There is no single trademark class that covers every fashion product.
Most clothing, footwear, and headwear for human beings fall within International Class 25, but fashion brands frequently need additional classes for handbags, jewelry, watches, sunglasses, hair accessories, and other products.
Under the Nice Classification, Thirteenth Edition, version 2026, which took effect January 1, 2026, handbags and many carrying bags generally fall within Class 18, jewelry and conventional watches within Class 14, hair decorations and many clothing fasteners within Class 26, and spectacles and sunglasses now fall within Class 10. Smartwatches remain in Class 9.
The correct trademark class follows the actual product, not the fact that the company considers itself a fashion brand.
That distinction matters because a lifestyle label may use the same trademark on dresses, sneakers, handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, and hair accessories while requiring several international classes to obtain direct federal registration coverage for those products.
Key Takeaways
Class 25 is the principal class for clothing, footwear, and headwear. It includes most ordinary apparel for human beings, including many sports garments and footwear.
Handbags and many carrying bags generally fall in Class 18. Class 18 covers luggage and carrying bags, wallets, certain leather goods, umbrellas, and related products.
Jewelry and conventional watches generally fall in Class 14. Smartwatches are different and remain in Class 9.
Many hair accessories and garment fasteners fall in Class 26. Barrettes, hair bands, certain ribbons and bows, buckles, and zippers are examples.
Sunglasses changed classification in 2026. Under NCL 13-2026, spectacles, contact lenses, and sunglasses are in Class 10 rather than Class 9.
The material alone does not determine the class. A leather handbag may be Class 18, while a leather jacket and leather belt for clothing remain Class 25 because classification follows function and purpose.
What Is International Class 25?
International Class 25 is the primary trademark class for most fashion brands selling clothing, footwear, and headwear.
The current 2026 Nice Classification describes Class 25 as covering clothing, footwear, and headwear, primarily for human beings.
A fashion company may therefore use Class 25 for products such as T-shirts, shirts, dresses, pants, jackets, coats, skirts, sweaters, footwear, hats, caps, gloves, sports clothing, and other ordinary garments depending on the specific goods.
The application should still identify the actual products.
Simply writing “fashion” or relying on the number 25 does not adequately describe what the company sells.
Are Shirts, Dresses, Jackets, and Pants All in Class 25?
Generally, yes.
A clothing company selling several kinds of ordinary apparel can often include those products within one Class 25 application.
For example, a brand selling T-shirts, sweatshirts, dresses, jackets, and trousers does not need a separate trademark class for every type of garment simply because they are different products.
The USPTO charges application fees by international class rather than by the number of individual goods listed within a properly identified class. Its current guidance specifically gives the example of golf shirts, dress shirts, and T-shirts all falling within one class and therefore generating one base class fee.
The identification still must accurately reflect products the applicant uses or genuinely intends to use the trademark with.
What Trademark Class Covers Shoes and Footwear?
Ordinary footwear for human beings generally falls within Class 25.
The current Class 25 explanatory notes specifically include various forms of sports footwear, including football shoes, gymnastic shoes, and ski boots.
A fashion company selling sneakers, boots, sandals, heels, or other conventional footwear will therefore commonly look to Class 25.
There are important exceptions when footwear has a specialized function.
Are All Shoes in Class 25?
No.
Classification can change when the footwear serves a specialized medical, protective, or sporting function.
The current Nice Classification specifically excludes orthopaedic footwear from Class 25 and places it in Class 10. It also distinguishes certain sporting equipment, such as ice skates, which fall in Class 28 rather than ordinary footwear Class 25.
A fashion brand should therefore describe what the product actually is instead of assuming that anything worn on the foot belongs automatically in Class 25.
What Trademark Class Covers Hats and Headwear?
Most ordinary hats and headwear for human beings fall within Class 25.
This can include fashion hats, caps, beanies, and similar headwear.
Protective helmets are different.
The current Nice Classification places protective helmets, including certain sports helmets, within Class 9 because their principal function is protection rather than ordinary fashion wear.
The distinction again turns on the product’s function.
What Trademark Class Covers Belts?
Belts worn as clothing generally fall within Class 25.
This is a useful example because belts may be made from leather, but the material does not automatically place them in Class 18.
The current Class 18 explanatory notes specifically identify leather belts for clothing as products classified in Class 25 according to their function or purpose.
A fashion company should therefore avoid assuming that every leather accessory belongs in the leather-goods class.
Are Leather Jackets in Class 18 Because They Are Made of Leather?
No.
Clothing, footwear, and headwear made of leather for human beings remain in Class 25.
The current Class 18 guidance expressly excludes leather clothing, footwear, and headwear because those products are classified according to their function as apparel.
A leather jacket can therefore be Class 25 while a leather handbag from the same fashion company may be Class 18.
What Trademark Class Covers Handbags?
Handbags and many other carrying bags generally fall within International Class 18.
The current Class 18 heading includes leather and imitations of leather, luggage and carrying bags, umbrellas and parasols, and several related goods. Its explanatory notes specifically identify luggage and carrying bags such as suitcases, traveling bags, school bags, wallets, and related items.
A fashion brand selling clothing and handbags may therefore need both Class 25 and Class 18.
What Trademark Class Covers Purses and Wallets?
Many purses, wallets, and general carrying accessories fall within Class 18.
Class 18 expressly includes pocket wallets and numerous forms of luggage and carrying bags.
The precise identification should still match the actual product.
“Accessories” by itself is usually not enough because that word could encompass products falling into several different classes.
Are All Bags in Class 18?
No.
Bags specially adapted to contain particular products can be classified with those products rather than in Class 18.
The current Class 18 explanatory notes give several examples. Laptop bags and camera cases adapted to those devices can fall in Class 9. Musical-instrument cases can fall in Class 15. Golf bags and bags specifically designed for skis and surfboards can fall in Class 28.
A general fashion tote and a specially fitted laptop case therefore may require different classification.
Function matters more than the everyday use of the word “bag.”
What Trademark Class Covers Luggage?
General luggage and travel bags ordinarily fall within Class 18.
This includes products such as suitcases, trunks, traveling bags, and luggage tags identified in the current Nice explanatory notes.
A fashion or luxury brand expanding from apparel into travel goods should therefore evaluate whether Class 18 belongs in its trademark portfolio.
What Trademark Class Covers Jewelry?
Jewelry generally falls within International Class 14.
The current Class 14 heading covers precious metals and their alloys, jewelry, precious and semi-precious stones, and horological and chronometric instruments. It specifically includes both genuine and imitation jewelry.
A fashion company selling necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, or other jewelry may therefore need Class 14 in addition to its apparel classes.
Is Costume Jewelry in Class 14?
Yes.
Class 14 is not limited to expensive jewelry made from precious metals.
The current Nice Classification expressly includes imitation jewelry.
A fashion-accessories company selling affordable costume jewelry may therefore still belong in Class 14.
What Trademark Class Covers Watches?
Traditional watches generally fall within Class 14.
The Class 14 explanatory notes specifically cover clocks, watches, and their component parts.
A traditional analog or conventional fashion watch is therefore ordinarily analyzed differently from a smartwatch.
What Trademark Class Covers Smartwatches?
Smartwatches fall within International Class 9 under the current 2026 Nice Classification.
The Class 9 explanatory notes expressly include smartwatches and wearable activity trackers, while the Class 14 notes specifically exclude smartwatches.
This distinction is important for fashion brands entering wearable technology.
A company selling both traditional watches and smartwatches may therefore need Class 14 and Class 9 for the same brand.
What Trademark Class Covers Sunglasses in 2026?
Under the current Nice Classification, sunglasses fall within International Class 10.
This is a particularly important 2026 change.
NCL 13-2026 became effective January 1, 2026, and the current Class 10 heading now expressly includes spectacles, contact lenses, and sunglasses. The Class 9 explanatory notes correspondingly exclude those goods and point them to Class 10.
Fashion brands should therefore be careful when reviewing older registrations or older online articles that still associate ordinary sunglasses with Class 9.
Applications filed under the current classification system should use current 2026 guidance.
What Trademark Class Covers Eyeglasses?
Ordinary spectacles and eyeglasses now fall within Class 10 under NCL 13-2026.
The current Class 10 heading specifically includes spectacles, contact lenses, and sunglasses.
Novelty spectacles can be different. Current guidance places novelty spectacles in Class 28.
The intended nature of the product therefore matters.
What Trademark Class Covers Hair Accessories?
Many hair decorations and adornments fall within International Class 26.
The current Class 26 heading includes hair decorations and false hair, while its explanatory notes identify products such as barrettes, hair bands, certain ribbons and bows, and hair nets.
A fashion label selling apparel plus hair accessories may therefore require Class 25 and Class 26.
What Trademark Class Covers Barrettes and Hair Bands?
Barrettes and hair bands generally fall within Class 26.
The current Nice Classification specifically names both products in the Class 26 explanatory notes.
Fashion brands should not assume these items fall in Class 25 simply because they are worn.
Their classification reflects their function as hair adornments rather than clothing or headwear.
What Trademark Class Covers Clothing Buckles and Zippers?
Many clothing fasteners and haberdashery items fall within Class 26.
Current Class 25 guidance expressly excludes clasps, buckles, zippers, ribbons, hatbands, and certain hat and shoe trimmings and points them to Class 26. Class 26 itself specifically includes buckles and zippers.
This distinction becomes important for companies that sell garment components or fashion accessories separately rather than only incorporating them into finished clothing.
Are Brooches and Tie Pins in Class 26?
Not necessarily.
Jewelry items such as tie pins, tie clips, and jewelry charms fall within Class 14.
Class 26 contains other small decorative objects, including charms that are not jewelry and not intended for key rings or key chains.
The term “pin,” “clip,” or “charm” therefore may not be enough to determine classification without understanding the product’s actual nature and function.
What Trademark Class Covers Scarves?
Scarves worn as clothing or fashion apparel generally belong in Class 25.
Class 25 covers clothing and related wearable apparel for human beings, and its current explanatory notes also expressly include pocket squares.
A textile handkerchief, by contrast, can fall within Class 24. Current Class 25 guidance specifically excludes textile handkerchiefs to Class 24.
Small differences in intended function can therefore change classification.
What Trademark Class Covers Gloves?
Ordinary fashion gloves generally fall within Class 25.
Certain specialized gloves are classified elsewhere according to their purpose.
For example, boxing gloves fall within Class 28 because they function as sporting equipment. Protective gloves may also be classified outside Class 25 depending on their specific use. Current Nice guidance expressly distinguishes ordinary sports clothing from equipment essential to particular sports.
A fashion glove and a boxing glove should not automatically be treated as the same trademark product.
What Trademark Class Covers Fashion Fabrics?
Textile fabrics themselves generally involve Class 24, while finished clothing made from those fabrics is Class 25.
The current Class 24 heading covers textiles and substitutes for textiles, household linen, and textile or plastic curtains.
A fashion company that sells finished garments generally focuses on Class 25.
A textile company selling fabric by the yard or under its own fabric brand may need separate Class 24 analysis.
What Trademark Class Covers Cosmetics and Fragrance for a Fashion Brand?
Fashion houses frequently expand beyond apparel.
Many cosmetics, perfumes, and cleaning preparations fall within Class 3 under the Nice Classification. The USPTO’s current classification overview identifies Class 3 as cosmetics and cleaning preparations.
A fashion label that later launches fragrance or cosmetics should not assume the Class 25 clothing registration directly covers those products.
Lifestyle-brand expansion can quickly create a multiclass trademark portfolio.
Does a Fashion Brand Need Class 35?
Possibly, if the trademark is being used for qualifying retail or other business services.
Class 35 covers advertising, business management, organization, administration, and related commercial services. Its current explanatory notes include qualifying retail and wholesale services that bring together a variety of goods for customers to view and purchase.
The Nice Classification also expressly states that, for classification purposes, the sale of goods itself is not considered a service.
A fashion company should therefore not add Class 35 mechanically simply because customers can purchase its Class 25 clothing.
The actual service being provided and the way the mark functions should be evaluated separately.
What Does “Fashion Accessories” Mean in a Trademark Application?
“Fashion accessories” is commercially understandable but often too broad to determine one trademark class.
The phrase could refer to handbags in Class 18, jewelry in Class 14, belts in Class 25, hair accessories in Class 26, sunglasses in Class 10, smartwatches in Class 9, or other goods.
The USPTO requires identifications to be clear and accurately describe recognizable goods or services. It recommends using its Trademark ID Manual to locate pre-approved descriptions and classifications.
A company should therefore identify the actual accessories it sells rather than relying on an umbrella marketing term.
Can One Fashion Trademark Application Cover Several Classes?
Yes.
A single application can include the same trademark for goods and services in more than one international class.
The USPTO refers to this as a multiple-class application. Each class must satisfy the applicable application requirements, and fees are assessed separately for the classes included.
For example, one fashion brand might apply for clothing in Class 25, handbags in Class 18, jewelry in Class 14, and sunglasses in Class 10.
The application contains one trademark but several classes.
How Much Does Each Trademark Class Cost?
The USPTO’s current base application filing fee for qualifying Section 1 and Section 44 applications is $350 per class.
Suppose a fashion business seeks registration in:
Class 25 for clothing and footwear.
Class 18 for handbags.
Class 14 for jewelry.
Class 10 for sunglasses.
The base USPTO filing fees would total $1,400 before any additional application fees that might apply.
This is why identifying the commercially important classes matters.
A larger number of classes is not automatically a better strategy.
Does Each Type of Clothing Create Another Filing Fee?
No.
The base filing fee is assessed by class, not by each separate good properly listed within that class.
The USPTO specifically explains that golf shirts, dress shirts, and T-shirts can all fall in the same clothing class and therefore generate one base class fee rather than three separate class fees.
A fashion company may therefore identify several legitimate Class 25 products within one class.
The applicant must still actually use or possess a bona fide intent to use the mark with each claimed product.
Can a Fashion Brand Claim Every Product Within a Class?
No.
International classification is not a blanket entitlement to every product assigned to that class.
The USPTO states that an applicant using a Section 1(a) basis must actually use the trademark with all listed goods and services. An intent-to-use applicant must possess a bona fide good-faith intention to use the trademark with everything claimed under that basis.
A company selling T-shirts and jackets should not list every imaginable Class 25 product simply because no additional base class fee would be charged for adding more goods within Class 25.
The identification should follow the real business.
Should a Startup File for Bags and Jewelry Before It Actually Launches Them?
Potentially, if those products are supported by bona fide commercial plans.
A Section 1(b) intent-to-use application allows a company with a genuine intention to use a trademark to begin the federal registration process before actual commerce begins.
The company should not claim handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, and watches merely because successful fashion labels sometimes expand into those categories.
Real plans are different from general ambition.
Product development, manufacturing discussions, prototypes, budgets, supplier communications, or planned launch materials can help demonstrate that the company genuinely intends to enter those categories.
Why Is the USPTO Trademark ID Manual Important for Fashion Brands?
Because fashion terminology can be broader than trademark classification terminology.
A founder may describe a product as an “accessory,” “luxury piece,” “wearable,” or “fashion item.”
Those marketing descriptions do not necessarily identify a single legal class.
The USPTO’s ID Manual lists accepted descriptions of goods and their classifications and can help applicants select wording that examining attorneys will accept without an identification objection when it accurately describes the products.
The ID Manual became particularly important in 2026 because current entries reflect the Nice 13-2026 changes.
Can a Fashion Brand Write Its Own Goods Description?
Yes, but current fees encourage applicants to use the ID Manual when an appropriate entry exists.
The USPTO currently charges an additional $200 per class when an applicant uses the free-form text box for a custom goods or services identification instead of selecting directly from the ID Manual.
Custom language may sometimes be necessary for unusual products.
It should still be specific, definite, clear, accurate, and concise.
Should Fashion Brands Copy the Identification From Another Trademark Registration?
Not blindly.
A competitor’s registration can be useful research, but it does not establish what a new applicant should file.
The competitor may sell different products.
Its identification may reflect an older Nice Classification version.
Its application may have been narrowed during examination.
The classification itself may have changed.
Sunglasses provide a particularly important current example because ordinary sunglasses are now in Class 10 under NCL 13-2026.
A 2026 filing should therefore use current USPTO classification resources rather than automatically copying an older registration.
Do Trademark Classes Determine Whether Two Fashion Marks Conflict?
No.
Trademark classes help organize applications and calculate fees, but they do not create automatic legal safe zones.
Two marks can create a likelihood-of-confusion issue even when the respective goods fall into different international classes if consumers could believe the products come from the same source.
This matters significantly in fashion because consumers routinely expect one brand to sell apparel, footwear, handbags, jewelry, eyewear, and accessories.
A clearance search for a new fashion brand should therefore consider commercially related products rather than searching only the company’s primary class.
Scenario: A Brand Sells Clothing and Sneakers
Suppose VELORA sells dresses, T-shirts, jackets, sneakers, and hats.
Those products will generally center on Class 25 because they consist of ordinary clothing, footwear, and headwear for humans.
The company may be able to cover its principal product assortment within one class if the identification accurately reflects its goods.
Scenario: The Brand Adds Handbags
VELORA later launches handbags and travel bags.
Those products generally move the portfolio into Class 18.
The existing Class 25 registration remains relevant to the clothing.
It does not automatically become direct registration coverage for the Class 18 bags.
Scenario: The Brand Adds Jewelry and Watches
VELORA then begins selling earrings, bracelets, and traditional watches.
Those products generally fall within Class 14.
If the company later introduces smartwatches, those technology products instead fall within Class 9 under the current classification.
The word “watch” therefore does not always point to one class.
Scenario: The Brand Adds Sunglasses in 2026
Assume VELORA launches ordinary fashion sunglasses in September 2026.
Under the current NCL 13-2026 framework, spectacles and sunglasses are in Class 10.
The company should not rely on older references that classify ordinary eyewear under Class 9.
This is precisely why classification should be confirmed using current resources at the time of filing.
Scenario: A Luxury Leather Brand Sells Several Products
Suppose a luxury label sells leather jackets, leather belts, handbags, and wallets.
The leather jackets and clothing belts generally fall within Class 25 because their function is apparel.
The handbags and wallets generally fall within Class 18.
The shared material does not place all four products in the same class.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fashion Trademark Classes
What trademark class is clothing?
Most ordinary clothing for human beings falls within International Class 25.
What trademark class is footwear?
Ordinary footwear generally falls within Class 25. Specialized products such as orthopaedic footwear can fall elsewhere.
What class are handbags?
Handbags and many carrying bags generally fall within Class 18.
What class are purses and wallets?
Many purses and wallets fall within Class 18.
What class is jewelry?
Jewelry, including imitation jewelry, generally falls within Class 14.
What class are watches?
Traditional watches generally fall in Class 14, while smartwatches fall in Class 9.
What class are sunglasses in 2026?
Under NCL 13-2026, sunglasses and spectacles are in Class 10.
What class are hair accessories?
Many hair decorations, including barrettes and hair bands, fall within Class 26.
What class are belts?
Belts worn as clothing generally fall within Class 25, including leather belts used as clothing accessories.
Can one fashion trademark application include several classes?
Yes. A multiple-class application can cover the same trademark for goods or services in more than one international class.
How much does each class cost?
The current USPTO base application fee is $350 per class for qualifying Section 1 and Section 44 applications. Additional fees can apply.
Is “fashion accessories” one trademark class?
No. The term can encompass products in several classes, including bags in Class 18, jewelry in Class 14, apparel accessories in Class 25, hair accessories in Class 26, sunglasses in Class 10, and wearable technology in Class 9.
Choosing the Right Trademark Classes for a Fashion Brand
Fashion trademark classification should begin with the actual product catalog.
Class 25 is the foundation for most clothing brands because it covers clothing, footwear, and headwear for human beings.
But the fashion industry naturally crosses classifications.
A handbag can require Class 18.
Jewelry and traditional watches can require Class 14.
Hair accessories may require Class 26.
Smartwatches are Class 9.
Ordinary sunglasses are Class 10 under the classification system effective January 1, 2026.
The classification also follows function rather than material.
Leather clothing remains Class 25. Handbags remain Class 18. A specially adapted equipment bag may fall with the equipment it carries. Protective and medical wear can move outside the ordinary clothing class.
This is why broad marketing labels such as “fashion accessories,” “luxury goods,” or “lifestyle products” should not drive the filing.
The company should identify each real commercial product and use the current USPTO ID Manual to determine an accurate identification and class. The USPTO specifically requires identifications to accurately describe recognizable goods or services and states that the applicant must either use the mark or possess a bona fide intent to use it for everything claimed.
Cost should also be considered strategically.
The current base fee is $350 per class, so a fashion label seeking four genuinely relevant classes has a materially different filing budget from one selling only Class 25 apparel.
The goal is not to collect as many trademark classes as possible.
It is to build a registration portfolio that mirrors the business consumers actually encounter.
As the fashion brand grows, that portfolio can grow with it.
Primary Sources and Authorities
USPTO, Nice Agreement Thirteenth Edition, Version 2026. Establishes the current classification framework effective January 1, 2026, including Class 25 for clothing, footwear, and headwear, Class 18 for luggage and carrying bags, Class 14 for jewelry and traditional watches, Class 26 for hair decorations and haberdashery goods, and Class 10 for spectacles and sunglasses.
USPTO TMEP Chapter 1400, Classification and Identification of Goods and Services. Confirms that NCL 13-2026 became effective January 1, 2026 and explains the role of the Nice Classification in U.S. trademark applications.
USPTO, Goods and Services. Explains how applicants must accurately identify goods and services, use the correct international classes, and possess actual use or bona fide intent for everything claimed.
USPTO, Trademark ID Manual Guidance. Explains that the ID Manual contains identifications and classifications accepted by USPTO examining attorneys and emphasizes the importance of selecting accurate goods and services.
USPTO, Multiple-Class Applications. Explains that one application may contain the same trademark for goods or services classified in several international classes.
USPTO, Trademark Fee Information. Provides the current $350-per-class base filing fee for qualifying Section 1 and Section 44 applications.
USPTO, Additional Application Fees. Provides the current $200-per-class additional fee for applicants who use the free-form goods and services text box instead of selecting an identification directly from the Trademark ID Manual.
Author
Abraham Cohn, Managing Partner, Cohn Legal, PLLC
Abraham Cohn is a U.S. trademark attorney whose practice focuses on trademark clearance, registration, brand protection, licensing, and related intellectual property matters.