Use a Private Label Swimwear Colorfastness Test Checklist

2026-06-24 · Development · Aloha & Co Editorial Team

A buyer-ready checklist for swimwear colorfastness: pool, seawater, sweat, wash, lab dips, strike-offs, trims, linings, and care wording before bulk.

Summary. Use current AATCC, Intertek, FTC, eCFR, lab-dip, and strike-off evidence to check whether swimwear color proof covers pool chlorine, seawater, sweat, washing, staining, fabric content, trims, and care labels before bulk.

Key Takeaways

Ask reports to name pool, seawater, washing, rubbing, and perspiration methods; AATCC TM162-2011e2 and TM106-2025 cover pool and seawater checks.
For seawater, require shade-change and staining results because AATCC TM106 uses multifiber test fabric.
Approve lab dips or strike-offs with fabric quality, content, Pantone reference, mill reference, print method, screens, round number, and date.
Lock care wording after color proof; U.S. care-label rules require regular care instructions and a reasonable basis before sale.

Direct Answer

Buyers using a private label swimwear colorfastness test checklist should verify the named methods for pool chlorine, seawater, washing, rubbing, and perspiration before bulk approval. They should also require lab-dip or strike-off records, fabric and trim composition, staining results against multifiber or adjacent fabrics, and care wording backed by evidence.

Start With Real Swimwear Exposures

A private label swimwear colorfastness test checklist should prove that color resists shade change and dye transfer under expected exposures: chlorinated pool water, seawater, perspiration, rubbing or crocking, and washing. Intertek ties swimwear and beachwear chlorinated-water and seawater checks to ISO 105-E03, ISO 105-E02, and AATCC 106.

Do not approve bulk from a vague line such as "colorfastness passed." Ask the private label swimwear manufacturer or custom swimwear manufacturer to name each method and material tested, including shell fabric, lining, elastic, trims, and print or dye method.

Check Pool and Seawater Proof Separately

Pool-water resistance and seawater resistance are separate checks. AATCC TM162-2011e2 covers Colorfastness to Water: Chlorinated Pool and is related to ISO 105-E03. It evaluates colored textiles in diluted chlorine solution under specified temperature, time, pH, and hardness, with Chlorine Test Control Fabric used to verify the run.

For seawater, AATCC TM106-2025 is partly equivalent to ISO 105-E02. It uses artificial sea water because natural sea water is variable and can be difficult to obtain. The specimen is backed by multifiber test fabric, so the report should show color change and staining.

Add Wash, Rub, and Sweat Methods

Swimwear also faces laundering and wet friction. Intertek lists washing under ISO 105-C06 and AATCC 61, rubbing or crocking under ISO 105-X12 and AATCC 8, and perspiration under ISO 105-E04 and AATCC 15. Perspiration testing simulates acidic and alkaline human sweat, while rubbing or crocking evaluates transfer through friction in wet and dry states.

Ask for method names rather than a generic grade. The evidence pack does not show a universal pass/fail rating for every private-label swimwear program. Record the required grade by buyer, market, color, method, and material before bulk cutting.

Tie Color Approval to Lab Dips and Strike-Offs

A lab dip or strike-off is not colorfastness proof, but it is the color target the later test should match. World Market's process requires 2-3 solid lab dips for each fabric, color, and finish, with lab dips at least 3 inch x 3 inch. Printed strike-offs require 2-3 yards or at least 2 repeats, and final printed strike-offs must use the same print method and screens as production.

Runtang Textile warns that lab dip approval does not guarantee bulk color consistency. It lists greige lot variation, bulk vat scale differences, and missing formula records as drift causes, with a 300 kg jet dyeing machine as a bulk-vat example. For low MOQ swimwear, record construction, fibre content, GSM, D65 and TL84 illuminants, Delta E tolerance, sealed swatch, round number, and date.

Confirm Composition, Trims, and Care Wording

Colorfastness problems often show up where materials meet: shell against lining, contrast binding against pale fabric, elastic against print, or trim against a wet body. The FTC textile labeling guide says covered textile products must list generic fiber names and percentages by weight in descending order of predominance, and separate sections with different fiber compositions should be identified separately.

Care wording should come after testing. The eCFR care-label rule requires regular care instructions and says it is unfair or deceptive to lack a reasonable basis for that information before sale. If an item is not colorfast, the rule says the label should state "Wash with like colors" or "Wash separately." Published by Aloha & Co, a resort wear, swimwear, and aloha shirt manufacturer.

Buyer Comparison

Checklist item	Evidence to request	Why it matters
Pool chlorine	AATCC TM162-2011e2 or ISO 105-E03 reference, plus Chlorine Test Control Fabric confirmation	Checks colored fabrics in diluted chlorine under specified temperature, time, pH, and hardness
Seawater	AATCC TM106-2025 or ISO 105-E02-related result with color change and multifiber staining	Shows shade change and staining against adjacent fibers
Wash, rub, and sweat	ISO 105-C06 or AATCC 61, ISO 105-X12 or AATCC 8, and ISO 105-E04 or AATCC 15	Covers washing, wet and dry friction transfer, and perspiration
Lab dip or strike-off	2-3 lab dips at 3 inch x 3 inch minimum, or printed strike-offs of 2-3 yards or at least 2 repeats	Anchors bulk approval to complete color-development material
Composition and care label	Shell, lining, elastic, trim, or sectional fiber content plus supported care wording	Supports fiber disclosure and care-label reasonable basis

Buyer Questions

What should be in a private label swimwear colorfastness test checklist?

Include named methods for pool water, seawater, washing, rubbing, and perspiration. Add lab-dip or strike-off references, fabric quality, fiber content, trim interaction, staining results, accepted tolerances, and care wording.

Is there one universal passing grade for swimwear colorfastness?

Not visible in the evidence pack. AATCC's 2026 manual includes revised EP1-2025 for color change and EP2-2025 for staining, but the pack does not provide one universal pass/fail grade.

Which pool and seawater standards should buyers request?

For pool water, ask whether the supplier used AATCC TM162-2011e2 or an ISO 105-E03-related method. For seawater, ask for AATCC TM106-2025 or an ISO 105-E02-related result with shade change and multifiber staining.

Why ask for lab dips if colorfastness testing is separate?

Lab dips and strike-offs document the approved target color, fabric, finish, print method, screens, and references. World Market calls for 2-3 solid lab dips per fabric, color, and finish.

How should care-label wording be approved for swimwear?

Approve care wording only after test evidence supports it. U.S. rules require care instructions and a reasonable basis before sale. If an item is not colorfast, use "Wash with like colors" or "Wash separately."