That perfect colour may look harmless, but what goes into making it deserves a closer look
Sept 18: You spend more on a shirt from a premium brand. The fabric feels better, the colour looks richer and the label gives you a sense that you are buying something superior.
But does a higher price automatically mean fewer chemicals?
Not necessarily.
Clothes go through several stages before they reach a store. Dyes create their colour, while other treatments can improve softness, durability, wrinkle resistance or water resistance.
Most clothing is manufactured under safety requirements. However, certain chemicals used in textile production are restricted or monitored because exposure at sufficient levels can cause specific health effects.
That makes one point important for shoppers: a famous label or expensive price tag is not, by itself, evidence that a garment has undergone stricter chemical-safety testing.
What Goes Into the Colour of Your Clothes?
Creating a particular shade can involve different dyes and chemical treatments.
One major group is azo dyes, which are widely used in textiles. Some azo dyes can break down into aromatic amines. Certain aromatic amines are classified as carcinogenic or otherwise hazardous, which is why specific substances are restricted in textile products.
The important word here is certain.
The presence of a dye does not automatically mean that a garment is harmful. Health risk depends on the specific substance, its concentration, how much exposure occurs and whether the finished product complies with applicable limits.
What Does Textile Testing Show?
Recent testing data illustrates why chemical controls remain important.
In its 2026 analysis of laboratory data from 2025, OEKO-TEX reported that some dye categories, including disperse, vat and sulphur dyes, continued to record a relatively high number of failed tests for parameters including quinoline, aniline and dimethyl fumarate.
OEKO-TEX has also identified substances such as aniline, formaldehyde and quinoline as parameters requiring attention because of their potential health or environmental concerns.
A failed laboratory test does not mean that every garment containing that type of dye is dangerous. It means the tested material did not meet the particular threshold or requirement being assessed.
That distinction matters when discussing chemicals in clothing.
What Health Effects Are We Talking About?
The potential effects vary considerably from one substance to another.
Some chemicals used in textile processing can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in susceptible people. Formaldehyde, for example, is a known skin sensitiser and can cause contact dermatitis in exposed individuals.
Certain aromatic amines are more serious concerns because specific compounds are recognised as carcinogenic. This is one reason regulations and textile standards restrict particular aromatic amines that can be released from certain azo dyes.
These findings should not be interpreted as meaning that ordinary clothing routinely causes cancer or other serious illnesses.
The relevant issue is exposure to specific substances at sufficient levels, not simply the fact that a garment contains a dye.
Even Famous Brands Need More Than a Price Tag
A well-known fashion label can tell you about the brand. It does not necessarily tell you every chemical used during manufacturing.
Previous research has detected potentially concerning aromatic amines in some clothing samples. One study of 153 clothing textiles from Swiss retail outlets detected eight non-regulated aromatic amines of toxicological concern in 17% of the samples tested.
That does not establish that every product from a particular brand is unsafe.
Instead, it highlights a broader point: chemical safety depends on the substances used, manufacturing controls and testing — not simply on brand reputation or price.
India Has Textile Chemical Standards Too
The issue is relevant to Indian consumers as well.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) includes chemical testing parameters in relevant product standards. Depending on the product and applicable standard, testing can include aromatic amines released from azo dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates, chromium VI and other substances.
BIS laboratory information also lists testing for allergenic and carcinogenic disperse dyes and aromatic amines released from azo dyes under relevant standards.
This does not mean Indian consumers should be worried about every garment they buy. It shows that chemical content is an established part of textile-product testing.
Does Expensive Clothing Mean Safer Clothing?
Not necessarily.
A ₹10,000 jacket may cost more because of its brand, design, fabric, craftsmanship, marketing or retail positioning.
None of those factors automatically tells you how the garment performed in chemical testing.
The same applies in the other direction. A cheaper garment is not automatically unsafe.
A better indicator is whether appropriate standards were followed, whether chemical controls were used during production and whether the finished product was tested against relevant requirements.
What Can Consumers Look For?
Consumers don’t need to understand textile chemistry to make more informed choices.
Look for credible textile-safety certifications where available. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, for example, tests textile components for a broad range of substances of concern, with requirements that vary according to how closely a product comes into contact with the skin.
Washing new clothes before wearing them can also be a practical precaution, particularly for garments worn directly against the skin.
If a particular garment causes repeated itching, redness or irritation, stop wearing it. If symptoms persist, medical advice can help determine whether the garment or another cause is responsible.
The Bigger Issue Is Transparency
The story isn’t really about being afraid of colourful clothes.
It is about understanding what happens before those clothes reach us.
A garment can pass through several stages, from fibre processing and dyeing to finishing and manufacturing. Different substances may be introduced at different points.
That makes transparency across the supply chain important.
Consumers are increasingly asking not only “What is this garment made from?” but also “How was it made?”
The Label Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
There is no evidence that expensive or brightly coloured clothing is automatically harmful.
But there is also no reason to assume that a luxury label guarantees chemical safety.
The more accurate takeaway is simple: specific textile chemicals can pose specific health concerns at sufficient levels of exposure, which is why standards, restrictions and product testing matter.
So the next time you pick up a premium shirt or dress, the price tag may tell you what you are paying for.
It doesn’t necessarily tell you everything that went into making it.
