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A new academic study by the University of Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) and WRAP has concluded that price has very little to do with the durability of most T shirts sold in the UK, and that spending more money doesn’t guarantee the item will be more hard-wearing.
The findings were presented by PhD student Kate Baker to the Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE) Conference in Aalborg, Denmark and were developed as part of a clothing durability project through the UK Textiles Pact.
The LITAC team tested the durability of 47 T shirts (24 male, 23 female designs) from UK clothing brands, including luxury items. Testing included physical properties and washing using a standard mixed 30°C wash cycle followed by a tumble dry 50 times. The T shirts were graded for pilling, as well as colour fading, shrinkage and general appearance.
A key finding was no correlation between price and durability. Of the top 10 best performing T shirts, six cost less than £15, outperforming many more expensive tees including the most expensive costing £395.
LITAC’s Dr Eleanor Scott said: “If circularity in fashion is to be truly effective, durability must come first. Durability underpins the reuse and resale market, as well as keeping our loved items in use longer. Crucially, these findings show that durability is not a luxury reserved for the few – it’s achievable at any price point.”
PhD candidate at LITAC, Kate Baker, added: “This research is another step forward in the road to developing a way of measuring how durable the clothes we wear are. Improved clothing durability is critical for the future of circularity and providing the opportunity for people to wear the clothes they love for longer.”
The research found more hard-wearing T shirts tend to have a percentage of synthetic fibres in the composition including polyester, polyamide, and elastane. Cotton T shirts tended to have higher shrinkage than synthetic ones, which can be exacerbated with tumble drying. However, the research suggests well designed 100% cotton T shirts can be hard-wearing and good value for money – four of the 10 top garments were 100% cotton.
