Choosing Fabric for Wholesale T-Shirts
By The Velocity Wear Team
Our wholesale t-shirts run from 150 to 240 GSM in combed ring-spun cotton, in regular and boxy fits. Pick the weight by what the shirt does: 150 to 180 GSM for hot work and for anything given away, 200 to 240 GSM for retail, staff kit and anything that needs to look the same after a year. The yarn is what decides how it ages.
What does GSM actually change?
GSM is grams per square metre, so it is a density figure rather than a quality one. In practice it changes four things you can feel. Opacity, because a light tee in a pale colour shows what is underneath. Drape, because heavier cotton hangs straighter and resists clinging. Durability, because there is more yarn to wear through. And print appearance, because a dense fabric gives ink a flatter surface to sit on. A 240 GSM tee feels substantial in the hand, which is why it carries a higher retail price with no other change. Browse the range on our wholesale t-shirts page and check the tiers on the pricing page.
Why does combed ring-spun cotton matter?
Ring-spun means the fibres are twisted continuously into a finer, stronger yarn rather than being cut and bonded. Combed means the short fibres are removed before spinning. Together they give a smoother surface, a softer hand and far less pilling, which is the fuzzy build-up that makes a cheap tee look old after a month. It is the difference you notice at wash twenty rather than on day one, which is exactly why it is worth specifying up front rather than discovering later.
Regular or boxy fit?
Regular fit has a longer body and a closer sleeve, and it suits uniform, staff kit, schools and anything worn while working. Boxy fit is wider through the chest with a shorter body and a dropped shoulder, and it is what streetwear buyers expect. The mistake is ordering boxy because it is fashionable and then putting it on people who reach above their heads all day, because the hem rides up. If the shirt is worn on a shift, go regular; if it goes on a rail, boxy is worth the look. Boxy fits and how they sit has more detail.
Which weight for which job?
Giveaways and event tees: the lighter end, because nobody is judging a free shirt on its hand feel and the budget is better spent on quantity. Kitchens, gyms and warehouses: light to mid, for heat. Retail and brand drops: 200 GSM and up, because the price point has to be supported by something the customer can feel. Corporate and front-of-house: mid to heavy, because the shirt has to look pressed at the end of a day rather than the start.
Does fabric choice change the decoration?
It does. A heavier, denser knit takes a crisper screen print because the ink sits on a flatter surface. Lighter fabric shows an underbase more, so a white print on a dark lightweight tee needs care to avoid a stiff patch. Embroidery on a light tee usually wants a backing to stop the stitch pulling the knit out of shape, and a dense design is better placed on something at the heavier end. Read print against embroidery alongside this before you settle the spec.
How should you write the fabric into a specification?
Name the weight in GSM, the yarn and the fit, in that order, and the rest follows. Combed ring-spun cotton at a stated weight between 150 and 240 GSM, regular or boxy, is a complete description that a factory can act on and a buyer can compare between quotes. Adjectives are not. If you are comparing suppliers, the fabric line is where quotes most often diverge without anybody saying so, and putting the numbers in writing is what turns a confusing price gap into an obvious one. Keep the finished specification with your artwork files so a repeat run starts from the same place.
