What Is Cotton Jersey? T-Shirt Fabric Explained for Clothing Brands

Cotton jersey is a knitted fabric, made from one continuous yarn looped row upon row, and it's what almost every t-shirt is made from. It has a smooth face of neat V-shaped stitches, a looser looped back, and natural stretch across the body. That stretch, drape and soft hand are why tees are knitted rather than woven. For a clothing brand, the useful part is knowing how jersey's weight, yarn and knit density change the way a blank fits, prints and wears.

Below we explain how jersey is made, how it differs from the other knits you'll see on spec sheets, and what to check before you choose a t-shirt blank.

Knitted vs woven: why t-shirts are jersey

Fabrics fall into two broad families. Woven fabrics, like denim, poplin or canvas, are made by crossing two sets of yarn at right angles. They're stable and crisp, but they barely stretch unless elastane is added.

Knitted fabrics are made by pulling loops of yarn through other loops. Those interlocking loops can open and close, which gives a knit its give and recovery. Jersey is the simplest weft knit: every loop is pulled through in the same direction, on a single set of needles.

That structure is what a t-shirt needs. It pulls over the head without buttons, moves with the body, drapes rather than standing stiff, and feels soft against the skin. A woven tee would feel like a shirt.

How jersey is constructed

A few terms crop up on mill and supplier spec sheets, and they're worth knowing:

  • Wales are the vertical columns of stitches running down the fabric.
  • Courses are the horizontal rows of loops running across it.
  • Face is the smooth outer side, showing rows of small V-shaped stitches. This is the side you print on.
  • Back is the inside, showing small half-loops, often called purl loops, with a slightly rougher texture.

Jersey for t-shirts is usually knitted on circular machines as a seamless tube, then cut into panels and sewn. The tighter the stitches and the thicker the yarn, the denser and heavier the fabric.

Single jersey, interlock and other knits compared

Strictly, "jersey" covers a family of knits. When a t-shirt is described as cotton jersey, it almost always means single jersey: one layer of plain-knit loops. Here's how it compares with the other knits you'll meet when buying blanks.

Knit How it's made Look and feel Where you'll see it
Single jersey One set of needles, all loops in one direction Smooth face, looped back, soft drape, stretches across the width T-shirts and long sleeves
Interlock A double knit: two layers knitted together Looks similar on both sides, thicker and more stable, edges lie flat Polo shirts and some premium tops
Rib Knit and purl stitches alternate in columns Raised vertical ribs, high stretch and recovery Collars, cuffs and hems
French terry Jersey face with loops of extra yarn on the back Smooth outside, looped inside, more body Hoodies and sweatshirts
Fleece Terry-style back that is brushed Smooth outside, soft fluffy inside, warmer Sweatshirts and hoodies

You'll find all of these on a single garment. A tee might have a single jersey body with a rib collar; a hoodie might have a French terry body with rib cuffs. Our explainer on the 2x1 rib collar covers why a firmer rib neckline matters on heavier tees, and our French terry vs fleece comparison picks up where jersey leaves off for hoodies.

What makes one cotton jersey better than another

Two blanks can both say "100% cotton jersey" and feel completely different. Four things drive the difference.

Weight (GSM)

GSM is grams per square metre. Lighter promotional tees often sit well below 200 GSM, while heavyweight blanks reach 300 GSM and beyond by using thicker yarn and denser knitting. Heavier jersey hangs straighter, feels more substantial and gives prints a steadier surface. Weight also changes how each print method behaves, which we cover below.

Yarn

Combed cotton has had shorter fibres and impurities removed before spinning, so it knits into a cleaner, smoother face with less fuzz. Carded cotton keeps more short fibres and usually looks a little hairier. On jersey, where the face is the print surface, that difference shows. Read more on combed vs carded cotton t-shirts.

Knit density

A tightly knitted jersey has small, closely packed loops. It's more opaque, holds its shape better and gives ink less space to sink into gaps. A loosely knitted jersey at the same weight feels lighter and more open, and is more likely to grow or distort with wear.

Finishing

What happens after knitting changes the hand feel and look. Garment dyeing, stone washing and other washes soften jersey and give it a lived-in character, which is why a washed blank feels different from the same fabric straight off the roll.

Jersey quirks to know before you order

Jersey's structure brings a few characteristics that every brand should understand rather than be surprised by.

  • Edges curl. Cut single jersey rolls in on itself at the edges. It doesn't affect a finished tee, because hems and seams hold the edges, but it's why jersey swatches curl on the cutting table.
  • Twist. Single jersey can have a tendency to spiral, so side seams rotate slightly after washing. A wash test on your samples shows whether a blank does this. Our sampling checklist includes a simple twist check.
  • Shrinkage. Cotton jersey can shrink in hot washes and tumble drying. That's one reason garment-dyed blanks are cut with an allowance: our ecru tees and long sleeves are cut slightly larger than the black colourways to account for shrinkage during dyeing.
  • Stretch runs mainly across the width. Jersey gives more across the chest than down the length, so fit is judged with the garment on, not just laid flat.

How jersey affects printing and embroidery

The smooth face of jersey is the print surface, so its quality shows directly in your artwork.

  • DTG ink bonds best with cotton, and a dense, clean jersey face holds fine detail better than an open, fuzzy one.
  • DTF transfers sit on top of the fabric, so they're more forgiving, though heavier jersey may need adjusted heat-press settings.
  • Screen printing is steadier on a heavier jersey that sits flat on the platen and doesn't stretch out of registration.
  • Embroidery needs structure. Lightweight jersey puckers under stitch tension, so heavier tees, long sleeves or hoodies make better bases for stitched logos.

Our cotton jersey blanks

Our t-shirts and long sleeves are all 100% cotton, from 230 to 325 GSM, so you can compare weight and yarn side by side:

If you'd rather feel the differences than read about them, the 11-tee heavyweight bundle covers every weight in the range.

FAQ

What is cotton jersey fabric?

It's a knitted fabric made from cotton yarn, with every loop pulled through in the same direction. It has a smooth face, a looped back and natural stretch, which is why it's the standard fabric for t-shirts.

Is jersey the same as cotton?

No. Cotton is the fibre; jersey is the way the yarn is knitted. Jersey can be made from cotton, wool, polyester or blends. A "100% cotton jersey" tee is cotton fibre knitted in a jersey structure.

What is the difference between single jersey and interlock?

Single jersey is one layer of plain-knit loops, with a different face and back. Interlock is a double knit, two layers knitted together, so it looks similar on both sides, is thicker and more stable, and its edges don't curl.

Can jersey be heavyweight?

Yes. Using thicker yarn and denser knitting produces heavyweight jersey. Our t-shirts and long sleeves run from 230 to 325 GSM.

Why do some jersey t-shirts twist after washing?

Single jersey can spiral, so the side seams rotate towards the front after washing. Wash-testing a sample before you order in bulk shows whether a blank does it.

Which side of jersey do you print on?

The face, the smooth side with the V-shaped stitches. On a finished t-shirt, that's the outside.

Choose your jersey blank

The quickest way to understand jersey is to handle a few weights. Browse our heavyweight blank tees, long sleeves and hoodies, order one of each with zero minimum order, and in-stock blanks are dispatched the next working day from our UK warehouse. We've been supplying the UK since 1972, and we offer DTG, DTF, screen printing, embroidery and garment dyeing to any Pantone colour when you're ready to put your name on them.

Back to blog