By comparing 47 T-shirts sold by British brands, Leeds University has found that associating clothes’ prices with their physical durability is no longer significant, as the most resistant garments are those sold at mid-market prices.

The study was conducted by the Leeds University Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) in association with UK NGO Wrap. Researchers subjected 47 men’s and women’s T-shirts by brands from the budget to the luxury end of the market (priced up to £395 each) to a series of tests, ranging from an analysis of their physical properties to 50 successive washing cycles at 30° C.

The result was scientific confirmation of something many consumers have already discovered: price doesn’t guarantee garment quality, or it no longer can. The T-shirt found to be the most resistant retailed at £28. Among the 10 best T-shirts, no less than six were selling for less than £15. 

The study concluded that well-designed, 100% cotton T-shirts can last a long time. Four among the 10 best models analysed fell into this category. However, cotton T-shirts tend to shrink more than others when washed.

“For circularity in fashion to be really effective, [physical] durability must be a priority,” said Dr Eleanor Scott of LITAC. “Durability lies at the heart of the re-use and resale market, and also helps us keep the items we love for longer. Above all, these findings show that durability isn’t a luxury reserved to the privileged few, but that it is accessible at all prices,” she added.

The study has been published at a time when the European textile industry is zeroing in on very low-price products, and generally those with a brief life cycle, sold in the EU by Chinese e-tailers. Also, the EU is currently seeking to clarify (by examining recycled fabrics, environmental damage caused and other elements) how physical and extrinsic durability can coexist in an analysis of textile products’ sustainability.