Thread Report — Comparison

Acne Studios vs H&M: Fabric Composition Compared.

We pulled fabric composition data from 419 Acne Studios products and 936 H&M products. Acne Studios comes out clearly ahead at 78.4% average natural fibre vs H&M's 53.4% — a 25-point gap.

TL;DR

Acne Studios wins on both natural fibre content (78.4% vs 53.4%) and on having fewer polyester-heavy products (9.1% vs 27%). The headline gap is 25 percentage points of natural fibre per garment.

78.4%Acne Studios avg natural %
53.4%H&M avg natural %
1,355Products analysed

By the Numbers

MetricAcne StudiosH&MBetter
Products in sample419936H&M (larger sample)
Avg natural fibre %78.4%53.4%Acne Studios (over H&M)
% items ≥95% natural58.9%33%Acne Studios (over H&M)
% items polyester-majority9.1%27%Acne Studios (over H&M)

Average natural fibre % per garment

Acne Studios
78.4%
H&M
53.4%

% of catalogue that's polyester-majority

Acne Studios
9.1%
H&M
27%

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

Acne Studios
58.9%
H&M
33%

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)H&M (% of products)Diff
Cotton0%0%+0
Polyester0%0%+0
Wool0%0%+0
Elastane0%0%+0
Viscose0%0%+0
Spandex0%0%+0
Rayon0%0%+0
Polyamide0%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)H&M (count)Diff
Pants91.2% (40)34.1% (102)+57.1
Jacket75.3% (44)43.7% (5)+31.6
Dress63.9% (29)43.7% (164)+20.2
Shirt89.1% (33)69.1% (57)+20
Skirt55.3% (19)64.1% (38)-8.8
Shorts81.7% (19)76.2% (72)+5.5
T-Shirt87.3% (44)84.7% (117)+2.6
Jeans95% (75)95.7% (72)-0.7

Where they're similar

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

Where they differ

Acne Studios runs 25 percentage points higher on average natural fibre than H&M (78.4% vs 53.4%). H&M is markedly more polyester-heavy: 27% of items are 50%+ polyester, vs 9.1% at Acne Studios. If you specifically want nearly-all-natural garments, Acne Studios has 58.9% of its catalogue at that level — H&M sits at 33%. The biggest category divergence is pantss — Acne Studios at 91.2% natural fibre, H&M at 34.1%.

Verdict

Acne Studios is the clearer pick on fabric composition — 25.0 percentage points more natural fibre on average than H&M, with 58.9% of items at the nearly-all-natural mark vs 33%. 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 H&M better quality fabric?

Based on average natural fibre content, Acne Studios edges ahead — 78.4% vs 53.4% per garment across the 1,355 products we analysed. Higher natural fibre content generally correlates with better breathability, fewer microplastics, and longer wear.

Does H&M use more polyester than Acne Studios?

Yes. 27% of H&M products are polyester-heavy (50%+ polyester), compared to 9.1% at Acne Studios.

How many products did you analyse for Acne Studios vs H&M?

419 Acne Studios products and 936 H&M products — every item with a parseable fabric composition label from each brand's site.

Which has more 100% natural pieces — Acne Studios or H&M?

Acne Studios. 58.9% of Acne Studios products are nearly all-natural (95%+ natural fibre by composition) versus 33% at H&M.

What's the most common fibre at Acne Studios and H&M?

Cotton is the most common fibre at Acne Studios (in 60.1% of products), while Cotton leads at H&M (47.2% of products).

Are Acne Studios pantss better than H&M's?

For pantss specifically, Acne Studios averages 91.2% natural fibre vs H&M's 34.1%. That's a meaningful gap — if you're shopping that category, Acne Studios is the safer default.

→ Full Acne Studios report→ Full H&M report→ All brands ranked

Related reports.

Acne Studios Full Report419 products analysedH&M Full Report936 products analysedAll Brand RankingsEvery brand ranked by natural fibre %
Methodology: Fabric composition pulled from product pages on each brand's site. 419 Acne Studios products, 936 H&M 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 H&M. 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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