November 2025 Textile & Leather Standards: Yarn Designation, Leather Resistance, Oil Repellency

The global textiles and leather industry takes a significant step forward this November 2025 with the publication of five new international standards. These updates tackle foundational aspects such as yarn designation, water resistance, color fastness, and oil repellency. This two-part series begins with in-depth coverage of the first five standards published this month, providing technical clarity, practical compliance guidance, and the industry context that manufacturing and quality professionals need to stay informed and competitive in the world of textile and leather technology.

Overview / Introduction

The textile and leather technology sector is ever-evolving, with an increased focus on product performance, durability, traceability, and sustainability. Global supply chains and consumer expectations demand rigorous adherence to the latest standards. In November 2025, five new standards have been released, each targeting a key aspect of textile or leather product lifecycle—from core material specification to end-use resistance and reliability.

Why do these standards matter? They drive:

• Consistency and interoperability between producers and markets
• Improved product safety, durability, and quality
• Compliance with international regulations and buyer specifications

This article walks through the essentials of each standard, providing you with detailed analysis, compliance strategies, and the technical updates crucial for professionals in manufacturing, quality assurance, R&D, and procurement.

Detailed Standards Coverage

ISO 1139:2025 - Designation of Yarns

Textiles – Designation of yarns

The new edition of ISO 1139:2025 standardizes the methods used to indicate yarn composition and construction. Covering single, folded, cabled, and multiple wound yarns, the document details two primary notations: single-to-fold and fold-to-single. These notations clarify essential yarn properties—such as linear density (in Tex system), filament count, twist direction and magnitude, and the number of folds. Notably, the standard excludes specialty yarns (fancy, textured, and core-wrapped).

Key requirements and changes include:

• Comprehensive notation methods reflecting up-to-date manufacturing realities
• Clear nomenclature for linear density and twist, supporting transparency in trade and testing
• Dual value use: nominal for commercial transactions, actual for analytical reporting
• Improved structure, terminology, and harmonization with current industry practices

Primarily relevant to yarn manufacturers, textile processors, quality assurance engineers, testers, and procurement specialists, ISO 1139:2025 streamlines product communication, specification, and quality control for all standard yarn types.

Key highlights:

• Standardizes two methods for yarn notation (single-to-fold and fold-to-single)
• Modernizes definitions and structure for alignment with Tex system and ISO Directives
• Clarifies nominal vs. actual values in notation, enhancing contract clarity

Access the full standard:View ISO 1139:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 5403-1:2025 - Water Resistance of Flexible Leather (Penetrometer Method)

Leather – Determination of water resistance of flexible leather – Part 1: Repeated linear compression (penetrometer) (ISO 5403-1:2025)

This standard, developed collaboratively by ISO and CEN, provides a method for dynamically testing the water resistance of flexible leather—especially leather intended for footwear. Using repeated linear compression in a penetrometer, it measures how long it takes water to penetrate the specimen, as well as water absorption and transmission rates. The updated edition features alignment with latest terminology and normative references (notably ISO 2418 and ISO 2419), and improvements in testing conditions.

Key requirements and practical steps include:

• Preparation and conditioning of test pieces per ISO 2418 standards
• Dynamic flexing in water via prescribed apparatus and cycles
• Quantitative measures: penetration time, water absorbed by mass, and water transmission through the specimen
• Test reporting for traceability and benchmarking

Targeted at leather producers, footwear manufacturers, product development teams, and compliance officers, implementation ensures that finished leathers meet durability and performance expectations for water resistance, directly impacting product warranty and market acceptance.

Key highlights:

• Integrates advanced testing apparatus for repeatability and precision
• Enforces batch-level and specimen orientation requirements for robust results
• Streamlines international acceptance with coordinated CEN/ISO text

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 5403-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 11641:2025 - Leather Colour Fastness to Perspiration

Leather – Tests for colour fastness – Colour fastness to perspiration (ISO 11641:2025)

EN ISO 11641:2025 presents a comprehensive method for evaluating how leathers of all types perform when exposed to perspiration—in terms of color retention and staining. This is crucial for leather used in gloves, clothing, linings, and unlined shoe uppers. The most recent revision draws on updated references, especially for adjacent textiles and grey scales, and introduces technical refinements for improved accuracy and reproducibility in test processes.

The test involves exposing prepared leather samples to an artificial perspiration solution under controlled conditions, followed by evaluation using standard grey scales and adjacent fabrics as specified in ISO 105 series.

Who needs to comply? Leather tanneries, apparel and footwear manufacturers, testing laboratories, and QA professionals. Adoption ensures finished products meet quality and safety levels demanded in both fashion and technical markets.

Key highlights:

• Covers a wide range of leather types and product forms
• Details procedures for assessing color change and staining against adjacent fibers
• Aligns with the updated ISO and CEN reference methods and reporting best practices

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 11641:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 5403-1:2025 - Water Resistance of Flexible Leather (Penetrometer Method)

Leather – Determination of water resistance of flexible leather – Part 1: Repeated linear compression (penetrometer)

As a technically identical standard to EN ISO 5403-1:2025, this ISO edition is globally accepted, enabling equivalent recognition for non-European producers and test laboratories. It details apparatus specification, preparation methods, and the dynamic measurement of water resistance. The harmonization ensures that leather tested under either CEN or ISO schemes yields comparable, internationally accepted results.

Key highlights:

• Unifies water resistance testing worldwide, streamlining market access
• Introduces clarified conditions and documentation for penetration and absorption
• Essential for footwear producers, exporters, and compliance auditors

Access the full standard:View ISO 5403-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 14419:2025 - Textile Oil Repellency (Hydrocarbon Resistance Test)

Textiles – Oil repellency – Hydrocarbon resistance test (ISO 14419:2025)

This document provides the definitive method for evaluating how textiles resist absorption by liquid hydrocarbons of varying surface tensions. The hydrocarbon resistance test offers an index for oil stain resistance, crucial during R&D and routine QA for textiles destined for markets with high oil exposure (e.g., uniforms, upholstery, automotive fabrics).

Recent updates shift procedural details for test reagents and increase specimen size for more representative sampling. The test also enables comparative evaluation of different finishing agents and the effect of laundering or dry-cleaning on oil repellency. The grade assigned correlates with a sample's observed resistance to a defined series of liquid hydrocarbons, with clear instructions for reporting and interpretation.

Who benefits? Textile manufacturers, finishing houses, purchasers of technical textiles, and product certifiers. The standard is also relied upon by downstream brands and retailers specifying oil-repellent features.

Key highlights:

• Assigns a quantitative grade to textile oil repellency for benchmarking
• Integrates harmonized CEN/ISO procedures, suitable for global QA networks
• Facilitates assessment before and after laundering or dry cleaning

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 14419:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

These five standards each play a critical role in shaping the quality, compliance, and competitiveness of textile and leather products:

• Market Access: Adoption ensures products meet key international buyer and regulatory requirements.
• Risk Mitigation: Clearly documenting material properties (e.g., yarn construction, water resistance, color fastness) reduces disputes, returns, and compliance failures.
• Product Differentiation: Standards-guided testing allows manufacturers to confidently promote claims of oil repellency, fastness, and durability, appealing to the growing market for high-performance textiles and leathers.
• Compliance Deadlines: With harmonized implementation schedules (often 6–12 months post-publication), businesses must update their testing and labeling protocols rapidly.
• Traceability and Procurement: Consistent, standardized references streamline specification, sourcing, and audit procedures, ensuring a transparent, resilient supply chain.

Failure to align can result in loss of market access, non-compliance penalties, increased warranty costs, or brand reputation damage.

Technical Insights

Across these standards, several technical themes and best practices emerge:

• Clarity in Specification: Adopting clear and internationally recognized nomination for yarns or performance attributes minimizes interpretation risk.
• Robust Testing Protocols: Standards require representative specimens, meticulous conditioning, use of calibrated apparatus, and documented procedures—enabling repeatable, auditable results.
• Sample Orientation & Preparation: Especially critical with natural materials like leather, as properties may vary with direction (parallel or perpendicular to grain/backbone).
• Comparative Performance Benchmarking: Quantitative test outcomes (e.g., penetration time, color change, oil repellency grade) support rapid quality checks, supplier comparisons, or R&D on new treatments.
• Adaptability: Most standards include provisions for variation in test parameters to match specific end uses (e.g., footwear, clothing, technical textiles).

For effective implementation, organizations should:

1. Update internal laboratory manuals and procurement specifications to reference the latest standard editions.
2. Train QA and technical staff on procedural changes and revised reporting requirements.
3. Document all test procedures and outcomes for customer, audit, or regulatory review.

Conclusion / Next Steps

As the textile and leather sector adapts to evolving demands, these new November 2025 standards deliver a robust foundation for quality, compliance, and innovation. Manufacturers, quality managers, procurement professionals, and compliance officers should:

• Review product and testing protocols for alignment with new standards
• Liaise with suppliers and labs to ensure correct, up-to-date references
• Explore the full standards on iTeh Standards for authoritative guidance and implementation details
• Stay informed for Part 2 of this series, covering additional standards releasing this month

Take action today: Access the latest, most comprehensive standards on the iTeh Standards platform to ensure continuous compliance, market readiness, and customer trust across the entire textile and leather value chain.