Cotton will fade faster than polyester or a cotton/polyester blend. The ripstop fabrics and most of the Ol Tom technical series is made from polyester which is almost impervious to wash-related fading.
When you wash that shadow leaf, use the delicate cycle, turn it inside out and use cold water.
I personally think a dryer is worse on fabric than a washer. Consequently, I air dry everything outside. My lightweight and mid-weight cottons last 3-4x longer with this routine.