Textile Archive/Sweater Tom Tailor (Cotton, Elastane)
This beige sweater reached the archive straight from a used-clothing container (Textile Archive, 2026, canvas 26). It is knitted in double jersey: a reversible, stable double knit that doesn't curl at the edges (Fashionary, 2021, p. 143). Cotton, grown for over 6,000 years, is soft and breathable, but conventional cotton uses a lot of water and chemicals (Fashionary, 2021, pp. 018–019).
The label says 100% Cotton, the NIR scanner reads Cotton, Elastane – labels and reality don't always match, which is why infrared sorting is being developed for textile waste (Riba et al., 2020). Made in Bangladesh for Tom Tailor – a reminder of how far our clothes travel. It was set aside because of a stain – but its fibres could go back into new yarn (R8 Recycle; Potting et al., 2017).
Care tip: Pre-treat stains with mild detergent (no bleach) and wash at max. 30°C. Dry flat or on a line, not in the dryer (ISO 3758:2023; GINETEX).
Display label and NIR result side by side to start a conversation about label reliability. Use it to show the path from garment back to fibre. Complete label language and 3D scan quality.
Manufacturing information
[edit | edit source]| Size | XXL |
| Color | Beige |
| Product type | Sweater |
| Weight | 53 g |
| Target | Men |
| Origin | Bangladesh |
| Brand | Tom Tailor |
Status quo
[edit | edit source]| Status Quo | Level |
|---|---|
| Material out stage | Material |
| Exclusion | Staining |
| R strategy | Recycle |
| Reuse | 0 |
| Recycle | 1 |
| Repair | 0 |
| Repurpose | 0 |
Graphics
[edit | edit source]
References
[edit | edit source]- Textile Archive (2026) Labels_Final – sample label sheets of the gesa measuring action, June 2026 [Canva design, 34 canvases]. Unpublished project data.
- Fashionary (2021) Textilepedia: The Complete Fabric Guide. Hong Kong: Fashionary International Ltd. ISBN 978-988-77110-9-4.
- Riba, J.-R., Cantero, R., Canals, T. & Puig, R. (2020) Circular economy of post-consumer textile waste: classification through infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 272, 123011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123011
- Potting, J., Hekkert, M., Worrell, E. & Hanemaaijer, A. (2017) Circular Economy: Measuring Innovation in the Product Chain. The Hague: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. https://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/circular-economy-measuring-innovation-in-product-chains
- ISO (2023) ISO 3758:2023 Textiles – Care labelling code using symbols; GINETEX care labelling system. https://www.ginetex.net/en/labelling/
| Authors | Adriana Cabrera |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Location | Wuppertal, Germany |
| Cite as | Adriana Cabrera (2026). "Textile Archive/Sweater Tom Tailor (Cotton, Elastane)". Appropedia. Retrieved November 11, 2026. |