Trademark Class for Clothing Brand: Class 25 Explained

The trademark class for a clothing brand is Class 25. It covers clothing, footwear and headwear under the international Nice Classification, which the USPTO uses. Selling bags, jewelry or an online store can also require Classes 18, 14 and 35. Pick the class that matches what you actually sell.

Most founders skip this step until a cease-and-desist letter lands. Don't. Choosing the right class decides what your registration protects, and fixing it later means a new application and new fees. This guide covers Class 25 in detail, the other classes apparel brands use, the costs, and how to run a search before you commit to a name.

What Is the Trademark Class for a Clothing Brand?

Class 25 is the clothing class. According to the USPTO's ID Manual, it includes items like shirts, hoodies, jackets, pants, dresses, shoes, hats, socks and scarves. If your brand name sits on a tag or label of something people wear, Class 25 is where you file.

Trademark classes come from the Nice Classification, an international system with 45 classes: 34 for goods and 11 for services. Each application names a class, and your protection only reaches the goods listed inside it. A registration in Class 25 doesn't automatically stop someone from using your name on a coffee shop.

What Class 25 covers and doesn't cover

• Covered: t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, leggings, outerwear, sneakers, boots, caps, beanies, belts, gloves, swimwear, underwear.
• Not covered: handbags and backpacks (Class 18), jewelry and watches (Class 14), eyewear (Class 9), perfume and cosmetics (Class 3).
• Not covered: retail store services, including your online shop (Class 35).

The wording matters. Your application lists specific goods, such as "hooded sweatshirts; t-shirts; baseball caps." Vague or overbroad lists get refused, and lists that name goods you don't plan to sell create problems later.

Which Other Classes Does a Clothing Brand Need?

Most clothing brands start with Class 25 and add Class 35 for retail services. Add others only if you sell those products under the brand. Every extra class adds a separate government fee, so match your filing to your real product roadmap.

Class	What it covers	When apparel brands need it
25	Clothing, footwear, headwear	Always, for core apparel
35	Retail store services, online retail	When you run your own web store
18	Bags, backpacks, wallets, umbrellas	Totes, duffels, accessories
14	Jewelry, watches	Pins, chains, merch jewelry
26	Patches, buttons, embroidery items	Sold patches or lace
9	Sunglasses, phone cases	Eyewear and tech accessories
3	Cosmetics, fragrance	Beauty line extensions
40/42 etc.	Custom printing services	Only if you print for others

A realistic plan for a new streetwear label: file Class 25 now, add Class 35 when the store is live, and hold Class 18 until you actually ship a bag. The USPTO also expects you to use the mark in commerce for the goods you list, so filing for everything "just in case" can backfire.

Class 25 versus Class 35: which first?

Class 25 protects the product. Class 35 protects the shop. If your name appears on garments, Class 25 is the stronger asset because it stops copycats on goods. If you only resell other brands' clothing, Class 35 is the better fit.

Can I Trademark a Clothing Brand Name?

Yes, you can trademark a clothing brand name if it's distinctive and nobody has a confusingly similar mark in related goods. Invented words, coined terms and arbitrary names register most easily. Plain descriptions like "Cotton Shirts Co." usually get refused.

Trademark law ranks names on a spectrum, from strongest to weakest:

1. Fanciful: invented words with no prior meaning, like "Kodak" in cameras or "Zara" style coinages. Strongest.
2. Arbitrary: real words unrelated to clothing, like "Apple" for computers or "Mango Peak" on hoodies.
3. Suggestive: hints at a benefit, like "Coolwear."
4. Descriptive: says what the product is. Registrable only after showing acquired distinctiveness, meaning consumers have come to see the term as your brand, usually after about five years of substantially exclusive use.
5. Generic: "Shirts." Can't be registered at all.

A common refusal pattern in apparel is the Section 2(d) likelihood-of-confusion refusal. An examining attorney cites an earlier registration, such as a similar name for hats or hoodies, and blocks yours. A founder who files "Northpeak" for jackets, for example, can be refused over an existing "North Peak" registration for outerwear, even with a different logo. This is an illustrative scenario, not a specific case, but it happens constantly because apparel is crowded.

If you're still brainstorming, start with distinctiveness. Our guides to clothing brand name ideas and unique words for brand names lean toward names that clear this bar. Streetwear founders can also look at streetwear brand names for patterns that register cleanly.

Slogans, logos and hang tags

You can register the word mark (the name in plain text), the logo as a design mark, or both. A standard character word mark gives the broadest protection because it covers the name in any font or style. Register that first, then add the logo once the design is final.

How to Run a USPTO Clothing Trademark Search

A USPTO clothing trademark search means checking the federal trademark database for identical or similar marks in Class 25 and related classes. Do it before you print labels. Finding a conflict after launch costs far more than finding it in an afternoon.

The USPTO's free search tool is available at uspto.gov. Here's a workable process:

1. Search the exact name in the trademark database. Filter for live and pending marks.
2. Search variations: spelling changes, plurals, phonetic twins (Kold vs. Cold), and word order swaps.
3. Check Classes 25, 18, 14 and 35. The USPTO refuses marks likely to confuse consumers across related goods, not just identical ones.
4. Look at common-law use. Unregistered brands on Instagram, Etsy or Google can still sue you. Search social platforms and marketplaces.
5. Check the domain and handles. Our guides on checking whether a business name is trademarked and social media handle availability walk through this.

The key test is "likelihood of confusion." Two brands can share a word if the goods and look are different enough, but in apparel the overlap is heavy. Two clothing brands named "Atlas" will probably collide even if one sells jackets and the other sells tees.

What to do if your clothing brand name is already taken

If your clothing brand name is already taken, check how. A dead or abandoned registration may be cancelled. A live registration in a different class may leave room. A live Class 25 registration for a similar name means you should change course.

• Add a distinctive second word rather than a generic one like "Co" or "Apparel."
• Change the spelling only if the sound is meaningfully different.
• Consider a coexistence agreement if the owner sells different goods.
• Talk to a trademark attorney before you spend on inventory.

If the domain is gone too, see what to do when your business name is taken as a domain.

How to Register a Clothing Brand Trademark and What It Costs

To register a clothing brand trademark, you file an application with the USPTO, pick your class and goods, and pay a per-class fee. Expect several months of examination. Filing costs are modest, but attorney help and responses to refusals add up.

The USPTO fee schedule changed in January 2025, and the base application fee is $350 per class. Surcharges apply on top of that: $100 per class if you use free-form text instead of the ID Manual, $100 per class for an insufficient application, and $200 per class for each additional 1,000 characters in a free-form description. Statements of use for intent-to-use filings carry their own fee, which has been $150 per class. Fees get revised, so confirm every figure on the USPTO site before filing.

Trademark cost for a clothing line: realistic budget

Item	Typical cost
USPTO base fee, Class 25	$350
Additional class (e.g., 35)	$350 each
Free-form text surcharge	$200 per class (avoid by using ID Manual entries)
Statement of use (if filed intent-to-use)	About $150 per class
Attorney filing help	Often $500–$1,500 per class (varies by firm)
Office action response	Often $300–$1,000+ if refused

USPTO figures above come from its published fee schedule and should be verified. Attorney ranges are our estimates based on typical flat-fee trademark firm pricing, not an official source, so get quotes. A solo founder filing one class might spend $350 to $2,000 all in. That's small next to a rebrand after you've printed 500 hoodies.

The filing steps

1. Choose your basis: "use in commerce" if you've already sold under the name across state lines, or "intent to use" if you haven't launched.
2. List goods precisely from the ID Manual in Class 25.
3. Submit the application and pay the fee.
4. Wait for examination. An examining attorney reviews it, often several months after filing.
5. Respond to office actions within the deadline.
6. Publication and registration. Anyone can oppose during a 30-day window before registration.

Selling abroad: the Madrid System

A US trademark doesn't guarantee you can sell anywhere. It's territorial. If you plan to ship to Canada, the UK or the EU, those need separate protection. The Madrid System, run by WIPO, lets you file one international application based on your US application or registration and designate multiple countries. Each country charges its own fees and can still refuse the mark.

Two cautions. Madrid applications depend on your US "basic" mark for the first five years, so if the US filing fails, the international registration can fall with it. And Class 25 goods lists must fit each country's rules. File abroad once you have real sales or a firm launch plan there, since priority from your US filing lasts six months under the Paris Convention.

Build the Brand Before You Spend on the Filing

Trademark work is easier when your brand is real: a name, a logo, product photos and a live store. If you're still planning, our step-by-step guide to starting a clothing line shows where trademarks fit among sourcing, pricing and launch.

A quick checklist before filing:

• Name is distinctive, not descriptive.
• Knockout search done in Classes 25, 35 and any extras you need.
• Domain and handles secured.
• Goods list matches what you'll actually sell in the next three years.
• Budget set for the fee plus a possible office action.

Conclusion: Pick the Right Trademark Class for Your Clothing Brand

Class 25 is the core trademark class for a clothing brand. Add Class 35 for your store and Classes 18, 14 or 26 only when you sell those items. Search first, file a word mark, and budget $350 per class plus any legal help.

Once the name is cleared, you'll want a store that sells it. If you'd like to launch fast, Rovela builds a complete clothing store from a plain-language description, with checkout, abandoned cart and size tools included. You can see how pricing works on the pricing page. This article is general information, not legal advice, so confirm details with a trademark attorney.