AccessProof · fashion & apparel
Since 28 June 2025, EU-facing e-commerce must meet WCAG 2.1 AA and publish an accessibility statement.
Apparel brands ship physical goods internationally, run heavy email/SMS marketing, and lean on reviews and influencers — so product-safety, marketing and review rules apply alongside privacy.
This rule applies to fashion sellers who run an online shop that serves customers in the EU. Sell online to EU customers? Since June 2025 your site must be accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA). Not sure? The free checker tells you in about a minute — no signup.
You need to be able to answer "yes" to each of these — the points fashion sellers most often get caught on:
⚠️ Exposure: market withdrawal + member-state fines · Status: Since Jun 2025.
Compare the penalty for every rule →
Apparel brands ship physical goods internationally, run heavy email/SMS marketing, and lean on reviews and influencers — so product-safety, marketing and review rules apply alongside privacy. Sell online to EU customers? Since June 2025 your site must be accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA).
Most businesses selling products or services online to EU consumers, since 28 June 2025. Some exemptions apply to microenterprises providing services.
In practice, WCAG 2.1 level AA — covering alt text, keyboard access, colour contrast, labeled forms, captions, and proper structure.
Yes — publish a statement describing your level of conformance and how users can report accessibility barriers.
RuleGoose checks this against the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) / WCAG 2.1 AA. Read it yourself: EUR-Lex — Directive (EU) 2019/882 →
or get one RuleGoose Score across every rule a fashion & apparel business has to meet.
EU Accessibility Act (WCAG) is one of several rules a fashion & apparel business has to meet. See the full fashion & apparel compliance checklist →, or read the platform-neutral EU Accessibility Act (WCAG) guide.
Informational only, not legal advice, and not affiliated with the EU. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.