Materials Used to Make a Textile Shirt

Material choice when crafting textile shirts can have an enormous influence on comfort, fit, climate sustainability and cost. While no single solution fits all, cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester blends are popular choices that may offer advantages or disadvantages depending on individual preferences.

Cotton is an economical, breathable and absorbent fabric - an ideal combination for T-shirts. However, excessive wearing may become uncomfortable; drying times tend to take longer compared to other fabrics; it clings more closely to skin; it tends to cling more closely than others as well. Cotton can also be ironed over to remove wrinkles more easily than other materials. However, cotton may not always be appropriate when worn as part of a decoration as its structure cannot stretch with wear over time.

Other t-shirt fabrics are composed of synthetic fibers such as polyester, which dries faster and lasts longer than cotton but may feel rough and itchy against your skin. Poly/cotton blends offer softness and durability similar to cotton while offering moisture resistance and quick drying time comparable to polyester; additionally these blends allow for higher saturation when printing or dying with vibrant color pigments.

T-shirt fabrics utilize several varieties of cotton fabrics, such as carded open-end and combed open-end. Carded open-end cotton is less costly due to the increased percentage of short fibers it leaves behind; however, its quality and softness don't compare. Combed open-end fabric requires brushing to align fibers and remove shorter ones - creating a softer fabric, but with greater manufacturing costs as more raw cotton waste must be discarded thus decreasing final yield.

cotton is an extremely long-fibred type of cotton with high resistance to pilling. Ideal for dress shirts that need frequent laundering and denim production, Supima cotton may not be as suitable for casual and athletic t-shirt usage than other varieties such as ring-spun cotton.

Other popular materials for T-shirt manufacture include wool and linen. Linen is an absorbent natural fabric that offers soft feel with natural breathability; while wool may provide insulation against colder climates. Linen is more expensive than cotton but will keep you cool in warm weather as well as provide hypoallergenic and antimicrobial protection; making it the ideal option for people who sweat profusely.

Knitted and stretchy cotton/polyester blend fabrics offer breathability combined with fast drying and easy care, such as quick dry time and minimal ironing requirements. GSM stands for Grams per Square Metre; higher GSM numbers indicate finer weaves that tend to feel softer against your body as well as stretchier yarn that won't cling.