FabricIQ
Reading the label…
01Verdict
Well-made, but rough on the environment.
Best for Buy once, keep for years to amortize the production hit.
Material B · 74Health B · 71Eco · 61Label · moderate140 gsm
Why this material grade?
This product scored 74/100 on the material-quality rubric (durability, comfort, breathability, warmth, moisture-wicking, care-ease), based on its composition of 52% Merino Wool, 35% Recycled Polyester, 13% Nylon. Sustainability is scored separately as the Eco Rating. Blended from 52% Merino Wool, 35% Recycled Polyester, 13% Nylon — the score is a weighted average based on each material's proportion.
B (70-84): Good material composition — above average across most axes.
Good quality
Well-balanced fabric that should serve you well. The natural-synthetic blend offers durability with comfort. Follow the care guide to maximize lifespan.
Premium fabric, premium price
$100Better-than-typical fabric, but priced above the category median.
$1.35 per quality point Category median: $98 · grade C
Fabric value only — compares material quality to price vs other shirts. Construction, fit, and brand aren't measured.
02Breakdown
Composition
52% Merino Wool, 35% Recycled Polyester, 13% Nylon
Blend — recycled synthetic + natural
Fabric details
eVent™
Mesh construction · 140 g/m²
Added Jun 1, 2026 · Data last updated Jun 7, 2026
Sustainability is scored separately — see the Eco Rating below.
🔬
Every wash of synthetic fabric releases up to 700,000 microplastic fibers into waterways. Use a Guppyfriend bag to catch them.
🌍
This fabric will take 200+ years to decompose. That means a shirt you buy today will still exist in the year 2226.
🐑
Wool is naturally antibacterial and self-cleaning. You can air it out between wears instead of washing — it'll stay fresh.
03Network
Performance
spec sheet- Fabric weight
- 140 g/m²
- Construction
- Mesh
Mid-weight
Cost per wear
estimated$1.18/wear · 85 expected wears
Reasonable cost-per-wear
How we got there
Base for Shirts: 100 expected wears.
× 0.85 for 140 g/m² (mid-weight).
× 1.00 for Merino Wool (mid-durability fiber, durability 78).
= 85 expected wears. $100 ÷ 85 ≈ $1.18/wear.
Real life is messier than a formula: how often you wash, how you wash, whether you wear it inside-out, dry on low — all of it shifts the number. This is the ceiling under reasonable care.
Care Guide
Decode symbolsWash
cold (30°C)
Bleach
Do not bleach
Dry
flat dry
Iron
Best For
👔Formal/Office
ExcellentExcellent durability (78) and comfort (68) for office wear
🧥Winter Outerwear
GoodGood warmth (65) for cold weather
👕Everyday Casual
GoodGood comfort (68) and care ease (69) for casual wear
🌧️Rain/Weather
GoodGood moisture wicking (73) and durability (78) for weather protection
⛰️Outdoor/Hiking
GoodGood durability (78) and breathability (59) for outdoor activities
🌱Sustainable Fashion
GoodGood sustainability score (61)
Better Alternatives
Higher-rated shirts products — each card shows how much better this alt scores vs your current product.
04Tradeoffs
Health Impact
Microplastic shedding · skin-contact synthetic load · likely chemical treatments
B71/100
Moderate health impact — some synthetic content or possible chemical treatments. Rotate with natural-fiber alternatives where you can.
Microplastics MEDIUM
600,000 fibers/wash
Skin contact MODERATE
48% synthetic
Chemicals LOW
No flags
48% synthetic content (recycled polyester). Moderate microplastic shedding — a washing bag catches 86% of fibers. Counter-intuitively, recycled polyester is not cleaner here: mechanically recycled PET fibers are shorter and more brittle, so they can shed as much as — or more than — virgin polyester. The recycled label improves sustainability, not microplastic shedding.
Biodegradability
Not BiodegradableMaterials will persist in the environment for decades.
Label Confidence
MODERATELabel confidence moderate — one signal suggests the composition may be incomplete or under-verified.
- ⚠Recycled-fiber claim without explicit certification (GRS, RCS). Chain-of-custody for recycled materials is hard to verify without one.
What this score doesn't measure
- ×Fiber grade. Staple length, micronaire, strength. "100% cotton" could be short-staple upland or long-staple Pima — same label, very different fabric.
- ×Yarn processing. Singles count, ply (single vs two-ply), spinning method (open-end vs ring-spun vs compact), mercerization. Invisible from any label.
- ×Knit / weave structure. Single jersey vs interlock, knit tightness. A loose knit pills; a tight knit lasts.
- ×Fabric weight (GSM). One construction signal among several — and high GSM can come from loose cheap yarn just as easily as from fine tight yarn. We have it for blank manufacturers, rarely for retail.
- ×Pre-shrink processing. Sanforized cotton shrinks ~1%; non-sanforized can shrink up to 10%. Not visible from the composition tag.
- ×Construction quality. Stitch density (SPI), seam types, collar geometry, manufacturing tolerances (AQL). These often matter more than the fiber itself.
- ×Specific chemical loads. Health Impact flags "likely PFAS / possible formaldehyde" from composition × category — we don't lab-test individual SKUs.
We rate the fabric, not the garment. Composition is the floor of what you're guaranteed to be getting — most shoppers don't have that.
05Action
