Abstract
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].