New research shows price is not a reliable guide to t-shirt durability

A new study led by the University of Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) has found that the price of a t-shirt is no reliable guide to how well it will wear over time.

LITAC PhD candidate Kate Baker presented the research, which was conducted in partnership with climate action NGO WRAP, at the Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE) Conference in Aalborg, Denmark. It forms part of a clothing durability project through the UK Textiles Pact - WRAP’s ten-year industry initiative to bring greater circularity into the UK clothing market.

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 (or bobbling - when small balls form on the surface of an item and the number one reason people dispose of t-shirts), as well as colour fading, shrinkage and general appearance.

A key finding was that there is no correlation between price and durability. Of the top ten 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, a Lecturer in Fashion Design: Creative Knit & Innovation at the School of Design, 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.”

LITAC PhD candidate Kate Baker added:

“This research is another step forward on 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. It was an honour to present our work on garment durability at the renowned P.L.A.T.E conference in Aalborg this year.”

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 – 4 of the 10 top garments were 100% cotton.

The study identified several common characteristics among the most durable garments tested:

• Heavier weight cotton t-shirts tend to perform better than lightweight ones
• T-shirts with a blend of cotton and synthetic fibres, such as polyester or elastane, generally offer greater durability
• Price is not a reliable indicator of how hard-wearing a t-shirt will be.

By 2030, global apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63% to 102 million tonnes. In the UK, 711,000 tonnes of textile waste were sent to landfill or incineration in 2021, with 72% through the kerbside residual waste stream. WRAP believes designing for durability is critical to moving the industry to a more sustainable model and can be done while still offering value for money for consumers.

WRAP also found that the average person buys around 28 new items of clothing every year. That’s typically 8kg each, or 586,000 tonnes in total, and typically one quarter of every UK wardrobe is unworn for more than a year.

Mark Sumner, WRAP’s Programme Lead on Textiles and a former researcher at the University of Leeds, said:

“Most shoppers use price as an indicator of how hard-wearing clothes are ‘the more I spend, the more I’m bound to get out of my purchase’. But our study shows this is totally misleading. The most expensive t-shirt we tested cost £395 and ranked 28th out of 47, while a £4 t-shirt was placed 15th. The most durable t-shirt cost £28, but the one ranked second worst was £29! So, if you’re judging on price alone – buyer beware.”

The study’s testing methodology for durability is ready to be adapted for other regions and WRAP is now exploring partnerships with EU and US brands to co-create durability and performance standards tailored to their national needs.