Adding a comparison table to a Shopify apparel store sounds simple until you try it. Two pairs of jeans look almost identical in product photos — but the fabric weight, the rise, the leg opening, and the recommended care are all different. Shoppers want to see those differences in one view, not click into four product pages. This guide walks through how to add a comparison table to your Shopify apparel store using our Shopify comparison tables for apparel stores overview as the parent reference, with all data pulled from your product metafields so the table stays in sync with your catalog.
Setup takes about 15 minutes the first time and under 5 minutes for every table after that. You will not need to write any Liquid or CSS.
Step-by-step setup
Step 1 — Install SimplyCompare from the Shopify App Store
From your Shopify Admin, open the App Store and search for SimplyCompare. Click Add app, approve the standard product-read permissions, and the app loads inside your admin within a few seconds. Nothing is injected into your theme code at install time, so your storefront is unchanged until you embed a table.
Step 2 — Set up apparel-specific metafields
In Shopify Admin, go to Settings → Custom data → Products and create the metafields shoppers actually compare on apparel. A practical starter schema:
custom.fabric(single line text) — e.g. “100% Pima cotton” or “Recycled polyester / spandex”custom.fit_type(single line text) — e.g. “Slim straight” or “Relaxed taper”custom.rise_inches(decimal) — for bottoms; e.g. 11.5custom.inseam_inches(decimal) — e.g. 30custom.weight_gsm(integer) — fabric weight; matters for tees and outerwearcustom.size_range(single line text) — e.g. “XS–3XL” or “26W–40W”custom.care(single line text) — e.g. “Machine wash cold, tumble dry low”custom.country_of_origin(single line text) — increasingly a buying factor
Fill in these values on each product you want to include. Apparel merchants typically populate fabric, fit type, and care first — those drive the most comparison-shopping decisions.
Step 3 — Create your comparison table in SimplyCompare
Open the SimplyCompare dashboard. Click New table and name it something specific to the collection you are comparing (e.g. “Men’s denim — straight & slim” rather than “Pants”). Add the products you want side by side. For apparel, three to five products per table is the sweet spot — more than that becomes hard to scan on mobile.
Step 4 — Choose your row order
Drag the metafields you set up in Step 2 into the row editor. Recommended order for apparel: fabric, fit type, rise (for bottoms) or length (for tops), size range, care, price. Lead with the field your customers ask about most. If your support inbox keeps getting “is this true to size?” emails, put fit type at the top.
Step 5 — Embed the table on your storefront
In Shopify Theme Editor, open the page where the table should live — usually the relevant collection page or a dedicated landing page. Click Add section, choose the SimplyCompare app block, and select your table. Save. The comparison table is live the moment you click save, and any catalog edit you make from this point forward flows through to the table automatically.
What your apparel comparison table can display
A few common apparel attributes worth surfacing once your metafields are in place:
- Fabric content and weight — buyers compare 180gsm vs 250gsm tees the way electronics buyers compare RAM
- Fit type and silhouette — slim, relaxed, straight, taper, oversized
- Rise, inseam, and length — denim and trouser specifics
- Size range — “XS–3XL” reassures shoppers worried about extended sizing
- Stretch percentage — for technical fabrics
- Care instructions — washable vs dry-clean is a real purchase blocker
- Country of origin and certifications — increasingly a comparison axis
- Price and price-per-wear estimate — for premium positioning
Pro tips for apparel merchants
Build one table per fit family. Don’t combine slim jeans, straight jeans, and joggers in a single table. The compare-worthy fields differ across silhouettes, so a combined table ends up with awkward blank cells. One table per family keeps the comparison meaningful.
Use plain-language fit names. “Slim straight” reads better than the SKU-style internal names you might use in your back-end. SimplyCompare lets you set display labels per row, so your customer-facing copy stays clean while your metafield keys stay consistent.
Link to your size guide from a “size range” cell. If your size guide lives at a separate URL, make the size-range value clickable. Shoppers who care about sizing already want to see the chart anyway.
Frequently asked questions
How do I show fabric content in my Shopify apparel comparison table?
Create a metafield in Settings → Custom data → Products with namespace custom and key fabric, type “Single line text.” Fill in the value on each apparel product (e.g. “100% Supima cotton”). SimplyCompare will display it as a comparison row on every table that includes those products.
Can I include both standard and extended sizes in one comparison table?
Yes. Use a single custom.size_range metafield and write the full available range (e.g. “XS–3XL”). If your standard and extended sizes are sold as separate Shopify products, you can include both in the same table and the size_range value will reflect each one accurately.
What happens to my comparison table when I update a product’s care instructions?
The change flows through automatically. Edit the custom.care value on the product in Shopify, click save, and every comparison table that displays care instructions for that product reflects the new value. No re-syncing or manual refresh required.
Will the comparison table look right on mobile?
Yes. SimplyCompare renders apparel comparison tables responsively. On phones the table either stacks per product or scrolls horizontally so all rows stay readable. No theme CSS work is required to make it work — that’s the default behavior.
Can I add a “best for” recommendation row?
Yes, and it works well for apparel. Create a metafield custom.best_for (single line text) and write a one-sentence recommendation per product (e.g. “Best for cool-weather everyday wear”). Add it as a comparison row. Shoppers who feel overwhelmed by spec rows often jump straight to that row to decide.
Your apparel tables, accurate by default
Once your metafields are in place, SimplyCompare keeps your apparel comparison tables in sync with your Shopify catalog from then on. Update a fabric description or a fit type in the product editor, click save, and every table updates with it — no second source of truth, no quarterly cleanup pass.