FabricIQ
Reading the label…
01Verdict
Safe to wear, but rough on the environment.
Best for Safe to wear; production isn't clean — donate when done.
Material C · 58Health B · 78Eco · 41Label · high
Why this material grade?
This product scored 58/100 on the material-quality rubric (durability, comfort, breathability, warmth, moisture-wicking, care-ease), based on its composition of 74% Cotton, 24% Acrylic. Sustainability is scored separately as the Eco Rating. Blended from 74% Cotton, 24% Acrylic — the score is a weighted average based on each material's proportion.
C (55-69): Average material composition — typical blend, reasonable for everyday wear.
Average quality, high synthetic content
Decent for everyday wear, but the synthetic content means microplastic shedding and it won't biodegrade. Consider natural alternatives for your next purchase.
Overpriced for the fabric
$50Below-typical fabric quality at an above-median price — you may be paying for the label, not the material.
$0.86 per quality point Category median: $38 · grade C
Fabric value only — compares material quality to price vs other t-shirts. Construction, fit, and brand aren't measured.
02Breakdown
Composition
74% Cotton, 24% Acrylic
Mixed blend — natural + synthetic
Added Apr 3, 2026 · Data last updated Apr 3, 2026
Sustainability is scored separately — see the Eco Rating below.
🚨
Acrylic sheds more microfibers than any other fabric — up to 730,000 per wash. It's the worst offender for microplastic pollution.
🌍
This fabric will take 200+ years to decompose. That means a shirt you buy today will still exist in the year 2226.
⚖️
Cotton (score 65) is carrying this blend. Acrylic (score 40) is pulling it down.
03Network
Cost per wear
rough estimate89¢/wear · 56 expected wears
Reasonable cost-per-wear
How we got there
Base for T-Shirts: 80 expected wears.
× 0.70 for Cotton (low-durability fiber, durability 55).
= 56 expected wears. $50 ÷ 56 ≈ 89¢/wear.
Missing GSM — this is a category-level estimate, not garment-specific. Expect ±30% variance.
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
warm (40°C)
Bleach
Do not bleach
Dry
flat dry
Iron
Best For
👕Everyday Casual
GoodGood comfort (69) and care ease (75) for casual wear
Better Alternatives
Higher-rated t-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
B78/100
Low health impact — predominantly natural fibers with no major treatment flags.
Microplastics MEDIUM
730,000 fibers/wash
Skin contact MODERATE
24% synthetic
Chemicals LOW
No flags
24% synthetic content (acrylic). Moderate microplastic shedding — a washing bag catches 86% of fibers.
Biodegradability
Not BiodegradableMaterials will persist in the environment for decades.
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
