An Evaluation of the Quality of Mens 100% Cotton Jersey Knit White T-Shirts

An evaluation of the quality of design, materials, construction, appearance, and performance of men’s 100% cotton jersey knit t-shirts from three retail categories: mass merchant (Brand MM), fast fashion (Brand FF), and better (Brand B) was performed. White t-shirts from each category were tested according to ASTM and AATCC standards and specifications [1]. Evaluations and measurements were conducted before washing, and after one, five, ten, and twenty laundry cycles. The t-shirts were evaluated for fabric weight, fabric count, color change, whiteness change, crocking, smoothness appearance, bursting strength, pilling, dimensional stability, and skewness. In appearance and performance testing, the ‘mass merchant’ t-shirts had the most results with ratings and measurements that would be considered the ‘best’ or more desirable. But from a statistical standpoint, none of the results for the ‘mass merchant’ retail category were significantly (p < 0.05) better than the ‘fast fashion’ or ‘better’ categories. In conclusion, the decision to purchase a t-shirt from these retail categories may depend on consumer expectations [2].

Keywords: Quality; T-shirt

Abbreviations: MM: the t-shirt brand purchased from a mass merchant retailer; FF: the t-shirt brand purchased from a fast fashion retailer; B: the t-shirt brand purchased from a retailer classified as ‘better’; ASTM: Society for Testing and Materials; AATCC: American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists