How to Trademark a Clothing Brand: Class 25, Costs and Steps

To trademark a clothing brand in the United States, search the USPTO's trademark database for similar names, then file an application in Class 25, the class for clothing, at $350 per class. Show the name the way a brand does, on a label, tag or small chest mark, answer any letters from the examining attorney, and expect the process to take 12 to 18 months.

• $350base filing fee per class
• Class 25clothing, footwear and headwear
• 12 to 18 monthsthe USPTO's usual time to register
• 30 daysfor others to oppose after publication

This guide explains the USPTO's published process, checked on November 12, 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. A trademark attorney can search and file for you.

What a trademark protects for a clothing brand

A trademark protects what tells customers who made the piece: the brand name, the logo, sometimes a slogan. It does not protect a T-shirt graphic as art. That is copyright.

The USPTO explains that you become a trademark owner as soon as you use the mark with your goods, but those rights only reach the area where you sell. Registration is optional and gives stronger, nationwide rights.

• TMcan be used with your brand name before you file
• ®only after the USPTO registers the mark

01Step 1: Search before you spend

Search the name, its plural and sound-alikes in the USPTO's free trademark search, and look hardest at clothing marks. A name can be refused when it is confusingly similar to a registered mark for related goods, even with a different spelling.

A clear search is not a guarantee. Do the wider checks too: how to name a clothing brand covers domains, social handles and other brands using the name.

02Step 2: Choose what to register and where

One option is to file the name in standard characters, which is not tied to one font or color. A separate logo application has its own fee. Choose the application based on the mark you actually use and want to protect.

1. 1

   Mark

   The name as plain words first, the logo later if budget allows

2. 2

   Class

   Class 25 for clothing, footwear and headwear

3. 3

   Goods

   Name the pieces you sell, such as T-shirts, hoodies and hats

4. 4

   Basis

   Already selling, or intent to use if you have not launched

The USPTO groups clothing in Class 25 on its goods and services page. Its fee schedule lists $350 per class for a complete base application. Free-form goods descriptions add $200 per class, with further charges for long descriptions; missing required information adds $100 per class.

03Step 3: Show the name the way a brand does

Clothing has a trap other products do not. If the mark only appears as a big design across the front of a shirt, the USPTO can refuse it as "merely ornamental", meaning shoppers would see decoration, not a brand.

Its guidance on ornamental refusals lists uses that do work:

1. 1

   Neck label

   A tag inside the garment or hat

2. 2

   Hang tag

   A tag on the outside of the piece

3. 3

   Small chest mark

   Discrete wording or a design on the pocket or breast area

4. 4

   Patch

   A small branded patch, like the one above a jeans pocket

Plan this before you design. Our November 7 supplier example priced an inside tee label at $0.99; confirm label availability and cost for your chosen blank. Clothing brand logo ideas shows marks that read at label size.

04Step 4: File and answer the USPTO

You file online with the USPTO. An examining attorney reviews the application and may send a letter called an office action. The trademark process page gives the deadlines:

1. 1

   File

   Pay the fee and keep your serial number

2. 2

   Review

   An examining attorney checks the application

3. 3

   Office action

   Respond within three months if you receive one

4. 4

   Publication

   Others have 30 days to oppose

5. 5

   Registration

   Or a notice of allowance for intent to use filings

6. 6

   Statement of use

   Due six months after the notice, with a $150 fee per class

Filing fees are generally not refunded when an application is refused, which is why the search comes first.

What it costs over ten years

For a use-based application in one class, the base filing and first maintenance cycle total $1,325 at today's rates: $350 to apply, $325 between years five and six after registration, and $650 between years nine and ten after registration. Attorney fees and surcharges are extra. The USPTO lists the windows on its page about keeping a registration alive.

Where Clothify fits

Clothify helps you draft a name, typeset a logo and place it on a chest, a cap or a label. It does not search trademarks for you, file applications or give legal advice, and a name it suggests is not cleared for use. Treat every name as unchecked until you have searched it. The product tools are listed on the features page.

Questions about trademarking a clothing brand

Do I need a trademark before I start selling?

No. Registration is optional, and you can use TM while you build. Search first so you do not build on a name someone else has registered for clothing.

How much does it cost to trademark a clothing brand?

$350 in government fees for one class with pre-approved descriptions. Brands that also file a logo, or add a second class such as bags, pay the fee again for each.

Can I trademark a T-shirt design?

Usually not as a trademark. Artwork is protected by copyright. A design becomes a trademark only when customers see it as the sign of your brand.

Does a US trademark protect me in other countries?

No. Trademark rights are national. Each country or region has its own office and process.

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