Denver woman bought a ‘linen’ shirt from Fashion Nova. Then she checked the inside label: ‘that is illegal though’

A TikTok video showing a woman discovering that a shirt sold as “linen” by Fashion Nova actually had an inside label reading “100% Polyester,” drawing hundreds of comments and reigniting a broader debate about fabric mislabeling in fast fashion. The video was posted by Steffani, who goes by the username @ouisteffani on TikTok and has since received over 1.5M views.

In the clip, Steffani shows the outer detachable tag on the shirt, which describes the item as a “linen” shirt. She then flips to the inner stitched label, which reads “100% Polyester” and “Made in China.” “I hate capitalism because this should be illegal,” she wrote in the caption.

The video does not identify the specific product name or price, though one commenter suggested the shirt “was probably $54.” Under US law, advertising a product as one material while the inner label says otherwise could potentially constitute a violation of federal textile labeling requirements.

Fashion Nova’s prior run-ins with the FTC add context to the mislabeling claim

One of the top comments on the video said, “that is illegal though. It’s false advertising.” Under US federal law, the Federal Trade Commission requires that clothing labels accurately reflect fiber content. According to the FTC, a product cannot be labeled as a specific fiber, such as linen, unless that fiber is actually present in the garment. Selling a product advertised as linen while the stitched label reads “100% Polyester” could potentially constitute a violation of the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act.

This is apparently not Fashion Nova’s first regulatory issue. In January 2022, the FTC announced that the brand agreed to pay $4.2 million to settle allegations that the company used a third-party review management system to automatically publish only four- and five-star reviews on its website, while holding back lower-rated ones. Per the FTC, it was the agency’s first case involving a company’s efforts to conceal negative customer reviews. Retail scams and deceptive practices have been drawing widespread public attention lately, as seen when a Walmart scam that shocked shoppers was recently exposed online.

Several commenters on the video appeared to suggest legal action could follow. One user wrote, “You could legitimately sue.” Another commented, “Oh you got a lawsuit on your hands.” A third commenter wrote, “Is this why I got a $12 settlement voucher?” 

The comment section also reflected some disagreement over whether the situation was actually misleading, as one user argued, “linen is the style not material,” while another claimed, “Linen is the weave of the fabric.” A commenter suggested, “‘Cute linen shirt’ is actually a name of a model. And material is polyester. I know, I know, it’s baad, that’s how it works.” However, another commenter pushed back, writing, “Linen is literally a fiber not a style.” 

According to the FTC, violators of an administrative order related to textile mislabeling are subject to monetary civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation, and each instance of mislabeling is considered a separate violation.

Beyond the legal discussion, the video also drew frustration over fast fashion quality more broadly, as one said, “Economy so bad we got faux linen now.” Another user wrote, “Ur expecting linen from fashion nova lol??” Another commenter stated plainly, “Fashion Nova doesn’t sell real linen.” Clothing has gone viral for more wholesome reasons too, like when a mother’s 31-year wardrobe project for her daughter captured the internet’s attention earlier this year.