In our last t-shirt discussion we talked about t-shirt fabrics and weights. If you’re looking at t-shirts for your marketing, it’s good to know a few more things that add to the quality and sometimes the cost. This section has to do with garment construction and fabric.
Garment Construction
Seams and Hems:
A double-needle hem is a double row of stitching at a seam or hemline.
Shoulder-to-shoulder taping is when the shoulder seams as well as the neck seams are covered by tape or binding. This reinforces the shoulder neck seams and reduces separation.
Collar:
A self collar is constructed from the same material as the garment.
A rib collar is constructed of rib knit fabric with vertical rows of raised ridges and features more elasticity than a jersey knit.
Fabric Need To Know
Burnout is a chemical process where the cotton fibers dissolve, leaving the polyester fibers intact. This creates a semi-transparent design.
Denier measures fabric density and is commonly used to describe polyester. The smaller the number of denier the thinner the strand of polyester. The larger the number, the thicker the strand of polyester. This is the opposite of cotton singles.
Rib knit is a form of knit fabric with vertical rows of knitting loops visible on both sides of the cloth. This fabric features more elasticity than jersey knit.
Jersey knit is a soft plain-knitted fabric with a smooth finish. The top and underside of the fabric do not look the same.
Fleece is a fabric with a smooth face on one side and a fuzzy underside. This is achieved by the pile being cut and brushed to get a soft feel.
French terry is a variety of terry fabric with is identified by its uncut looped pile only on one side of the fabric. The other side is flat and smooth.
Many of these points will be a factor in your garment purchases. A little knowledge going in can make the difference between an okay t-shirt and a great one!
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