The number that separates
a good tee from a cheap one
A t-shirt is the easiest garment in any range to make badly, and weight is where it usually goes wrong. Customers cannot name the figure but they judge it in the first three seconds.
140–150 gsm — a light tee. Cheap to make, cheap to ship, and it is what most promotional and giveaway shirts are. It will feel thin in the hand and it is often see-through in pale colours, which is the complaint that follows.
160–180 gsm — the sensible commercial band and where most brands should sit. Substantial enough not to feel cheap, light enough to be comfortable, and it holds print well.
200–220 gsm — a heavyweight tee. This is what premium streetwear and heritage brands sell: it drapes with weight, holds its shape, and reads as expensive. It costs more and it is warm.
The other half of the perception is the yarn. Combed, ring-spun cotton is smoother and stronger than open-end cotton at the same weight — the difference in hand-feel is large and the difference in cost is small. If your tee has to feel premium, specify the yarn as well as the weight.
Cotton, polyester
or a blend
This decision is usually made for comfort. It should be made for what the shirt has to do, because it also decides how the shirt can be decorated.
Cotton feels best, breathes well, takes screen print beautifully and shrinks. It is the default for lifestyle, retail and merchandise.
Polyester wicks sweat, dries fast, holds shape and colour, and — critically — is the only fibre that accepts dye sublimation. If you want all-over printed designs or camouflage across the whole garment, the shirt has to be polyester at 85 percent or above. Performance, team and hunting tees live here.
Blends, commonly around 60/40 or 50/50, sit between: softer than pure poly, more stable than pure cotton, and a good compromise for uniform and workwear programmes that get washed hard.
One practical warning that catches new brands: a cotton tee cannot be sublimated. Brands regularly design an all-over print and then specify cotton for hand-feel, and the two requirements are mutually exclusive. Decide the print method and the fibre together — our page on custom printing sets out what each method needs.
Why polos look cheap
after ten washes
A polo has one component no t-shirt has, and it is the component that decides whether the garment still looks good in six months.
The collar is the whole game. A knitted or ribbed collar, made separately and attached, holds its shape and lies flat. A self-fabric collar cut from the body cloth is cheaper and curls at the points after washing. If the polo is going into a uniform programme or a retail range, specify a knitted collar and specify its composition.
Collar roll and stand. A polo with no collar stand sits flat against the neck and looks limp; a small stand lifts the collar so it frames the neck. It is a pattern decision, it costs nothing, and it is one of the clearest differences between a $12 polo and a $30 one.
Pique or jersey. Pique is the textured knit most associated with polos — it holds structure, hides creasing and breathes well. Jersey is smooth, drapes closer to the body and takes print more cleanly. Pique for classic and corporate, jersey for a sportier or print-led look.
Placket and buttons. Two or three buttons, a clean placket with interlining so it does not ripple, and buttons that match rather than approximate. Also specify a spare button — it is a small thing customers mention.
Side vents and a dropped back hem let the polo be worn untucked without riding up. If your market wears them untucked, that is a pattern requirement, not styling.
Which print method
fits which shirt
Screen print — best cost at volume, excellent on cotton, limited to spot colours. Not suited to photographic artwork or long colour counts.
DTF transfer — handles full colour and fine detail at low quantities on almost any fibre. The sensible choice for small runs and complex artwork.
Sublimation — edge-to-edge, no feel on the fabric, permanent. Polyester only, and light base colours only, because the dye is translucent.
Embroidery — the premium mark for polos and left-chest logos. It carries value but closes up fine detail, so small text and thin lines need a simplified version of the logo.
The order to decide in is fibre, then weight, then decoration — deciding decoration last is how a brief ends up asking for something the fabric cannot take.
What we would put
in front of you
Our house starting point. Every line is changeable, and it exists so you have something concrete to argue with.
| Component | What we specify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Combed ring-spun cotton, performance polyester or a blend | Decides feel, shrinkage and which decoration methods are possible |
| Weight | 160–180 gsm standard; 200–220 gsm for a heavyweight tee | The first thing a customer judges, before the print |
| Polo knit | Pique for structure, jersey for print and drape | Pique hides creasing; jersey prints cleaner |
| Collar | Knitted collar with a stand, not self-fabric | Self-fabric collars curl after washing |
| Neck | Ribbed neck with taped shoulder seam | Stops the neckline stretching out |
| Side seams | Side-seamed rather than tubular | Holds shape and fits closer; tubular twists after washing |
| Branding | Screen, DTF, sublimation, embroidery, woven labels | Method has to match fibre and artwork detail |
Tees and polos we hold
Current tee and polo range with reference codes. Any of these can be rebuilt to your fabric, fit, colour and branding from 30 pieces.
T-Shirts (4)
Common questions.
What is the minimum order for t-shirts and polos?
What GSM should I choose for a t-shirt?
Can you print an all-over design on a cotton t-shirt?
Why do polo collars curl after washing?
What is the difference between pique and jersey for polos?
Start your tee or polo line.
Send your artwork, a reference shirt or a tech pack. We reply within 24 working hours with fabric, weight and decoration options and a per-piece quote.