Thread Report — Comparison

Acne Studios vs Gymshark: Fabric Composition Compared.

We pulled fabric composition data from 387 Acne Studios products and 1,669 Gymshark products. Acne Studios comes out clearly ahead at 77.6% average natural fibre vs Gymshark's 21.9% — a 55.7-point gap.

TL;DR

Acne Studios wins on both natural fibre content (77.6% vs 21.9%) and on having fewer polyester-heavy products (9.8% vs 26.3%). The headline gap is 55.7 percentage points of natural fibre per garment.

77.6%Acne Studios avg natural %
21.9%Gymshark avg natural %
2,056Products analysed

By the Numbers

MetricAcne StudiosGymsharkBetter
Products in sample3871,669Gymshark (larger sample)
Avg natural fibre %77.6%21.9%Acne Studios (over Gymshark)
% items ≥95% natural57.4%11.9%Acne Studios (over Gymshark)
% items polyester-majority9.8%26.3%Acne Studios (over Gymshark)

Average natural fibre % per garment

Acne Studios
77.6%
Gymshark
21.9%

% of catalogue that's polyester-majority

Acne Studios
9.8%
Gymshark
26.3%

% of catalogue that's nearly all-natural (≥95%)

Acne Studios
57.4%
Gymshark
11.9%

Top Fibres, Side by Side

How often each fibre appears across each brand's catalogue. A higher number means more products in the sample list that fibre on the label.

FibreAcne Studios (% of products)Gymshark (% of products)Diff
Cotton0%0%+0
Polyester0%0%+0
Viscose0%0%+0
Elastane0%0%+0
Wool0%0%+0
Nylon0%0%+0

By Category

Average natural fibre % per garment, by category. Counts in parentheses show the number of products from each brand in the sample.

CategoryAcne Studios (count)Gymshark (count)Diff
Shorts81.7% (19)4.7% (193)+77
Jacket72.8% (40)13.5% (31)+59.3
Pants92.8% (36)45.2% (50)+47.6
T-Shirt86.9% (42)45.5% (107)+41.4
Hoodie95.2% (16)74.3% (52)+20.9
Shirt88.5% (31)72.3% (21)+16.2

Where they're similar

Both brands lean on the same core fibres. cotton, polyester, viscose appear in the top five for both Acne Studios and Gymshark.

Where they differ

Acne Studios runs 55.7 percentage points higher on average natural fibre than Gymshark (77.6% vs 21.9%). Gymshark is markedly more polyester-heavy: 26.3% of items are 50%+ polyester, vs 9.8% at Acne Studios. If you specifically want nearly-all-natural garments, Acne Studios has 57.4% of its catalogue at that level — Gymshark sits at 11.9%. The biggest category divergence is shortss — Acne Studios at 81.7% natural fibre, Gymshark at 4.7%.

Verdict

Acne Studios is the clearer pick on fabric composition — 55.7 percentage points more natural fibre on average than Gymshark, with 57.4% of items at the nearly-all-natural mark vs 11.9%. That said, neither brand is "natural-only" — even at Acne Studios, the majority of items contain some synthetic fibre. Always check the label.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Acne Studios or Gymshark better quality fabric?

Based on average natural fibre content, Acne Studios edges ahead — 77.6% vs 21.9% per garment across the 2,056 products we analysed. Higher natural fibre content generally correlates with better breathability, fewer microplastics, and longer wear.

Does Gymshark use more polyester than Acne Studios?

Yes. 26.3% of Gymshark products are polyester-heavy (50%+ polyester), compared to 9.8% at Acne Studios.

How many products did you analyse for Acne Studios vs Gymshark?

387 Acne Studios products and 1,669 Gymshark products — every item with a parseable fabric composition label from each brand's site.

Which has more 100% natural pieces — Acne Studios or Gymshark?

Acne Studios. 57.4% of Acne Studios products are nearly all-natural (95%+ natural fibre by composition) versus 11.9% at Gymshark.

What's the most common fibre at Acne Studios and Gymshark?

Cotton is the most common fibre at Acne Studios (in 61% of products), while Elastane leads at Gymshark (71.2% of products).

Are Acne Studios shortss better than Gymshark's?

For shortss specifically, Acne Studios averages 81.7% natural fibre vs Gymshark's 4.7%. That's a meaningful gap — if you're shopping that category, Acne Studios is the safer default.

→ Full Acne Studios report→ Full Gymshark report→ All brands ranked

Related reports.

Acne Studios Full Report387 products analysedGymshark Full Report1,669 products analysedAll Brand RankingsEvery brand ranked by natural fibre %
Methodology: Fabric composition pulled from product pages on each brand's site. 387 Acne Studios products, 1,669 Gymshark products. "Natural" counts cotton, linen, wool, silk, cashmere, hemp and leather at 100%; viscose, rayon, lyocell, modal and bamboo at 50% (semi-synthetic). Polyester-majority = 50% or more polyester by label. Comparing Acne Studios and Gymshark. Data refreshed monthly.

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About the Thread ReportWhat the dataset is, how it's built, and how to cite it.All brand reportsFabric breakdowns for every retailer we track.Brand rankingsWho uses the most natural fibre — and the most polyester.Brand comparisonsHead-to-head fabric data for every viable brand pair.Research findingsOriginal findings built on the dataset.State of FabricThe annual report on fashion's fibre mix.MethodologyHow we classify fibres and compute every number.Fabric guides & researchHow to read labels, decode fibres, shop smarter.

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