If you’ve ever picked up one of our tote bags or t-shirts, you might have noticed a small label: GOTS certified. We get asked about it sometimes — what does it actually mean? And honestly, we love that question. Because the answer is kind of the whole point of why we make things the way we do.
So, what is GOTS exactly?
GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard. It’s widely considered the gold standard for organic textiles — and it goes way beyond just the cotton being “organic.” To carry the GOTS label, a product has to meet strict requirements at every stage of production: from the field where the cotton is grown, all the way to the final stitching and packaging.
That means no toxic dyes, no harmful chemicals, fair working conditions, and full traceability throughout the supply chain. Every manufacturer in the process is independently certified. There’s no fudging it.
Why we chose it — and why we’re sticking with it
When we started thinking about textile products at Studio Ninette, we knew pretty quickly that we didn’t want to just slap a design on whatever was cheapest. The things we make are meant to last — to be used, washed, worn, carried around. They’re going to be close to your skin. It felt important that they be made with some actual care.
GOTS certification gave us a framework we could trust. It’s not a marketing label you can just buy — it’s a living standard that gets audited every year. When we work with GOTS-certified suppliers, we know the cotton was grown without pesticides, processed without harsh chemicals, and that the people making it were treated fairly. That matters to us.
What about OEKO-TEX?
You might also come across the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label — another trustworthy certification in the textile world. OEKO-TEX focuses on the finished product, testing it to make sure it doesn’t contain harmful substances. GOTS, on the other hand, certifies the entire process from farm to finished item.
Both are meaningful and both are credible. We prioritize GOTS because we care about the full chain — not just what ends up in the final fabric, but how it got there.
From fabric to ink
Here’s something we’re genuinely proud of: it’s not just the fabric that’s certified. The inks we print with are certified GOTS 5.0 and OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT. They’re water-based, vegan, and free from harmful substances. That means the entire product — cotton and print — meets the same standard.
It’s actually pretty rare in the print-on-demand world. Most suppliers certify the textile but stop there. We didn’t want to stop there.
The bottom line
When you grab one of our tote bags or wear one of our t-shirts, you’re holding something that was made with a bit more intention than the average piece of merch. The cotton is softer, the colors are cleaner, and the whole thing sits a little better on your conscience — and ours.
We’re not here to lecture anyone about sustainability. We just want to make things we’re genuinely proud of, and for us, that starts with the materials. GOTS is part of that commitment — and we don’t plan on changing it.
— Studio Ninette, designed in Belgium.