Welcome to our cotton T Shirt guide. . This will walk you through everything you ever wanted to know about cotton in the t shirt business, and probably a whole lot of things you never wanted to know. There are so many different types of t-shirts, we aren't talking about the graphics, brands or anything else which seems obvious, but the cuts, fabrics and styles of t-shirts.
First we are going to look at the different types of fabrics which are used in the t-shirt industry. The first we will look at cotton, which is the most popular, but there are many different kinds which produce different results.
Ringspun Cotton
Ringspun cotton is noticeably softer cotton. If you have a soft and smooth t-shirt then it is probably a ringspun or combed ringspun style shirt. These are very nice to wear, and are made using longer, thinner fibres.
Jersey Cotton
Jersey cotton is once again a very smooth soft cotton. Because of it being so soft, it is usually used when making products which are close to the skin, for example underwear or loungewear. If you have a good quality loungewear t-shirt it is probably made from Jersey cotton or something similar. It is also very stretchy, which is why its so popular with the undergarments, it can cling to your body and stretches when you move, as it contract as well as stretch.
Carded Cotton
In general, carded cotton is used on more inexpensive items, as it is cheaper to produce. It uses shorter fibres than ringspun which produces a looser knit.
Organic and Bamboo Cotton
As the name may suggest this type of cotton is good for the environment. It does not use many of the harmful chemicals which others may do that pollute the environment. Of course this comes at a higher price, and not many retailers sell these kinds of products. More and more are starting though, we sell 100% organic cotton bags for example ;)
Polyester/Poly cotton
100% polyester t-shirts do exist but are not widely used these days. Many people see cotton as "the be all and end all" of t-shirts, and prefer the look and feel of them. Poly blends are increasingly popular, as you may not be able to get a certain colour in 100% cotton, so you may find a 98% cotton or 95% cotton shirt, for example on a heather grey t-shirt, florescent tee or similar. Polyester is of course plastic and not organic at all, it is not as "breathable" and contains chemicals which is what puts people off.
Lycra
T-Shirts are not made from lycra, but an increasing number do contain it, mainly in the womens t-shirt ranges. This makes the tee stretchy, and since womens t shirts tend to be fitted this is a great use of the material as it can stretch. and can retain its shape well.
If you wish to know more about cotton you can read about it in great depth here
Cotton Guide by LushTShirts.co.uk. ©2011 Do not reproduce. |
