• Following the outcomes of the inspection held by the Trade Inspection Authority, President of UOKiK has instigated the preliminary investigation affecting the following companies: Polskie Sklepy Odzieżowe (the manufacturer of the Lavard wear, among others) and Lord.
• Label must include real information - this is the responsibility of manufacturers.

The information on the true composition of garment should be placed on labels and inserts. A consumer is not able to verify these data on their own and must trust the specifications stated by the manufacturer. The composition of the materials used affects consumers’ decisions - their assessment of quality, usability, value, and price level of the product. The type of the fabric is also important for the manner of using or handling the garment.

As the inspections held by the Trade Inspection Authority and the detailed laboratory tests have shown, the composition declared by manufacturers does not always corresponds with the facts. It happens that consumers are misinformed about the fibers used. Some negative outcomes of the inspections held as well as the analyses of the Lavard and Lord brand products have become the grounds for instigating preliminary investigation by President of UOKIK.

- Consumers have a right to be informed reliably about product features and quality which is necessary to take a decision to buy a product or not. In the case of garment, shoppers should be able to rely on the specifications placed on a tag, insert or label. You cannot check on your own if the details on the qualitative composition of the raw material are true. This is why we step in to help consumers and test the composition of various products in UOKiK’s accredited laboratories to check if the declarations of the manufacturers are true. We have been regularly inspecting the garment and checking its quality o ensure that consumers have access to correct information about the composition of the raw material from which a product is made - says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

UOKIK in cooperation with the Trade Inspection Authority regularly checks labelling and quality of the garment available in wholesale shops and retail outlets - women wear, menswear and kids wear are inspected. In 2021, inspectors assessed 780 batches of male formal suits. Regrettably, the percentage of irregularities continues to be comparable to that of previous years, amounting to 26 per cent. In 2023, UOKIK and the Trade Inspection Authority will pay additional attention to the quality of women wear available on the market.

The last inspection of the Lord and Lavard brands has proven that out of the controlled:

• 7 samples of the Lord brand garment - none had the composition as declared.
• 11 samples of the Lavard brand - 9 failed to satisfy the declared composition.

Examples of irregularities detected based on laboratory tests:

- The correct information is of key importance to assess if the price offered corresponds with the qualitative and usable value of the product. It also affects the correct use and handling of a given product. If the consumer had known that there was not an ounce of wool in the “woollen” jacket, they could have rescinded the purchase or handled the product otherwise. To provide consumers with access to reliable information we will more and more frequently use the findings of the Trade Inspection Authority and outcomes of laboratory tests for conducting proceedings towards unfair entrepreneurs - adds President of UOKiK.

The preliminary investigation instigated towards the Lord and Polskie Sklepy Odzieżowe is another action aimed at checking if declarations made by manufacturers are reliable. In March 2022, President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny imposed a fine of over 2.1 million PLN on manufacturers of formal menswear: Kubenz, Recman and Dastan Logistics.

What to pay attention to when buying a lounge jacket?

• Outer fabric - choose it accordingly to your expectations. Consider whether the suit should endure long travel, frequent folding and transport in a suitcase, and what seasons you will wear it in.
• Fabric weight - usually ranges from 220 to 400 g, this corresponds to the weight of a square metre of the fabric. The colder it gets outside, the bigger the weight should be.
• Strand twist - standard markings are Super 100’s, 120’s or 130’s. They refer to the thickness of the thread hair from which the strand is made. The higher the number, the finer and softer the fabric, but also more prone to creasing and wrinkling.
• Wool and addition of other fibers. Merino wool is comfortable and soft to the touch, it can be cleaned easily, you do not need to wash and clean it often. However, it is prone to creasing. A small dose of polyester or polyamide (5-10%) increases the friction resistance of woolen fabric without significantly degrading the characteristics of the wool.

Do you have any concerns or doubts regarding the garment quality or labeling? Report them to the Provincial Trade Inspection Authority Office

Consumer Support:

+48 801 440 220 or +48 222 66 76 76 – Consumer helpline
E-mail: [SCODE]cG9yYWR5QGRsYWtvbnN1bWVudG93LnBs[ECODE]
Consumer Ombudsmen – in your town or district

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone: 22 55 60 246
Email: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL
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