Can North American and EU clothing pass the durability test? WRAP expands global clothing investigation

• WRAP challenges the biggest and best North American and EU fashion houses to raise the bar on durability and make longer lasting clothes - get involved.
• Higher price doesn’t mean ‘better’ clothes - fibre composition and fabric weight don't guarantee durability - new initiative to test North American and EU clothing will give shoppers the full picture of whether the clothes they buy are made to last.
• WRAP warns incoming industry durability legislation is too lenient to drive any real environmental improvements.

With demand for water and land use from clothing production the third largest drain on the EU supplies in 2020 - and the fifth most significant influence on raw material use and greenhouse gas emissions - WRAP has thrown down the gauntlet to the biggest and best EU and US clothing brands to make the most of these resources by designing apparel that lasts longer, and lowers the fashion industry’s enormous environmental footprint. 

WRAP is expanding its ground-breaking Durability Accelerator Initiative, focusing on the global catwalk, to test if North American and European clothing stands up to the durability test. 

First piloted in the UK, WRAP’s Durability Accelerator Initiative is one of the most comprehensive investigations into garment durability ever undertaken. It partnered with 25 leading UK brands and the University of Leeds to benchmark more than 200 products across 10 product categories. Through repeated wash and wear testing, UK brands received invaluable insights into how their products performed against their competitors and where they fell short. Now the environmental NGO wants to test whether North American and European clothing has the staying power shoppers demand. 

Mark Sumner, Textiles Programme Lead WRAP, explained “Most shoppers assume the more they spend, the more wear they’ll get but our UK study shows this is totally misleading. If you’re judging on price alone — buyer beware. Our fieldwork found that higher prices, fibre composition and fabric weight are no guarantee of a more durable product. The composition and weight results surprised many experts, with lightweight fabrics performing better than heavier options, and synthetic mixes not always better than natural fibres. Now we want to put the US and EU market under the same spotlight and test their staying power to see just what we’re getting for our money.”

WRAP intends to go far beyond existing durability guidelines in its testing to reflect the reality of the life of our clothes. Current testing thresholds for durability requires clothing to withstand no more than between 15–20 wash cycles, whereas people expect up to 50 washes from their clothes. WRAP wants to create a more realistic picture in line with how we really treat our clothes, and give unparalleled insights on durability testing methods and the aspirational standards we should be striving to achieve.

With new policies and standards emerging to help consumers identify more durable products – and support brands in designing them – WRAP’s UK pilot has become an early warning sign that these might be setting standards too low. The environmental action NGO found that many items already surpass proposed legislative standards to improve apparel longevity, such as PEFCR abrasion benchmarks, suggesting they may fail to make meaningful impact in reducing the environmental impact of clothing. 

WRAP’s research highlights a growing gap between current durability standards, consumer expectations, and emerging policy frameworks, a concern that chimed with industry voices at a recent roundtable at Climate Week NYC. Here, twenty-three global fashion brands and NGOs identified standardizing durability metrics as a critical next step for the industry during a special roundtable.

Sofie Schop, Executive Director, WRAP EU, “We’ve shown that designing for durability delivers, offering a tangible, customer-aligned solution with both short- and long-term returns on investment. But we need to be bold, ambitious and more realistic in our benchmarking, and in what we agree comparable durability should and could look like. Especially as clear benchmarks will be essential to meet future reporting requirements and waste-reduction legislation such as EPR and ESPR.”

Leah Karrer Executive Director, WRAP Americas, “Our research found that extending the life of clothing by just nine months can reduce the carbon, water, and waste footprints by up to 20%. And a recent citizen survey showed that 62%* of shoppers said durability was a top purchase driver, ranking it among the four most important factors when choosing fashion brands. So longer lasting clothes are what the public wants to see on shelf.”

Vicki Swain, Product Longevity and Partnership Lead, Primark “Making affordable clothes that last shouldn’t be a luxury for consumers. That’s why we’ve established our own Durability Framework so we can understand how the fabrics perform over time. Our own research found that customers treat clothes differently depending on price so there is still lots to do to build awareness and understanding of durability at all price points. Working with partners like WRAP has been brilliant for Primark to enable us to collaborate on a cross- industry challenge, to learn and evolve.’’

WRAP is calling on fashion brands to work with it to set more ambitious standards for durability that go beyond legislative requirements – giving customers access to clothes that stay at their best for longer. For brands operating in the US, Canada, and EU, the Durability Accelerator Initiative presents a unique opportunity to lead the charge in sustainable fashion. Participating brands will help:

• Shape the Standard - Define durability metrics for the North American and EU markets to influence future legislation.
• Benchmark Performance - Gain competitive intelligence through anonymous benchmarking with peers across global markets.
• Improve Product Design - Identify common failure points and use data to inform future design.
• Build Consumer Trust - Communicate product value and sustainability through evidence-backed durability claims. An opportunity to close the “say-do” gap among sustainably-minded shoppers.
• Support Circularity Goals - Align with WRAP’s global framework and contribute to a more sustainable fashion system.