• The President of UOKiK imposed penalties on Kubenz, Recman and Dastan Logistics, manufacturers of men's formal wear, in the amount of over PLN 2.1 million for falsifying product composition.
• Laboratory tests confirmed that, in many cases, consumers bought clothes made of different materials than declared on the labels.

President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny imposed a total of over PLN 2.1 million in penalties on manufacturers of men's formal wear: Kubenz, Recman and Dastan Logistics. The issue is misleading of consumers. As proved by inspections conducted by the Trade Inspection and detailed tests in the UOKiK laboratory in Łódź, the information on the labels about the composition of the clothes did not correspond to reality.

From October 2019 to the end of January 2020, inspectors took sample shirts, jackets, suits for laboratory tests as this is the only way to check the true composition of the clothes.

"Consumers have no way of verifying the composition of the clothing themselves so they have to trust the information on the label. The responsibility for ensuring that it is correct rests solely with the manufacturer – labels must not be misleading. Otherwise, the consumer unwittingly buys a product that is not in line with their quality expectations and overpays for inferior quality. If consumers knew that there was no wool at all in a jacket sold as "woollen", they might refrain from buying it," says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

Laboratory tests confirmed that the composition of the clothing stated on the label did not match the actual composition. Examples of irregularities:

• Kubenz: Prom suit. Label: 80 per cent wool, 20 per cent polyester, lining: 100 per cent viscose. Laboratory tests: 80.3 per cent polyester, 19.7 per cent viscose, lining: 100 per cent polyester.
• Kubenz: Gilera jacket. Label: 75 per cent wool, 25 per cent polyester, lining: 100 per cent viscose. Laboratory tests: 82.6 per cent polyester, 15.5 per cent viscose, 1.9 per cent elastane. Lining: 100 per cent polyester.
• Recman: Saverne2 men's shirt. Label: 80 per cent cotton, 20 per cent polyester. Laboratory tests: 53.3 per cent cotton, 46.7 per cent polyester.
• Recman: Mosta jacket. Label: 77 per cent wool, 21 per cent polyester, 2 per cent elastane. Laboratory tests: 77.8 per cent polyester, 19.2 per cent viscose, 3 per cent elastane.
• Dastan Logistics: Tailored OXFC shirt. Label: 100 per cent cotton. Laboratory tests: 61.4 per cent cotton, 38.6 per cent polyester.
• Dastan Logistics: Dastan Designs shirt. Label: 80 per cent cotton, 20 per cent polyester. Laboratory tests: 54.1 per cent cotton, 45.9 per cent polyester.

For violating collective consumer interests and misleading consumers, President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny imposed the following financial penalties: Kubenz – PLN 962,068, Recman – PLN 1,105,428, Dastan Logistics – PLN 42,930.

Recman and Kubenz have changed the labelling of the clothes they produce to match the actual composition, thus discontinuing the practice in question. This was confirmed by additional laboratory tests carried out in August 2021. Dastan Logistics changed product labels only for those whose composition did not comply with the results of laboratory tests, so the decision imposed an immediately enforceable cease and desist order on the trader. Kubenz and Recman must notify consumers of the decision – on their websites, Facebook profiles and at checkouts in the company shops.

What to look out for when buying a suit?

• Outer fabric – make sure it matches your expectations. Consider whether you expect the suit to withstand long journeys, frequent folding and transport in a suitcase, and during what seasons you plan to wear it.
• Fabric weight – it usually ranges from 220g to 400 g, corresponding to the weight of a square metre of the fabric. The colder it is, the higher the weight should be.
• Thread twist – standard designations are Super 100's, 120's or 130's. They refer to the thickness of the hair from which the thread is made. The higher the number, the finer and more delicate the fabric, but also the more prone it is to creasing.
• Wool and addition of other fibres. Merino wool is comfortable and pleasant to the touch, it does not need to be washed or cleaned often and is easy to iron. However, it is prone to creasing. A small admixture of polyester or polyamide
   (5-10 per cent) increases the friction resistance of wool fabric without significantly impairing its characteristics.

Do you have any objections or concerns? Report them to the Voivodeship Inspectorate of Trade Inspection.

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL