Trademark Class 25: Complete Guide to Clothing, Footwear, and Headwear

Choosing the correct trademark class is a key step in protecting your brand legally and commercially. The Nice Classification (NCL) system divides all goods and services into 45 distinct classes. Among them, Trademark Class 25 is one of the most popular, covering a vast range of clothing, footwear, and headwear for human use.

Whether you are building a fashion label, launching a sportswear line, or selling customized t-shirts, Class 25 is your go-to category for trademark protection.

What is Trademark Class 25?

Trademark Class 25 includes all types of wearable apparel and accessories for human beings, including garments, shoes, and headgear. It also covers various parts and components of clothing and footwear, as well as fashion accessories like bibs, paper clothing, and pocket squares.

This class is essential for any business involved in manufacturing, selling, or designing fashion products, uniforms, or wearable merchandise.

Goods Covered Under Trademark Class 25

Here is a detailed breakdown of goods that fall under Class 25:

1. Clothing for Everyday Use

  • T-shirts, shirts, pants, jeans, trousers

  • Dresses, skirts, suits, jackets, coats

  • Sweaters, cardigans, hoodies

  • Undergarments, lingerie, nightwear, pyjamas

  • Raincoats, windcheaters, cloaks

  • School uniforms, office wear

2. Footwear

  • Shoes, sandals, slippers, boots

  • Sports shoes, gym shoes, football boots

  • Flip-flops, loafers, moccasins

  • Parts of footwear: soles, heels, insoles

3. Headwear

  • Caps, hats, beanies, berets

  • Turbans, scarves (as headwear), visors

  • Headbands (worn as fashion or sports accessory)

  • Hat frames, cap peaks

4. Specialty Clothing and Accessories

  • Bibs (not made of paper)

  • Masquerade costumes

  • Pocket squares

  • Paper clothing (including paper hats used as garments)

  • Footmuffs (non-electrically heated)

5. Clothing for Sports

  • Sports singlets, tracksuits, gym wear

  • Karate or judo uniforms

  • Ski gloves, ski boots

  • Cycling apparel

  • Yoga pants, compression wear

Examples of Products in Class 25

Product Description Covered in Class 25? Notes
Casual cotton t-shirt Yes General apparel
School uniform shirt Yes Includes formal or uniform clothing
Paper party hat No Covered under Class 28
Bib (textile) for babies Yes Paper bibs excluded (Class 16)
Electric heated jacket No Falls under Class 11
Orthopaedic shoes No Classified under Class 10 (medical footwear)
Sports shoes for running Yes Footwear for general sports use
Carnival mask with costume Mask – No, Costume – Yes Costume included; mask falls under Class 28
Hatband or zipper No Clothing accessories covered under Class 26
Dog jacket or pet raincoat No Clothing for animals is in Class 18

What Is Not Covered Under Trademark Class 25?

Although Class 25 covers a wide range of wearables, certain items are specifically excluded and classified elsewhere:

  • Clothing for protection or professional use – such as fire-resistant suits or operating room gowns (Class 9 or 10)

  • Orthopaedic footwear – covered under Class 10

  • Electrically heated garments and footmuffs – fall under Class 11

  • Fitted footmuffs for strollers – fall under Class 12

  • Haberdashery and garment fasteners – zippers, buttons, buckles are classified under Class 26

  • Clothing and footwear for dolls or pets – Class 28 for dolls, Class 18 for animals

  • Paper-based handkerchiefs or bibs – Class 16

  • Carnival masks or paper party hats – Class 28

Misclassifying your trademark can lead to rejections or limited legal protection, especially in the fashion and textile space where product categories can overlap.

Who Should Register Under Trademark Class 25?

Trademark Class 25 is one of the most commonly filed classes and applies to a wide range of businesses, including:

  • Fashion brands and designers

  • Footwear companies and cobblers

  • Apparel exporters and textile houses

  • Custom t-shirt and print-on-demand services

  • Athleisure and activewear brands

  • Uniform manufacturers

  • E-commerce clothing stores

  • Baby wear or maternity wear providers

  • Costume designers and cosplay product sellers

Whether you’re building a luxury couture brand or selling caps at music festivals, Class 25 is essential to protect your identity in the fashion and apparel industry.

Related Trademark Classes

Depending on your full product line, you may need to consider filing in additional trademark classes:

Class Description
Class 18 Bags, luggage, and clothing for animals
Class 24 Textiles, fabrics, handkerchiefs, and bed linen
Class 26 Garment accessories – buttons, zippers, ribbons, and trimmings
Class 28 Costumes for dolls, masks, party accessories for entertainment
Class 10 Orthopaedic or medical apparel and footwear
Class 11 Electrically heated clothing and wearables
Class 35 Retail, wholesale, and online sales of clothing and fashion products

Filing in the right combination of classes ensures full protection across your brand’s product range.

Why Trademark Classification Matters

Correct classification impacts:

  • Your trademark’s legal validity and scope

  • The likelihood of successful registration

  • Your ability to take enforcement action against infringers

  • The overall strength of your brand’s protection in the industry

For fashion businesses especially, it’s common for items to blur across classes. A strategic approach to classification can offer broader, safer brand protection.

Conclusion

Trademark Class 25 is the definitive class for businesses operating in the clothing, footwear, and headwear sectors. Whether your business focuses on high-street fashion, uniforms, sportswear, or specialty garments, filing under this class gives your brand strong legal protection in a highly competitive space.

By understanding what is included and excluded in Class 25, you can make informed trademark decisions that align with your product offering.

Need Help Filing a Trademark Under Class 25?
At Tradeviser, we assist fashion entrepreneurs, footwear brands, and clothing startups in securing their brand names and logos with proper class-based registration.

Let us help you protect your design and label today.