Icebreaker โ€” Men's Shell+โ„ข Cotton Elevation Windbreaker Vest

Icebreaker

Men's Shell+โ„ข Cotton Elevation Windbreaker Vest

JacketsSKU: IB:0A577S:001:L::1:

Safe to wear, but rough on the environment.

โ†ณ Safe to wear; production isn't clean โ€” donate when done.

Material C ยท 65Health B ยท 70Eco ยท 50Label ยท low

Why this material grade?

This product scored 65/100 on the 7-axis material rubric, based on its composition of 100% Cotton.

C (55-69): Average material composition โ€” typical blend, reasonable for everyday wear.

Everyday quality

This fabric does the job for daily wear. Not premium, not bad โ€” it's the middle of the road. At least it's easy to care for.

Breakdown

Composition

100% Cotton

All-natural fiber

Fabric details
DWR
Likely chemical finishes
โš  Durable water repellent ยท PFAS
Stated on the product page โ€” not lab-tested. Not medical advice.
๐ŸŒฑ

Cotton biodegrades in 1-5 months. When you're done with this, it returns to the earth โ€” not the ocean.

Network

Cost per wear

rough estimate
$1.43/wear ยท 140 expected wears

Reasonable cost-per-wear

How we got there

Base for Jackets: 200 expected wears.

ร— 0.70 for Cotton (low-durability fiber, durability 60).

= 140 expected wears. $200 รท 140 โ‰ˆ $1.43/wear.

Missing GSM โ€” this is a category-level estimate, not garment-specific. Expect ยฑ30% variance.

Real life is messier than a formula: how often you wash, how you wash, whether you wear it inside-out, dry on low โ€” all of it shifts the number. This is the ceiling under reasonable care.

40ยฐ

Wash

warm (40ยฐC)

Bleach

Oxygen only

Dry

tumble medium

Iron

medium

P

Dry Clean

avoid

Cycle: normalDetergent: regularSoftener: OK

Best For

๐Ÿ‘•Everyday Casual
Excellent

Excellent comfort (80) and easy care (75) for daily wear

๐Ÿ‘”Formal/Office
Good

Good durability (60) and comfort (80) for office wear

๐Ÿ˜ดSleepwear
Good

Good comfort (80) and breathability (85) for sleeping

๐ŸฉฒUnderwear
Good

Good breathability (85) and comfort (80) for undergarments

Tradeoffs

Health Impact

Microplastic shedding ยท skin-contact synthetic load ยท likely chemical treatments

B70/100

Moderate health impact โ€” some synthetic content or possible chemical treatments. Rotate with natural-fiber alternatives where you can.

MicroplasticsLOW

Minimal

Skin contactLOW

0% synthetic

ChemicalsHIGH

PFAS

  • PFAS (likely): "Durable water repellent" stated on the product page โ€” observed, not inferred.
How we score health impact โ†’Not medical advice โ€” based on material composition.

Eco Rating

50/100

Moderate impact โ€” consider eco alternatives

Learn about eco ratings โ†’

Biodegradability

Biodegradable

Materials will naturally decompose.

Health & environmental impact โ†’

Label Confidence

LOW

Label confidence low โ€” multiple signals suggest the composition may be incomplete, vague, or hard to verify. Treat scores as directional.

  • โš "100% Cotton" claim on a jackets item is unusual โ€” outerwear typically has synthetic linings, padding, or DWR coatings that should be disclosed.
How fabric labels can mislead โ€” and what to look for โ†’

What this score doesn't measure

  • ร—Fiber grade. Staple length, micronaire, strength. "100% cotton" could be short-staple upland or long-staple Pima โ€” same label, very different fabric.
  • ร—Yarn processing. Singles count, ply (single vs two-ply), spinning method (open-end vs ring-spun vs compact), mercerization. Invisible from any label.
  • ร—Knit / weave structure. Single jersey vs interlock, knit tightness. A loose knit pills; a tight knit lasts.
  • ร—Fabric weight (GSM). One construction signal among several โ€” 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.
  • ร—Pre-shrink processing. Sanforized cotton shrinks ~1%; non-sanforized can shrink up to 10%. Not visible from the composition tag.
  • ร—Construction quality. Stitch density (SPI), seam types, collar geometry, manufacturing tolerances (AQL). These often matter more than the fiber itself.
  • ร—Specific chemical loads. Health Impact flags "likely PFAS / possible formaldehyde" from composition ร— category โ€” 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 โ€” most shoppers don't have that.

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Icebreaker โ€” Men's Shell+โ„ข Cotton Elevation Windbreaker Vest โ€” Fabric Analysis | FabricIQ