Materials guide
A plain-English guide to T-shirt fabrics
A fabric name is only the beginning. The way yarn is knitted changes how a T-shirt stretches, hangs and holds its shape.
Our everyday T-shirt is in development. No fabric has been selected yet.
Two different questions
Composition means what fibres a fabric contains — cotton, for example. Construction means how yarn is made into fabric — knitted into jersey, for example. So “cotton” and “jersey” describe different things: one tells you what the fabric is made of, the other how it is made.
Single jersey
Single jersey is a common T-shirt knit and comes in different weights. It has a distinct front and back: smooth rows of loops on one side, a slightly textured face on the other. It stretches mainly across its width, and its cut edges tend to curl.
Interlock
Interlock is a double knit that looks similar on the front and the back. Double knits are generally heavier and more stable than single jersey, and interlock’s cut edges do not curl. It is worth exploring when you want a little more structure — a different character, not automatically a better one.
Rib
Rib is a double-knit structure with visible vertical ribs. It has considerable stretch across its width, which is why it often appears at necklines and cuffs.
Weight is not a verdict
Fabric weight is often given as GSM: grams per square metre. It measures mass over area — not quality. The construction, the yarn and the fibre all affect how heavy a fabric is and how it drapes, so two fabrics of the same weight can feel and hang quite differently.
What to notice in a real sample
These are simple ways to compare samples side by side — not test results or supplier claims.
- Feel. How does it feel against your skin, on the inside of your wrist or neck?
- Drape. Hold it up by one edge. Does it fall softly or stand away?
- Light. Hold it against a window. How much can you see through it?
- Stretch and return. Stretch it gently, release, and see how it settles back.
- Care. Note its shape before and after washing it as its care instructions say, and compare.
A considered choice
Fabric, composition, fit and thread all work together. There is no universal best knit — only the one that best suits what a particular garment is meant to do.