What is jersey?
Jersey is the single-knit fabric of the t-shirt: a smooth face, a slightly looped back, stretch across the width and a tendency to curl at the cut edge. It is specified by yarn count and GSM — a 200 gsm tee in 24/1 ring-spun jersey is a typical premium blank.
Why it matters
Almost every tee, longsleeve and lightweight top is jersey. The variables — fibre, yarn count, weight, whether it is combed or compacted — are what make one tee feel like a promotional giveaway and another like a $45 garment.
On our floor
Our jersey is knitted from ring-spun Punjab cotton in weights from 140 to 320 gsm, compacted to control shrinkage. Heavyweight 270 is the most-ordered.
Common questions
- What is the difference between jersey and interlock?
- Jersey is a single knit with a face and back; interlock is a double knit, smooth on both sides, heavier and more stable — common in polyester sportswear.
- Does jersey shrink?
- Untreated, 5–8%. Compacted jersey — ours — usually 3 to 5% on the first wash, which our patterns allow for.
- What yarn count is a heavyweight tee?
- Typically 20/1 or heavier at 270 gsm; 24/1 or 30/1 at 200.
- Can jersey be garment dyed?
- Yes — it is the fabric most garment-dyed tees are made from.
Related terms
GSM
GSM is grams per square metre — how much a square metre of the fabric weighs. It is the single number that predicts most about how a…
ring-spun cotton
Ring-spun cotton is yarn made by continuously twisting and thinning the cotton fibres into a fine, strong, smooth thread. Compared with…
interlock
Interlock is a double-knit fabric — two layers of jersey knitted together so both faces are smooth. It is heavier, more stable and less…
pre-shrunk
Pre-shrunk — or compacted — fabric has been mechanically shrunk before the garment is cut, so the finished piece shrinks far less in the…
Where this applies
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