Entering the European market for fashion accessories

All the different segments in fashion are also represented in accessories, but because they are usually sold as by-products to fashion collections, there are only few retailers specialised in selling accessories. Selling accessories on the EU market often means doing business with fashion brands and retailers. This can be an advantage, since these product categories face less competition than clothing.

1. What requirements must fashion accessories comply with to be allowed on the European market?

You need to comply with several requirements when exporting fashion accessories to Europe. Some are mandatory – both legal and non-legal. Other requirements are voluntary, but meeting them can give you a competitive advantage. Some requirements only apply to niche markets.

Figure 1: Knitted beanies and scarves are a staple in Europeans' wardrobes, especially in the colder, northern regions of Europe

Source: Aliaksei Lepik via Unsplash

What are mandatory requirements?

There are several legal requirements for exporting scarves, gloves and hats to Europe, including those concerning product safety, the use of chemicals (REACH), quality and labelling. Check the EU Access2Markets online helpdesk for an overview. 

Follow these steps to ensure that your product complies with the relevant legal requirements:

1. Make sure your product complies with the EU’s General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR: 2023/988). If your buyer supplied the product design, it is their responsibility to guarantee it is legally safe for end-consumers to use.
2. Make sure you comply with the EU’s REACH Regulation. It restricts the use of chemicals in apparel and trims. Test input materials before production to prevent non-compliance.
3. Pay particular attention to European Safety Standard EN 17394, which applies to fashion accessories for children. It provides safety requirements for the attachment of small parts such as buttons, press fasteners and rivets.
4. Specify the material composition of every item of fashion accessories that you export to the EU, in line with Regulation (EU) 1007/2011. Check the EU Access2Markets online helpdesk on how to do so.
5. Do not violate any intellectual property (IP) rights and do not copy or share designs with other buyers. If your buyer provides the design, they will be liable if the item is found to violate a property right. 

National requirements for the use of chemicals

Some EU countries have national regulations for specific chemicals. For example, Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands have specific regulations for formaldehyde in textiles. Austria, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands also have specific regulations for pentachlorophenol (PCP), while Germany also has regulations for ‘dispersing dyes’ in textiles. These are often used to dye polyesters. Switzerland has its own regulation for chemicals, the ORRChem. The UK has its own REACH regulation.

France’s leap forward in legal sustainability requirements

In 2025, France adopted a bill to ban the use of PFAS (‘forever chemicals’) in textile products by 1 January 2026, which excludes certain protective gear. The ban will be extended to all textile products in 2030. This regulation is expected to be adopted EU-wide in the coming years. France has also recently introduced specific laws concerning waste and the circular economy (AGEC), a labelling decree promoting supply chain transparency, and a new national bill imposing penalties of €10,- per individual ultra-fast fashion item by 2030.

Non-legal mandatory requirements 

Buyers may confront you with additional, company-specific terms and conditions. Such requirements are usually written in a buyer manual. By signing a contract with your buyer, you confirm that you will comply with all the requirements listed in the manual. You will be held accountable in case of a problem after the delivery of an order. If a buyer does not have a manual, make sure that all terms and conditions are clear and agreed upon beforehand to avoid unpleasant surprises. 

The following topics may be included in a buyer manual.

Payment terms

For first-time orders, European buyers may give you a down payment via bank transfer (for instance 30%). They will pay the rest (70%) before shipment, again via bank transfer, or bank guarantee. This statement guarantees that the sum will be paid at a certain date.

Another payment method is the L/C (Letter of Credit). With an L/C, the buyer’s bank must pay the supplier when both parties meet the conditions they have agreed upon. This is the safest payment method for a manufacturer. An L/C can also be used to get finance to purchase materials. Many buyers don’t favour L/C payments, because the payable amount is blocked in their bank account to secure payment.

For follow-up orders, most European buyers will ask for a TT (Telegraphic Transfer/Open Account) after 30, 60, 90 or sometimes even 120 days. This means that payment will be made the agreed number of days after you have handed over the shipment. You as the manufacturer take full financial risk.

Delivery terms

Free on Board (FOB) is the standard Incoterm used by buyers and sellers to agree on the delivery of goods. Some buyers may ask you to agree to Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) due to rising shipping costs. This is the riskiest Incoterm for you as a manufacturer.

Nominated suppliers

Some buyers may require you to purchase materials from a nominated supplier. This means that you are responsible for the ordering, delivery and payment of materials. This may negatively impact your flexibility, cost, speed and liquidity. Discuss locally available solutions with your buyer to replace nominated suppliers.

Acceptance quality limit

Your buyer may set an acceptance quality limit (AQL). This refers to the worst quality level that is still acceptable. For instance, AQL 2.5 means that your buyer will reject a batch if more than 2.5% of the items are defective. Different countries and buyers have different quality standards. Focus on buyers that share the same quality standards.

Packaging requirements

Your buyer will instruct you how to package the order. If you agree to delivering Free on Board (FOB), your buyer will clear customs in the country of import. It is their responsibility to ensure instructions on the packaging comply with EU import procedures.

Make sure to minimise unnecessary packaging materials by not packing each individual item and avoiding empty space. Use reusable packaging (reusable cardboard boxes for instance) and choose packaging containing recycled materials (such as recycled cardboard, including hangers) or biodegradable plastics (polybags). Provide clear labelling for recycling and composition.

Restricted substances

Ask your buyer if they use a Restricted Substances List (RSL). These lists are often based on the guideline on safe chemicals use from the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) foundation or AFIRM.

Certification

Many European buyers require suppliers to get certified for sustainable and/or fair production or the use of sustainable materials. The most popular standards and certifications in Europe include WRAP, SA8000, Sedex, B-corp, OEKO-TEX® STeP, GOTS and Recycled Claim Standard.

Amfori provides a list of organisations that can perform an audit. Note that Amfori BSCI is almost a standard requirement for many European apparel companies.

Transparency

Supply chain transparency is key for the European apparel industry. Disclose information about your own operations to buyers, and help them to gain as much insight as possible into your entire supply chain and the materials used.

The new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, 2024) will introduce a Digital Products Passport, a digital identity card for garments and materials. Information on this card can include:

• The product’s technical performance;
• Materials and their origins;
• Repair activities;
• Recycling capabilities;
• Lifecycle environmental impacts.

Worker happiness

Your buyer may require that you pay attention to diversity and inclusion in your workforce. All individuals in your company should have equal opportunities, regardless of gender, race, religion or other characteristics. Watch the CBI webinar on worker happiness for background information and tips.

Animal welfare

If you use natural protein fibres such as wool (including speciality wools such as merino, alpaca, cashmere or silk), animal welfare is an important concern. Buyers may require that you only use RWS-certified wool. If you use merino, buyers may require that you use only non-mulesing wool.

Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture  is a concept focused on phasing out harmful fertilisers and pesticides and ‘regenerating’ nature. Several large European apparel retail groups have set goals in this area, including H&M and Inditex.

Carbon footprint

Many European brands have committed to climate neutrality. Calculating the CO2-footprint of an apparel item is a complicated process, which starts with carefully measuring your emissions before reducing them. Read our tips to measure and reduce your carbon emissions for more information.

Recycling

The EU is introducing new legal measures to increase circularity, including new directives on durability and ecodesign of textile products and a ‘right to repair’. The EU is also considering the introduction of an EU-wide extended producer responsibility (EPR) for apparel. This makes companies responsible for the way their products are disposed of, recycled or repaired. Some countries, including France, the Netherlands and Sweden, already have national EPR schemes. Recycling and repurposing materials helps your buyers reduce waste and save resources.

What additional requirements do buyers often have?

In addition to mandatory requirements, there are many services that buyers implicitly expect or highly appreciate if you want to do business with them.

Product design and development

European buyers are always looking for unique styles, materials and designs that will help them stand out in the market. In recent years, the following innovations have been applied to fashion accessories:

Table 1: Innovative design features and materials used in scarves

Table 2: Innovative design features and materials used in gloves

Table 3: Innovative design features and materials used in hats

Figure 2: Touchscreen responsive fingertips are a popular feature in leather and knitted gloves

Source: FT Journalistiek

Styles

The classic rectangular scarf remains a popular choice for European end consumers of all ages, in materials like wool, cashmere and cotton. Oversized blanket scarves are popular in colder months. Square silk scarves are a timeless accessory. Tube scarves are valued for their ease and warmth. Other popular styles include knitted scarves, infinity scarves, lightweight linen scarves for spring, fringed scarves and pashmina-style scarves.

Classic leather gloves are a staple for both men and women, with black and brown being the most popular colours. Knitted wool gloves are widely used in colder months. Touchscreen gloves have grown popular for smartphone use. Mittens, especially padded or fleece-lined versions, are favoured for warmth, and thermal gloves are commonly used for outdoor activities. Other popular styles include faux fur-trimmed gloves, suede gloves, quilted gloves and vegan leather alternatives.

Beanies are among the most popular hat styles. Bucket hats also rank highly, especially among younger consumers. Peaked caps, including classic baseball caps and sporty visors, appeal to both men and women in Europe. Straw and jute sun hats, made by plaiting strips of natural materials, are popular in the summer for their breathability and eco-friendly appeal. Traditional felt hats like fedoras, cloches and trilbies hold a small market share, but they still attract attention in formal wear and vintage-inspired collections.

Printing

Printed fashion accessories are often included in European fashion collections. There are different printing techniques: lithography (using printing plates and rollers on fabric), digital printing (inkjet and laser, allows for small production runs) and screen printing (transferring images onto fabric using a fine material or mesh/film). Printing can be outsourced, but having your own printing and embroidery machines increases your flexibility.

Communication

Smooth communication is crucial. Set an automated message in your email software in which you thank the sender for their message and promise to reply personally within 24 hours. Follow-up on your promise, even if it is just to confirm that you have received the email and will send a more detailed reply later. If you have a problem with a production order, immediately notify the customer and try to offer a solution.

Flexibility

If you want to start a business relationship with a European buyer, be prepared to accept complicated orders at first. Buyers will want to test your factory. Deliver high material quality and impeccable workmanship. For a first order, be prepared to accept orders below your normal minimum order quantity (MOQ) and be flexible in price.

To increase flexibility, factories can install a sample room (to produce small orders), a modular production setup (an island instead of a production line), or a U-shaped setup, where employees can control several machines at the same time.

What are the requirements for niche markets?

There are several interesting niche markets for scarves, gloves and hats. While there is a mass market for fashion accessories in the apparel industry, niche markets can also represent large volumes.

Promotional wear

Promotional wear is apparel used to promote a brand, company, event or message. It is often given away for free or worn by employees to help advertise or create awareness. These clothes usually have a logo, slogan or design printed on them, so you need machinery for printing and/or embroidery.

Tourism

Tourism fashion is clothing and accessories made for travellers and tourists. It includes things people wear when they visit new places, like comfortable clothes, local styles or souvenirs. The potential market segment includes airports, tourist shops, hotels and resorts, online travel fashion stores, and local markets in travel destinations.

Sustainable fashion accessories

More European apparel brands are using sustainable materials in their collections, such as natural or recycled fibres. Consider using organic cotton or rPET, fabrics blended with eco-friendly fibres (such as hemp), regenerated fibres (such as Tencel®, Modal® and Refibra™) or sustainable fibres (such as Recover, REPREVE and Infinited Fiber), or fabrics dyed with only natural ingredients (such as Fibre Bio and Greendyes) or dyes made from recycled materials (such as Recycrom).

2. Through which channels can you get fashion accessories on the European market?

Before you approach European fashion accessories buyers, you need to determine what market segment best fits your company and through which sales channel(s) you want to sell your product.

How is the end market segmented?

European fashion accessory buyers are best classified by price/quality level.

Table 4: Fashion accessories market segmentation

Source: FT Journalistiek, 2025

Luxury consumers

High fashion consumers shop luxury brands like Prada or Gucci and at retailers like Galeries Lafayette (France), KaDeWe (Germany) and de Bijenkorf (Netherlands). These consumers expect their accessories to represent a strong brand image and the latest fashion trends, with a focus on maximum comfort. Brands in the luxury market require top-quality materials and manufacturing, plus the latest in technical innovation.

Mainstream fashionable consumers

In the middle market, lifestyle apparel brands and retailers like Michael Kors, Fossil and Promod cater to mainstream end consumers. These companies sell collections created around a brand image and offer a good-quality product for a mid-level price. Products must have the technical look of a high-end product, but retail prices are lower.

Price-conscious consumers

The budget market includes companies like Primark, H&M, Zeeman, Carrefour and Action, which cater to the price-conscious fashion accessories end consumer. Design and technical innovation are less important, but the apparel item needs to give the impression that it is fit for purpose and in line with the latest fashion trends. Prices are (very) low and competition in this market segment is strong.

Through which channels does the product end up on the market?

A buyer's place in the value chain determines how they will do business with you. Each buyer requires a specific approach. Always try to find out what part of the value chain your buyer is operating in, what challenges they face in the market, and how you can contribute to their sales strategy.

Table 5: Different sales channels in the European market for fashion accessories

Source: FT Journalistiek, 2025

The figure below shows the many ways you can get your product on the European market, either via an intermediary, your own brand or via brands, retailers or online (multi-brand) platforms. Ideally, consumers return their apparel items back to the seller after use, to be reused, repaired, refurbished or recycled.

Figure 3: Apparel market value chain

Source: FT Journalistiek, 2025

What is the most interesting channel for you?

As you move higher up the value chain, your margin will increase, and so will the service level your buyer expects from you. If you have little or no experience in exporting to Europe, intermediaries and brands are the best starting point. Such companies have the largest market share and service every price/quality segment in the market. Intermediaries and brands are also used to working with suppliers in different production countries worldwide.

Which countries are you competing with?

Most apparel brands and retailers sell scarves, gloves and hats as a side product in addition to fashion or footwear. As such, they belong to the accessory category. Only highly specialised manufacturers cater to this market, limiting competition.

Table 6: Strong competitors in the fashion accessories industry

Source: FT Journalistiek, 2025

Unpredictable American trade policy affects competitiveness

In the first half of 2025, the United States carried out a highly unpredictable trade policy. It introduced import tariffs on goods from many countries around the world, including tariffs of over 19% on products from all six top exporters of apparel to the USA (China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Cambodia). The tariffs will cause short-term issues for all apparel manufacturing countries. However, countries like Bangladesh (20%), Vietnam (20%) and Cambodia (19%), which managed to secure trade deals with the USA that lowered tariffs, are still better positioned than competitors like India, which faces higher tariffs (25%).

Expect stronger competition from countries affected by these policies, as they may (also) want to intensify trade with Europe as an alternative to trading with the USA.

Which companies are you competing with?

Fashion accessories are manufactured by two kinds of companies. First there are companies that manufacture accessories made from the same material and styling/colour as the apparel order placed by the buyer. Other manufacturers are specialised in making one type of accessory. These companies are often very price-competitive due to their specialisation.

• Thai Son S.P. in Vietnam is a vertically integrated factory producing woven and knitted apparel, including beanies and scarves. The company is SA8000-certified and offers a wide range of sustainable material options, design options and technical innovations, including 3D fitting and in-house printing;
• Nantong Foremost is a factory in China specialised in eco-friendly hats, including baseball caps, bucket hats and beanies. They are certified with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BSCI, GOTS and GRS, ensuring adherence to quality and environmental and social standards;
• Hestra Matsuoka Vietnam is a factory producing high-quality fashion gloves, including leather and technical sports gloves for Swedish glove brand Hestra. The factory is certified ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 for quality and environmental management.

Which products are you competing with?

Fashion accessories play an important role in the apparel market, as they help complete an outfit and add personal style. They are often seen as both practical and fashionable. Competing products in this market are other clothing items, but accessories stand out because they can easily change the look of an outfit.

Trends

Competition comes mainly from within the accessory category itself. Certain items have become wardrobe staples for Europeans, like the beanie, the baseball cap and the black leather glove. Other styles are more affected by fashion trends, such as oversized scarves and bucket hats. Scarves with bold patterns and colours cycle in and out of fashion, reflecting seasonal trends.

Materials

Traditional fabrics for scarves, gloves and hats like nylon and polyester are increasingly being replaced by new materials. Some of these materials are appreciated by buyers for their natural qualities, such as bio-cotton, (merino) wool, bamboo and Tencel®. Others are primarily used because of their sustainability, such as recycled polyester (rPET), nylon and elastane. The main weaknesses of such materials are low availability and a high price point.

3. What are the prices of fashion accessories on the European market?

The factory price of your product is influenced by many factors, such as the type of product, design, cost of materials, efficiency of your employees and your overhead and profit margin. For a step-by-step guide on how to calculate the FOB price of an apparel item, read CBI’s study on cost price calculation.

The cost breakdown of your Free On Board (FOB) price depends on the type of accessory you are selling. For knitted items such as beanies (highly automated) or scarves (relatively simple design), the price breakdown may be slightly different than that of baseball caps (manual labour) or leather gloves (expensive base materials). 

Your typical price breakdown should look something like this:

Source: FT Journalistiek, 2025

Retail pricing

The retail price of an apparel item is on average 4-8 times the FOB price (the ‘retail markup’). The FOB price is on average 12.5-25% of the retail price of the product. Exceptions do occur. In the budget market, some large European retail chains may only double the FOB price. Retailers mark up the FOB price by 4-8 times because they need to account for (among other things) import duties, transport, rent, marketing, overhead, stockkeeping, markdowns and VAT (15-27% in EU countries).

These percentages may vary per factory, per order and moment during the season. Some factories accept lower profit margins during the off-season, or when order volumes are high. In addition, the percentages for labour versus fabrics may differ, depending on the efficiency and wage level of the workforce and the price of materials. Higher costs due to inflation, increasing taxes, sustainability requirements, lower quantities or near-shoring can also lead buyers to adopt bigger margins.

The influence of climate change on consumer preferences

Due to climate change, cold winter periods are getting shorter in many parts of Europe. This may affect demand for fashion accessories that help consumers stay warm during cold periods, such as gloves, beanies and winter scarves. In the coming years, European end consumers may buy fewer winter accessories or prefer cheaper styles, as they will probably use their accessories for a shorter period of time.