Knitwear pricing discrepancies for men and women have sparked a viral backlash on TikTok, revealing that lower-priced female garments rely heavily on synthetic petroleum-derived blends compared to pure natural fibers in male equivalents.
Rachael Brownfield Exposes Price Parity Between Wool Jumpers
- Fashion content creator Rachael Brownfield exposed a $95 price parity between a 100% merino wool men’s jumper and a 30% wool women’s jumper at Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF).
- Data from Style Analytics shows men’s jumpers under $100 are up to five times more likely to use 100% natural fibers.
TikTok Video Triggers Material Discrepancy Debate
The controversy began when fashion content creator Rachael Brownfield browsed the American brand’s site last month. She noticed that Abercrombie & Fitch was selling a 100% merino wool jumper in its menswear section for $95 (£71). At the same time, a jumper for the exact same price in the womenswear section consisted of only 30% wool, according to The Guardian reported.
“Pretty weird,” she wrote below a video questioning why a synthetic women’s jumper should cost the same as a men’s jumper made of pure wool. The Guardian approached Abercrombie & Fitch for comment.
Two million views and nearly 10,000 comments later, Brownfield’s video has led many to question if a knitwear gender gap exists across retail markets. Previous examples of gender-based price disparities include deodorant, razors, and dry-cleaning services.
Data Analytics Reveals Natural Fiber Gap
Inspired by the video, the data platform Style Analytics examined full-price knitwear offerings on the US sites of six major US brands. According to its findings, men’s jumpers costing under $100 are up to five times more likely to be made of 100% natural fibres than women’s items.
Style Analytics founder Molly Rooyakkers described being “floored” by the results. She found that in the under-$100 bracket, women’s jumpers are twice as likely to contain polyester as men’s jumpers.
The knitwear gender gap only closes once shoppers spend $100 or more. Rooyakkers said that her data provides a snapshot of six fashion brands’ sites on a particular day.
Synthetic Materials and Production Costs Drive Knitwear Trends
Designer and fashion educator Roni Brunn explained that the trend cycle plays a role in adding synthetic materials like elastane, nylon, and polyester to women’s knitwear. Sizing is also a contributing factor.
“Elastane gives stretch, synthetics can add fluidity, and they’re inexpensive,” Brunn said. “Men take fewer risks, so brands are incentivised to churn out the same things for men season after season, which means they can buy more yarn in bulk and optimise production.”
In a tough economic climate with low consumer confidence, brands look for ways to cut costs. Petroleum-derived fabrics such as polyester are cheaper to produce than natural fibres like wool and cotton.
Brands also regularly blend the categories, allowing them to lower production costs while marketing products as high quality. Deciphering these differences relies on shoppers paying attention to labelling and marketing terms such as “wool blend,” where wool content can be as little as 15%.
Gap’s bestselling CashSoft range, which it describes as “knitwear that’s soft like cashmere,” does not contain any cashmere wool. Instead, it features a blend of cotton, nylon, and acrylic.
Brunn compared these ranges to beauty products “that contain trace amounts of a buzzy ingredient and then overhype the entire formula.”
“A lot of the low quality that we see now is the result of fast fashion training consumers that they can have the trend for less,” Brunn told The Guardian. “Other brands are forced to compete with that, and that’s how we get much of the synthetics.”
Societal Pressure Influences Women to Buy Cheaper Clothing
Sustainable fashion expert and writer Aja Barber argued that women face greater societal pressure to subscribe to trends and buy clothes more frequently.
“Men have never been targeted by the trend cycle in the way women have, and the only way you can keep up with that churn is if you cheapen the product,” Barber said.
Barber said that the best-made clothing in her wardrobe consists mostly of menswear, pointing to coats, sweaters, and shirts as particularly good finds. However, for Brunn, shopping menswear remains tricky due to fit constraints.
“The answer isn’t ‘shop like men’,” Brunn said, pointing out that sleeves are usually too long for her frame. “Menswear is mostly drab and utilitarian on purpose. Finding quality means educating yourself about what you need and what items offer it.”
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
