From Research to Action: Dr Kate Baker on Garment Durability and EPR

We were delighted to welcome Dr Kate Baker to WEFT at the end of last year. After a few months settling into her role and getting started on some exciting work, we sat down with Kate to learn more about her research background, what she’s working on at WEFT, and her thoughts on how garment durability can support a more circular textile system.

Having recently completed her PhD at the University of Leeds, Kate brings deep expertise in garment durability, sustainability, and circular fashion — knowledge that is already playing a key role in shaping the future of the global textile industry.

“Spending three and a half years investigating garment durability has taught me that it is an incredibly complex concept. It’s not just about a single element; there are a vast number of factors to consider when assessing a product — from the technical construction to the individual wearing and caring for it.”

Kate’s PhD, titled Assessing garment durability; physical, emotional and sustainability factors to facilitate circular fashion, explored how garment durability can be measured, understood, and ultimately improved. Her research focused on testing the physical durability of garments from a wide range of UK brands. Over 200 garments were tested in the laboratory, investigating factors such as fabric strength, seam strength, pilling (changes to fabric texture through wear), and washing durability.

“Laboratory testing allows us to simulate real life wear in a fraction of the time. It is a vital tool for exploring how fabrics and seams respond to daily stressors, giving us the data we need to predict and improve physical durability.”

All of this data was then brought together into a benchmarking system Kate developed, which ranked garments from most to least durable. The benchmark system was based on minimum durability requirements and how important a particular test was for that garment type. For example, pilling — the small bobbles that form on the surface of a fabric — was particularly important for t-shirts, which often exhibit pilling due to the mix of cotton and polyester fibres. Therefore, t-shirts which performed better in the pilling test were situated higher in the benchmark.

Alongside physical testing, Kate also explored the idea of emotional durability — why some people keep and wear a garment for decades, while others wear the same item only a handful of times.

As Kate explains:

“A t-shirt might physically last ten years, but if the fit goes out of style in six months, its circular potential is lost.”

By better understanding both the physical and emotional factors that influence garment use, Kate’s work aimed to show how durability can help reduce waste, slow production, and support the growth of a circular economy.

After so many years focused on doctoral research, Kate is excited about putting theory into practice. As WEFT’s EPR Technical Manager, her role combines data analysis with system development. Her work focuses on using WEFT’s data systems to explore how durability can be meaningfully integrated into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) — ensuring that longer-lasting garments are recognised and rewarded within future frameworks.

By applying her knowledge of global testing standards, Kate is developing an objective, clear-cut way to implement eco-modulated durability scores. Essentially, she is helping define how brands take more responsibility for their products even after they’ve been sold, incentivising quality over quantity.

"I’m incredibly excited to join a team that shares my commitment to a more resourceful fashion and textile industry. At WEFT, I have the opportunity to use my doctoral research to help shape future frameworks and help brands to improve their products, ensuring that durability isn't just a concept, but a core part of how we value textiles in the UK."

Kate’s priorities are clear: generating positive change, continuing to learn, and raising awareness of the role garment durability plays across the supply chain. These values are what drew her to WEFT in the first place — a company focused on improving systems and making better use of the resources already in circulation.

We’re delighted to have Kate on board at WEFT and look forward to the impact her work will have in embedding durability into the future of the UK textile system.