Fleece Fabric Shirts
CPSC Recall #97-121 — May 13, 1997
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 97-121 |
| Recall Date | May 13, 1997 |
| Remedy Type | Refund |
| Units Affected | Approximately 57,000 |
Where It Was Sold
| The garments were sold nationwide at retailers |
| such as J.C. Penney |
| Levi's Only Store |
| and Levi's Outlet by Designs. Garments were sold from October 1996 to February 1997 for a retail-established price of about $30. |
Product
Fleece Fabric Shirts
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Levi Strauss & Co. of San Francisco, Calif., is announcing the recall of approximately 57,000 fleece fabric shirts. The fabric is a cotton-polyester blend material with a raised fiber surface. Its fleecy texture closely resembles that of an inside-out sweatshirt. This fabric is often called sherpa.Levi Strauss & Co. is recalling over 34,000 Levi's Jeans for Women junior-sized sweatshirts. Most of these garments were found to be dangerously flammable. The fabric in the garments fails to meet federal mandatory standards for fabric flammability and may ignite readily and present a serious risk of burn injuries in violation of the federal Flammable Fabrics Act. Fabrics that do not comply with the standard typically burn faster than newspaper.CPSC and Levi Strauss & Co. are not aware of any injuries involving these shirts. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injury. The Levi's Jeans for Women junior-sized sweatshirts come in two styles: a sleeveless, pullover vest with drawstring hood and center embroidery (product code 55930), and a long sleeve, crew neck sweatshirt with a center embroidery (product code 55956). The product codes can be found on the inside of the garment on the care label. The shirts come in sizes small, medium, and large and in a variety of colors, including black, olive, white, red, purple, and Caribbean blue. The garments have a sewn-in label that reads, "Levi's Jeans for Women... Made in Korea...82% cotton/18% polyester...WPL 423."The garments were sold nationwide at retailers, such as J.C. Penney, Levi's Only Store, and Levi's Outlet by Designs. Garments were sold from October 1996 to February 1997 for a retail-established price of about $30.Levi Strauss & Co. is also voluntarily recalling about 23,000 similar sweatshirts, which may fail the federal mandatory standards for fabric flammability. These shirts were sold under the Dockers Khakis for Women label and the Dockers Authentics for Men label. Levi Strauss & Co. is aware of one incident of a shirt reportedly flaring up when exposed to a flame, but no injuries resulted.There are three styles of women's petites and misses reverse fleece Dockers Khakis for Women garments including, vests (product codes 53601 and 54601), cardigans (product codes 53604 and 54604), and pullovers (product codes 53605 and 54605). These garments come in small, medium, and large and in a variety of colors, including ink, oatmeal heather, black, red, and natural. There is one style of the men's reverse fleece Dockers Authentics for Men garment, which is a shirt that laces up the front (product code 67191). This garment is navy in color and comes in small, medium, large, and extra large. The product codes can be found on the inside of the garment on the care label. The garments have a sewn-in label that reads either "Dockers Khakis for Women" or "Dockers Authentics for Men", and "Made in Korea...80% cotton/20% polyester...WPL 423."The garments were sold nationwide at retailers, such as J.C. Penney. Garments were sold from August 1995 to February 1997 for a retail-established price of about $25 to $35.CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop wearing garments they believe may be involved in this recall. Consumers should return the garments to the store where purchased for a full refund. This recall does not extend to other Levi Strauss & Co. garments. For more information, consumers can call Levi Strauss & Co. toll-free at 1-800-USA-LEVI, or write to the company at Levi's Plaza, P.O. Box 7215, San Francisco, CA 94120.CPSC is continuing to investigate additional fleece garments to determine whether or not they are in compliance with the law.
Hazard
The fabric in the garments fails to meet federal mandatory standards for fabric flammability and may ignite readily and present a serious risk of burn injuries in violation of the federal Flammable Fabrics Act.
Incidents & Injuries
CPSC and Levi Strauss & Co. are not aware of any injuries involving these shirts. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injury.
Remedy Instructions
CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop wearing garments they believe may be involved in this recall. Consumers should return the garments to the store where purchased for a full refund.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Refund) at no cost to you.
If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.