Plasticman4Life t1_jaobc2l wrote on March 2, 2023 at 9:38 PM

In a word, no. And there probably won’t ever be.

Here’s why:

First, we would have to define “durability.” And then, how would we test that? And how would we know how accurately the tests replicate real-world “durability”?

And then, after we also determine which articles of clothing to test from which clothing brands and how many replicate samples are needed for each, we might have a decently designed study.

Then all that’s left is to find the $50-200K needed to purchase the clothing and carry out the study.

This is why all we will probably ever have is anecdotal evidence.

(Source: 25-year veteran product design and development engineer.)

That said, about 15 years ago I replaced all my socks with Smartwool and Darn Tough. Since then I haven’t bought any new socks, and I’ve worn out about four pairs. With about a dozen pairs left, I doubt I’ll ever have to buy socks again.

maybenomaybe t1_jap3hrj wrote on March 3, 2023 at 12:58 AM

I work in clothing production. There are literally tests for every kind of durability you can imagine, made to simulate real-world wear and tear. You send in sample garments from bulk production to a company that specializes in these tests and they put them on a machine that replicates say, two pieces of fabric rubbing against each other 1000 times, or pulling on a button until it pops off. Only some of these tests are legally required (the button pulling for kidswear, for example) but they are available to any brand that wants to know how durable their clothes are.