Global consumption of garments has risen to an estimated 62 million tonnes of garments per year and is expected to reach 102 million tonnes by 2030 (Niinimäki et al., 2020). The enormous and increasing demand for new clothing reflects the environmental burden that the textile industry (Roos, 2016) places on the planetary boundaries. In order to ‘meet the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (United Nations, 1987, p. 43), companies need to reduce the environmental impacts of their business practices. The present study aims to answer the question, ‘what role do preferred materials play in ecodesign and to what extent can the Higg MSI contribute to the current practices of an outdoor apparel and accessories brand?’ A qualitative single case study was conducted to analyse the current practices of a Swedish outdoor apparel and accessories brand and aimed to identify how the brand can integrate ecodesign tools for preferred material selection into its business practices. The results show that the case company already has an integrated preferred material policy and applies life cycle thinking when designing new products. Product life cycle thinking is a key activity for ecodesign; durability and functionality factors dominate ecodesign practices. Life cycle thinking, however, is not supported by the Higg MSI due to the system boundaries of the cradle-to-gate approach; it does not consider the application of a material or the potential lifespan and results are therefore limited. Still, the Higg MSI could contribute to the brand’s ecodesign strategy by providing first insights in material processes. Furthermore, it helps identifying life cycle stages that contribute most to stressing the environment, so called ‘hotspots’. Yet, Higg MSI impact results should not be used to draw specific conclusions: the processes and results in the tool are not specific to the case company’s supply chain. Future research should assess the applicability of the upcoming Higg Product Module tool, which measures the product from cradle-to-grave.