The ribbed tank top
May 2025
We use organic cotton because so-called “conventional” cotton is a disaster for insects, birds, and farmers (more info in this article), and a little spandex for comfort.
Sufficient density to ensure opacity (white is not transparent) and to prevent holes from forming.
This tank top is made in Portugal at the Triwool factory, with which we have been working since 2017.
Techniques That Ensure Quality
Combed cotton
Cotton from which short fibers have been removed by “combing”: it is therefore softer and more durable than regular cotton.
Combed cotton
Ringpsun Yarn
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Ringpsun Yarn
Also known as “ring spinning,” this process produces a fine, soft, and strong yarn.
Combed cotton
Ringpsun Yarn
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Spandex reinforcement
The problem with form-fitting clothing is that, over time—as you wear and wash it—it eventually loses its shape. So we added spandex to minimize this loss of shape (it’s 3 or 4 times less than that of other knits we’ve tested).
Combed cotton
Ringpsun Yarn
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Pre-wash
This tank top is stabilized and pre-washed at the factory to prevent it from shrinking when you wash it at home (with cotton garments, most of the shrinking occurs during the first wash).
Combed cotton
Ringpsun Yarn
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
To Get a Tan or to Move
A soft tank top made from combed organic cotton, comfortable thanks to the stretch of its ribbed knit, and durable thanks to an elastane thread that prevents it from losing its shape. Wear it with or without a bra (we promise, the white one isn’t see-through), under a shirt to add depth to your outfit, or on its own for a move or a picnic: there’s no shortage of opportunities to show off your beautiful arms.
In detail
Slim fit
To keep your arms free and protect your stomach from drafts.
Rib Knitting
This knitting stitch is naturally stretchy, which is what gives it a form-fitting look. And up close, it’s pretty, isn’t it?
Stand-up collar
The collar is lined and secured with double topstitching for a better fit.
How to Wear It
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
95% cotton, 5% spandex
Origin and Certifications
- Cotton: Turkey
- Spinning, knitting, dyeing, garment manufacturing: Portugal
...manufacture in Portugal instead of France? Of course, manufacturing in Portugal allows us to sell at lower prices. But it’s also easier to produce high-quality items there: in the 1980s, when France outsourced its manufacturing, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, other companies besides ours manage to make excellent tank tops that are 100% made in France, such as Les Tricots Marcel.
How This Product Will Age
How do we know this? We ask our customers for their feedback on the product one year after purchase. And if the product is less than a year old, we provide our predictions based on some unsolicited feedback and our experience with similar products.
As with all cotton clothing, colors may fade with washing, and white items may yellow due to deodorant and sweat (this can be fixed with sodium percarbonate—see the tutorial here). But so far, our testers haven’t reported any significant wear and tear. In particular, it stretches very little with wear and remains soft after washing.
Care Instructions
To ensure it lasts for years, wash it inside out at 30°C with similar colors and let it air dry if possible. Now you’re free to carry heavy things (or just get a tan on your shoulders).
Environmental Cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labeling system (to be rolled out starting October 1, 2025).
The label above shows the product’s environmental cost according to the official French environmental labeling methodology. This represents what its production “costs” nature when considering its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity to freshwater, and so on. Currently in use in the textile sector, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture, etc.) to help you make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
The ribbed tank top therefore has an environmental cost of 365 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight—made of 100% conventional cotton, manufactured in Bangladesh, and sold by a fast-fashion brand—has an environmental cost of 1,491 points*.
Why is there this difference? Here are the main reasons:
- Countries of origin: Manufacturing in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel energy than in Bangladesh (one of the leading producers of low-cost clothing). As a result, this more local manufacturing reduces the impacts on climate change, ocean acidification, and resource depletion.
- The material: Organic cotton has a relatively low environmental impact compared to conventional cotton, particularly because it uses few pesticides (and thus poses a low risk of toxicity to freshwater) and is biodegradable (and thus causes fewer issues related to microfibers or end-of-life waste).
- Sustainability: Fast-fashion retailers encourage purchasing—in particular by rapidly refreshing their collections and offering a vast number of styles—and they discourage repairs by charging rock-bottom prices. This, in turn, increases the number of garments sold per person and reduces the number of times a garment is worn. In contrast, at Loom, we’ve chosen to adopt business practices that encourage our customers to keep their clothes for as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything we can to minimize it, this product's environmental impact is not insignificant. So before you buy, make sure to get the most use out of your clothes.
*Calculations performed by Loom on August 24, 2026. Click on the links to access the simulations from the official Ecobalyse tool and get more details on the assumptions used. Please note: The number of points is not always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose methodology changes regularly) as on the official environmental label (based on Ecobalyse version 7.0).
Reviews of this product
The standard practice is to send review request emails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month—the minimum amount of time needed to form an informed opinion.
Customer Review Policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We’ll send you a review request one month after we receive your order. We believe this is the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed an item several times and to form a truly informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within a week, whether they’re positive or negative.
Do you request reviews for 100% of the products ordered by customers?
We used to do that at first, but then we realized we were starting to send way too many emails to certain customers who shop with us regularly. In short, we were spamming them a bit. Plus, it was starting to take the team way too much time to respond to reviews—since we want to reply individually and privately to almost everyone who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews posted on the site for potential buyers to form an informed opinion about the product. 2/ We on the Loom team have read enough reviews to understand how to evolve the product into the next generation.
Just a quick thought: What proof is there that we aren't manipulating reviews by giving 5-star ratings to everything?
Honestly: nothing—we’re just giving you our word. Just like with everything else, actually: where we manufacture our products, where our wool comes from, our lab test results, and so on. The only times we might edit what you write is if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it’s racist, homophobic, etc. (but that’s never happened so far).
Asking for feedback after just one month isn't enough to know if the clothes are really durable, is it?
You're right—that's why we send you another email asking for a review one year after your purchase—we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. We use the responses to improve our clothing and to provide information on “how this product will age” on our product pages. To avoid unnecessarily bothering our customers, we don’t ask for reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand where we can improve, we stop asking for reviews after one year.