufacturing.

It connects the organic claim to the broader production process rather than limiting it to the fibre alone.

GOTS and Boody

At Boody, thoughtful design starts before a garment reaches your wardrobe. Select Boody fabrics are GOTS certified, including our Bamboo Jersey Lightweight, Bamboo Jersey Midweight and Bamboo Jersey Heavyweight fabrics. For fabric blends that include other fibres, such as FreeMesh™ and Bamboo Ribbed, the organic fibre components are certified under the standard.

That matters because GOTS looks beyond the raw material alone. It helps verify responsible processing, organic integrity and supply chain standards, giving customers greater confidence in the fabrics used across close-to-skin essentials like underwear, sleepwear and Period & Leak-Proof Underwear.

GOTS Alongside Our Other Certifications

GOTS complements standards such as ECOCERT certified organic bamboo, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification and our approach to PFAS-free fabrics. Each certification focuses on a different stage of the supply chain.

Together, these standards help build a broader and more transparent picture of what goes into our products, from raw material sourcing through to finished fabrics.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What does GOTS certification mean?

GOTS certification verifies that a textile product meets the Global Organic Textile Standard across the production chain, including fibre sourcing, processing, manufacturing, packaging and chain of custody requirements.

Is GOTS certification independently verified?

Yes. GOTS certification is independently assessed by approved third-party certification bodies rather than self-certified by brands.

What’s the difference between GOTS and OEKO-TEX?

GOTS focuses on organic textile production standards and supply chain integrity, while OEKO-TEX Standard 100 focuses on testing finished fabrics for harmful substances. The two standards address different but complementary parts of textile production.

Why does GOTS matter beyond organic raw materials?

Because the benefits of an organic fibre can be reduced if later processing introduces harmful chemicals or poor manufacturing practices. GOTS helps verify standards across the broader production process, not only at the fibre stage.