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 C · 55Health D · 49Eco · 18Label · high
Why this material grade?
This product scored 55/100 on the material-quality rubric (durability, comfort, breathability, warmth, moisture-wicking, care-ease), based on its composition of 100% Fleece. Sustainability is scored separately as the Eco Rating.
C (55-69): Average material composition — typical blend, reasonable for everyday wear.
Everyday quality
This fabric does the job for daily wear. Not premium, not bad — it's the middle of the road. At least it's easy to care for.
Budget pick
$77Below-typical fabric quality, but cheaper than the category median.
$1.40 per quality point Category median: $115 · grade C
Fabric value only — compares material quality to price vs other sweaters. Construction, fit, and brand aren't measured.
02Breakdown
Sustainability is scored separately — see the Eco Rating below.
🌍
This fabric will take 200+ years to decompose. That means a shirt you buy today will still exist in the year 2226.
🏭
The fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon emissions — more than aviation and shipping combined.
03Network
Cost per wear
rough estimate$1.10/wear · 70 expected wears
Reasonable cost-per-wear
How we got there
Base for Sweaters: 100 expected wears.
× 0.70 for Fleece (low-durability fiber, durability 60).
= 70 expected wears. $77 ÷ 70 ≈ $1.10/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
cold (30°C)
Bleach
Do not bleach
Dry
tumble low
Best For
👕Everyday Casual
ExcellentExcellent comfort (75) and easy care (82) for daily wear
🧥Winter Outerwear
GoodGood warmth (78) for cold weather
👔Formal/Office
GoodGood durability (60) and comfort (75) for office wear
Better Alternatives
Higher-rated sweaters 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
D49/100
High health impact — significant synthetic content or likely chemical treatments. For frequent skin-contact wear, consider a natural-fiber alternative.
Microplastics HIGH
1,700,000 fibers/wash
Skin contact HIGH
100% synthetic
Chemicals LOW
No flags
100% synthetic (primarily fleece). High microplastic shedding risk. Every wash releases hundreds of thousands of plastic fibers into waterways. Fleece is the single worst microplastic offender — it sheds roughly twice what regular polyester does, and the soft napped surface keeps releasing fibers as it wears.
$77 for a fabric that's 100% synthetic (plastic-based).
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
