Budget retailer Primark is known for its cheap clothes but many would argue that you get what you pay for.
However, it turns out that not only are the fashion retailer’s items affordable – they are much more durable than anyone gave them credit for. T-shirts and jeans costing less than £20 in the store outperformed more expensive, branded garments in durability testing, the BBC reports.
The University of Leeds worked with Primark to to set “standards” on how long clothing should last. And after the school of design assessed 65 products, they found a £15 pair of women’s jeans to be more hardwearing than some costing 10 times more.
Primark said it will incorporate the findings of the study into its guidelines and hopes the results will help give customers better value for their money.
(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kate Morris, who led the research team at the university, told the BBC: “We have equipment that can mimic years and years of wear and tear of garments in a matter of hours.
“We had to consider how the garments are actually used. So, with jeans we focussed on things such as the fabric rubbing together and seam strength.
“For hoodies we look at pilling, which are the small bobbles that form on fabric.”
The team were “surprised” by the results, which showed that price was not necessarily an indicator of long-term quality.
The second-best performer in the men’s T-shirt category cost only £5 after 17 styles were tested.
(Image: Getty Images)
Ms Morris added: “Historically people think that if you pay more, you’ll get a longer life out of the garment.
“We found no correlation between price and durability. It doesn’t mean that if you go out and buy something really cheap it will last forever, and vice versa. We are simply saying that there is no correlation between the two”.
Primark, which has faced repeated criticism for its “fast fashion” approach, said it hoped its new Durability Framework would help people get more wear from their purchases.
Speaking exclusively to BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme, Vicki Swain, Primark’s product longevity lead, said: “We developed the framework to ensure that customers know items are going to last, no matter how much they can afford to spend.
“We’ve been investing in making our clothes more durable and also making them with more sustainable materials.”
Primark supplied the garments for the study but had no further input in the independent research.
The article attracted hundreds of comments
One said: “Anybody that thinks that a branded product in most cases is better than cheaper ones is bonkers. You are just buying into a brand. No better quality. Stop being a sheep and being mugged off.”
Another wrote: “Buying a product simply because of the brand is just as daft as buying a product simply because of the price (unless your circumstances force you to).
“The best product is the one which offers you the overall best value based on the things that are important to you.”
While one added: “I dont have any issue with Primark clothes, they last for ages before they get relegated for gardening use.
“The trouble with a lot of consumers is that they have become brand snobs and money seems to be no barrier as to what they pay.”
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