After 126 hours of wear and ten washes, the ARKET showed no twisting or pilling, but became noticeably narrower and somewhat less soft. Product-level traceability was limited.
Product overview
1. Fabric and construction in new condition
The images below document the fabric, collar and seam construction in new condition, before washing.
Fabric structure
Collar
Seams and hems
As new, the ARKET 170 GSM Regular T-Shirt had a slightly synthetic, treated hand feel. The fabric was quite soft.
The overall appearance was reasonably good. I did not notice any obvious asymmetry or skewing, and the collar looked even and well shaped. Some of the stitching was less convincing, however, with loose or protruding threads in a few places.
The shirt weighed 168.8 g in size L before washing.
2. Fit and comfort
Fit shown before washing
Initially the tee had a regular fit and was comfortable to wear. After the first wash, however, I noticed a clear change. It felt tighter around the neck and more slim fitting than it had when new. Some of the original softness had also disappeared.
That change in fit was consistent with the measurements. The shirt became narrower across the chest, shoulders and hem, while its body length changed much less.
After ten washes, the slightly synthetic, treated feel I had noticed when the shirt was new was no longer apparent. At the same time, the fabric was not as soft as it had been at the beginning of the test.
3. Testing results
I wore the ARKET for 126 hours and washed it ten times at 30°C to assess how its fit, dimensions and appearance changed with repeated wear and washing.
Dimensions and weight
Most of the shrinkage happened in width rather than length. After ten washes, body length had decreased from 71.6 to 70.1 cm, a reduction of 2.1%. Chest width fell from 55.6 to 53.0 cm (-4.7%), shoulder width from 48.6 to 46.0 cm (-5.3%), and hem width from 55.5 to 52.7 cm (-5.0%). Sleeve length was almost unchanged, moving from 22.3 to 22.2 cm.
Across the five measurements, the average dimensional change after ten washes was -3.5%. Much of the narrowing had already happened after the first wash, which matched my impression that the shirt had become more slim fitting quite early in the test.
The weight decreased from 168.8 g when new to 159.4 g after ten washes, a reduction of 5.6%.
Tested size: L
| Measurement | New | After 1 wash | After 10 washes | % change after 10 washes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168,8 g | 167,7 g | 159,4 g | -5,6% |
| Body length | 71,6 cm | 71 cm | 70,1 cm | -2,1% |
| Chest width | 55,6 cm | 53,5 cm | 53 cm | -4,7% |
| Sleeve length | 22,3 cm | 22,5 cm | 22,2 cm | -0,4% |
| Shoulder width | 48,6 cm | 45,5 cm | 46 cm | -5,3% |
| Hem width | 55,5 cm | 53,9 cm | 52,7 cm | -5,0% |
| Average dimensional change | — | -2,60% | -3,52% | — |
Measurements are recorded to one decimal place, but should not be read as millimetre-level accuracy. Soft garments can shift slightly depending on how they are laid out and positioned.
Structural changes
| Characteristic | New | 1 wash | 10 washes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collar distortion | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Twisting / skew | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pilling | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scores describe the condition observed at each checkpoint, not the amount of change since the previous assessment.
The ARKET remained fairly stable in shape during the durability test. I did not observe any twisting or skewing when it was new, after the first wash or after ten washes. However, by the end of the test the back hem sat just over 2 cm lower than the front. No pilling had happened after ten washes.
The collar remained largely stable in shape, although it felt tighter around my neck after the first wash. By the end of the test, it had developed a slight wavy or “bacon collar” effect, but this was minor rather than pronounced.
Overall, the most noticeable changes after washing were the reduction in width and the change in hand feel rather than twisting, pilling or other obvious visual deterioration.
Fabric transparency
| Characteristic | New |
|---|---|
| Transparency | 2 |
When it was new, I found the ARKET noticeably transparent in the standardised test, with the printed test card clearly visible through the fabric.
4. Traceability and sustainability
ARKET responded but provided no product-specific information beyond what was already publicly available.
Supply-chain traceability
Only stage 5 identified: ARKET named Flamingo Fashions Ltd. in Gazipur, Bangladesh, as its garment supplier. Stages 1–4 remain unidentified for this T-shirt.
Each stage scores 0 if unknown, 0.5 if identified by the brand, or 1 if the brand provided documentation that WTL reviewed and found to substantiate the stated location for this T-shirt or its production batch. Full method →
Markers group stages at the stated geographic level; they are not exact factory coordinates. Unknown stages are not shown, so the map does not necessarily represent the full geographic extent of the supply chain.
Source note
ARKET provided the supplier name and address, but no documentation substantiating its link to this T-shirt or batch. The listed address does not specify all processes carried out there.
ARKET describes the shirt as being made from long-staple cotton, but I was not able to verify the cotton origin or find product-specific certification for the T-shirt.
When I contacted ARKET, the company identified Flamingo Fashions Ltd. in Gazipur, Bangladesh, as the garment supplier. Beyond that, I was not able to establish where the cotton came from or where the spinning, knitting and dyeing took place, and ARKET did not provide documentation linking the named supplier specifically to the T-shirt or batch I tested.
So while ARKET publishes broader information about suppliers and sustainability, product-level traceability for this T-shirt remained limited.
Product-specific sustainability evidence
Status terms refer to product-specific evidence available for review. “None documented” does not necessarily mean that the feature or practice is absent.
5. Value and verdict
At €20, the ARKET 170 GSM Regular T-Shirt offers reasonable value and acceptable overall quality. It remained presentable after 126 hours of wear and ten washes, with no pilling or twisting.
The main drawbacks are the noticeable shrinkage, some loss of softness, slightly untidy stitching and limited product-level traceability.
Overall, I find it a good everyday T-shirt. It stands out for its resistance to twisting, but noticeable shrinkage, some loss of softness, slightly untidy stitching and limited product-level traceability keep it from scoring higher.