Different Types of T-Shirt Fabric (With Pictures)

Let me tell you something they don’t put in brochures: fabric is the lie your brand believes until it gets burned.

I’ve stood in factories from Dongguan to Dhaka, boots sticky with silicone residue, watching rolls of jersey come off the line like conveyor belts of promises. I’ve seen brands—smart people, good designers—get wrecked because they picked the wrong knit for a $30 retail tee. Not because it ripped. Because it pilled. Because after three washes, it looked like a thrift store reject.

You want “different types of t-shirt fabric”? Fine. But if you’re reading this on your Shopify dashboard at 2 a.m., trying to decide between combed cotton and ring-spun polyester, then what you really need is the truth behind the swatch book.

So here’s my field log. No fluff. Just scars, spools, and the real cost of getting it wrong.

Cotton – The King That Keeps Getting Dethroned (and Re-Crowned)

Cotton. God, I’m tired of talking about cotton. But you know what? It still shows up. Every damn time.

It’s not just a fabric. It’s a battlefield. There are ten kinds of “cotton” listed on Alibaba sheets, and nine of them will betray you.

At Fexwear, we had a client last year—LA-based streetwear startup, raised $180K on Kickstarter—picked “premium cotton” from a supplier who sent open-end spun 160gsm with 4% elastane. Sounded fine on paper. Felt okay in the sample.

Then came the first bulk run: 5,000 units.

We caught this in a mid-line audit in 2023—fiber content was only 91% cotton, not the 95% promised. The rest? Recycled PET flakes mixed into the yarn. Not illegal, but definitely not breathable. And when we ran the pilling test (Martindale, 500 cycles), the sleeves were fuzzy like a cat shedding in July.

They didn’t notice until returns spiked post-summer. One of our buyers had to eat 10% returns last year—customers said shirts “felt synthetic.” All because someone cut corners on spinning.

So let’s get real:

Combed Cotton

This one matters. Combing removes short fibers and impurities. You end up with longer staples—smoother, stronger, less prone to pilling. We use it for premium basics at Fexwear, especially for clients selling direct-to-consumer. MOQ is higher (300 pcs per color now, used to be 500), but the hand feel? Clean. Crisp. Like a bedsheet that doesn’t suck moisture out of your skin.

Saw a factory in Nantong skip combing to save $0.30/kg. Result? Yarn breaks every 2.7 km instead of 4.5 km. Imagine that happening during dyeing. Nightmare.

Ring-Spun Cotton

Now we’re talking. This is where the twist matters—literally. The yarn is twisted tighter, denser. Stronger. Takes dye better. Less shrinkage.

We had a cycling team order custom jerseys—tight fit, sublimated print. They wanted ring-spun 100% cotton, 180gsm. I told them no.

“Why?” they asked.

Because cotton doesn’t wick. It holds sweat. In a race, that’s dead weight. And ring-spun or not, it’ll sag by mile 40.

They insisted. Ran the batch anyway.

Guess what happened? After two events, half the team switched to performance blends. One guy showed me his back panel—stretched out, print distorted. “Felt like wearing a wet towel,” he said.

Lesson learned: even good cotton has limits.

But for casual tees? Ring-spun is king. Especially when blended with 5% spandex for recovery. At Fexwear, we stock it in 6 colors, ready for quick-turn samples—check the catalog if you’re in a rush.

Polyester – The Villain Everyone Secretly Loves

Oh, polyester. The fabric that smells like gym bags and makes grandmas clutch their pearls.

But here’s the thing: we all use it.

Not the cheap, plasticky kind. The good stuff. The kind that breathes, stretches, and survives industrial washers like a cockroach in a nuclear winter.

There’s a reason 80% of sportswear sold on Amazon uses polyester blends. It’s not fashion. It’s physics.

Recycled Polyester (rPET)

I used to hate this stuff. Thought it was greenwashing. Then I saw the data.

One of our suppliers in Hangzhou switched to rPET from post-consumer bottles. Not marketing fluff—actual traceability: each batch comes with a certificate showing how many bottles were recycled (usually 5–7 per shirt).

We tested side-by-side: virgin vs. recycled 150gsm jersey. Same tensile strength. Same colorfastness. Only difference? Recycled had slightly more variation in dye uptake—tiny speckles under bright light.

But customers didn’t care. One brand actually marketed it as “eco texture.” Sold out in 48 hours.

Point is: rPET works. And if you’re selling activewear, you should be using it. At Fexwear, we source it from mills certified by GRS (Global Recycled Standard)—not just some PDF floating around WeChat. We verify audits through SGS. Saw a fake GRS claim last quarter. Whole shipment got held at customs in Rotterdam.

Don’t play that game.

Moisture-Wicking Polyester

This isn’t magic. It’s chemistry.

The fiber is treated—or built—with hydrophobic properties. Sweat moves through, not into. Critical for high-output wear.

But here’s the catch: not all wicking treatments last.

We had a buyer from Canada order 2,000 running tees. Spec said “permanent wicking finish.” Supplier assured us it would survive 50+ washes.

We ran a quick lab check before shipping: drop water on fabric, time how fast it spreads.

First wash: 3 seconds.

Tenth wash: 11 seconds.

By wash 20? Bead-up city. Like wax on a car.

Turns out, the treatment was topical, not integrated into the polymer. Cheap shortcut.

Now? We only use inherently wicking poly—yarn engineered with micro-channels. More expensive ($0.18/meter more), but lasts. Check our guide on fabric recommendations for sportswear if you’re sourcing performance gear.

Blends – Where Smart Brands Win

You want durability? Comfort? Cost control?

Blend it.

No single fiber does it all. Cotton feels good but sags. Polyester lasts but stinks. Rayon drapes beautifully but disintegrates in rain.

So we mix.

Cotton-Polyester Blend (60/40)

This is the workhorse. The Ford F-150 of t-shirt fabrics.

60% cotton, 40% polyester. Gives you softness and shape retention. Resists pilling better than pure cotton. Dries faster. And—bonus—it’s cheaper to produce.

We ran a cost comparison last year: same design, same cut.

100% combed cotton: $4.80/unit (MOQ 300)
60/40 blend: $3.60/unit

Same quality control. Same printing method.

That $1.20 difference? That’s marketing budget. Or profit margin. Or breathing room when your ad CPM spikes.

One brand in Austin used that spread to fund free returns. Their conversion rate jumped from 1.8% to 3.4%. All because they chose the right blend.

But—warning—some factories mess with ratios.

We audited a new mill in Jiangsu last spring. Their “60/40” was actually 52/48. Why? Polyester was cheaper that month. They thought no one would notice.

We noticed. Burnt the batch.

Always test fiber content. Even if the supplier sends a certificate. We do FTIR scans on random rolls now. Caught two fakes in 2023 alone.

Tri-Blends (Cotton/Poly/Rayon)

Ah, the “luxury” feel.

Soft. Drapey. Slightly slubby texture—like a vintage band tee your dad stole from a concert in ’94.

Popular with boutique brands. High perceived value. Sell for $38+ easily.

But here’s the dirty secret: rayon is weak when wet.

We had a yoga apparel brand order tri-blend tanks. Looked gorgeous. Felt like butter.

Then came customer reviews: “Shrunk 3 sizes in cold wash.”

Wait, cold?

Turns out, the rayon content (25%) wasn’t pre-shrunk. When soaked, it tightened like a fist.

We traced it back to the knitting machine settings. Humidity too low during pre-treatment. Fiber didn’t relax properly.

Fixed it by adjusting tension and adding a steam press step. Now we pre-wash all tri-blend orders—even if not requested.

Moral: beautiful fabric can be a liability if you don’t control the process.

MOQ for tri-blends is higher (500 pcs minimum) because setup waste is brutal. One misaligned needle? Ruins 30 meters.

But if you’re building a premium brand, it’s worth it. Just make sure your manufacturer knows what they’re doing.

Modal – The Soft One That Can’t Take Heat

Modal is like that quiet coworker who’s brilliant but burns out under pressure.

Made from beech tree pulp. Silky. Absorbent. More eco-friendly than cotton in terms of water use.

Feels amazing next to skin. Great for women’s vests or lightweight tees.

But—big but—it hates heat.

We had a batch of modal-blend tees go through the tunnel dryer too hot. Shrinkage hit 8% instead of 3%. Entire order rejected.

Another time, a printer used high-temp discharge ink on a 95% modal shirt. Fabric degraded. Holes appeared along the print lines.

Like lace. Unintentional.

Now we flag any modal order with a red tag: MAX 140°C ON DRYER. NO CHLORINE BLEACH. HAND WASH RECOMMENDED.

Some brands ignore it. One influencer line in Toronto ignored care labels. Got slammed with 15% return rate. “Fabric fell apart,” they said.

No. They fell apart. By not testing.

Use modal? Yes. But treat it like glass.

Linen – The Summer Fabric That Wrinkles While You Watch

Linen. Natural. Breathable. Looks expensive.

Also: wrinkles if you look at it wrong.

I once saw a folded stack of linen tees develop creases just from sitting in a humid warehouse for 48 hours. Not exaggerating.

Great for seasonal drops. Terrible for daily wear.

And here’s the kicker: linen is strong when wet. Stronger than dry. Opposite of rayon.

Counterintuitive, right?

But the real issue is consistency.

Two rolls from the same mill, same lot, can have different slub patterns. One smooth. One chunky.

If you’re doing all-over prints, that’s a disaster.

We had a beachwear brand in Greece order 1,000 linen shirts. Half looked artisanal. Half looked defective.

They panicked. Thought they’d been scammed.

Nope. Just natural variation.

Now we pre-sort linen batches by visual grade. Charge extra, but prevent meltdowns.

Only worth it if you’re going for that “effortless Mediterranean vibe.” Otherwise, stick to cotton-poly.

Case Study: The $2 Tee That Cost $20,000

Client: East Coast fitness influencer. Built a cult following. Launched her own line.

Goal: $24.99 retail tee. “Soft, sustainable, Instagram-worthy.”

She picked organic cotton. Good intention. Bad execution.

MOQ: 200 units (we can do that at Fexwear, thanks to our flexible production setup). Sample looked great. Feel? Heavenly.

Bulk arrived.

First red flag: odor. Not mold. Not chemical. Just… sour. Like old hay.

Lab test: microbial contamination. Bacteria grew during transport because organic cotton wasn’t treated with antimicrobial agents.

Second issue: shrinkage. 9% after one wash. Tag said “pre-shrunk.”

It wasn’t.

Third: seam puckering on 30% of units. Thread tension off on overlock machines.

Total cost to fix? Not just money.

We had to:

Re-dye 800 pieces (added 14 days)
Replace thread on entire run
Add anti-microbial wash
Repackage

Total cost absorbed by us: ~$18K.

Plus reputational risk.

We survived. She kept her audience. But we changed our policy: all organic cotton now requires third-party certification (GOTS) and mandatory pre-shipment microbial screening.

Was it worth it? She scaled to 10K/month within a year.

But she’ll never underestimate fabric specs again.

Fexwear – Not a Manufacturer, a Damage Control Unit

Look, we’re based in Wuhan. Room 511, Taihe Plaza. Not flashy. Got a factory, yes, but more importantly—we’ve got scars.

We started in 2010 making blank tees. Now? We help brands avoid the mistakes I just told you about.

Do we make t-shirts? Sure.

But what we really do is translate vision into viable product without burning your cash or reputation.

We’ve got designers who’ve worked with Nike. QC teams that speak six dialects. A logistics arm that got 3,000 jerseys to Oslo two days before a snowstorm shut down the port.

And yeah—we offer private label, low MOQ, fast samples. But that’s table stakes.

What matters is: we’ve seen the failures.

We know which zipper fails at 5,000 flex cycles. Which screen-print glue cracks in Arizona heat. Which “eco” dye bleeds in saltwater.

So when you ask about t-shirt fabric, don’t just want a list.

You want to know: Which one won’t ruin me?

Quick Notes on Other Fabrics (Because Someone Will Ask)

Bamboo: Smells like sustainability. Often isn’t. Most bamboo is chemically processed into rayon. Same weaknesses. Use only if certified OEKO-TEX.
Hemp: Tough. Eco-friendly. But scratchy unless blended. Hard to dye evenly. Niche play.
Spandex/Lycra: Never use above 15% in knits. More than that, and recovery degrades fast. One brand used 20%—shirts bagged out in 3 weeks.
Acrylic: Avoid. Pill city. Feels like wool but performs like trash.

Final Field Notes

You think fabric choice is about feel?

It’s about failure modes.

Will it pill after five washes?
Does the dye run when worn by someone sweating?
Does the print crack when stretched?
Will customs hold it for missing certifications?

We had a client lose a $75K order because their viscose wasn’t FSC-certified. Didn’t know it was required in France.

Now we checklist everything.

If you’re a startup founder or boutique owner, you can’t afford those surprises.

So come talk to us. Not for a quote. For a reality check.

You can reach out anytime—contact page is live 24/7. Or just email [email protected] . We’ll send a swatch kit. No pitch. Just fabric and facts.

And if you’re serious, we’ll walk you through our full process—from material sourcing to global shipping.

Alright, I’ve got to get back to chasing a dye-lot issue. That’s enough for now.

FAQs

Q: What’s the cheapest durable fabric for startups?
A: 60/40 cotton-poly. We’ve used it for clients selling on Shopify and Facebook groups—holds up, costs less, prints clean. Saw one brand scale to $200K/mo using nothing else.

Q: Can I mix fabrics in one collection?
A: Yes, but QC doubles. We had a line with cotton, tri-blend, and polyester—each needed different print settings, drying temps, folding methods. Added 3 days to production. Plan accordingly.

Q: Do you recommend organic cotton?
Only if you’ve got certification and budget for extra testing. We saw this exact failure in 2 factories last year—bacteria growth, inconsistent dye lots. Not worth it unless you’re committed.

Q: What’s the most common mistake you see?
Picking fabric based on feel alone. One buyer chose a super-soft modal because “it felt expensive.” Ignored care instructions. Returns hit 22%. Touch isn’t everything.

Q: How do I avoid pilling?
Start with fiber length. Longer staples = less pilling. Combed cotton, ring-spun poly, or blends with anti-pill treatment. We test every roll now—Martindale 500 cycles minimum.

Q: Can you match Pantone colors on any fabric?
No. Dark blues fail on rayon. Reds bleed on nylon. We run dyebaths for each fabric type. Send us your Pantone, we’ll tell you what works—and what’ll look like mud.