When a buyer says "cotton shirt," a factory still has hundreds of questions: what weight, what weave, what finish, what shrinkage target. The more precisely you can describe the fabric, the more accurately we can quote it. Here is the working vocabulary for the most common apparel fabrics.
Cotton: The Default for Shirts
Cotton is breathable, comfortable and easy to care for, which is why most wholesale shirts are cotton or a cotton blend. Key terms to know: weight (grams per square meter, GSM, or ounces per square yard), weave (plain, twill, poplin, oxford), and finish (soft-wash, wrinkle-resistant, mercerized). A lightweight stripe shirt at around 100–130 GSM behaves very differently from a heavier twill shirt, so always state a target weight.
Corduroy: Texture That Sells
Corduroy has vertical ridges, called wales. The wale count changes the look: wide wale is chunkier and casual, fine wale is smoother and dressier. Corduroy is usually cotton or a cotton blend, and it needs careful cutting because the direction of the wales affects the color of every panel. That makes corduroy a good test of a factory's cutting discipline.
Denim: More Than Jeans
Denim is a sturdy cotton twill with colored warp yarns and white weft yarns. Beyond classic blue, denim is now used in jackets and shirts in black, white and dyed versions. Weight matters: a denim jacket needs a heavier weight than a denim shirt. Ask about stretch content too, since a small percentage of elastane changes the hand and the fit.
Blends: The Practical Choice
Blends combine fibers to get the best of each. Cotton-polyester blends resist wrinkles and hold shape; cotton-elastane blends add stretch. The fiber percentages must be accurate because they appear on the US fiber content label (16 CFR Part 303). Before quoting, a factory should confirm the exact blend and weight with you, since both affect price.
How to Specify Fabric in One Paragraph
A complete fabric description sounds like this: "100% cotton, twill weave, 200 GSM, soft washed, in navy and black." That sentence gives the factory almost everything needed to source, price and sample. Add a physical swatch or reference product whenever you can, because words never fully capture a fabric's hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GSM mean and why does it matter?
GSM is grams per square meter, a measure of fabric weight. It affects drape, durability and price, so it is one of the first things to agree on.
Can I order different fabrics in one style?
Yes, but each fabric is a separate production setup. Confirm the MOQ and price impact before mixing fabrics in one style.
How do I know if a fabric is good quality?
Check weight against your target, examine the weave consistency, feel the hand, and test shrinkage and color fastness on a sample before bulk production.
Can the factory source fabric for me?
Yes, most factories source fabric as part of production. Provide a swatch, a reference product, or a specification, and they will match it.
What if my fabric must come from a specific mill?
That is fine, but it may change the timeline and MOQ. Confirm with the factory whether they can work with your nominated mill.
Have a fabric in mind? Send a swatch photo, reference product or specification, and we will confirm what we can match and at what weight.
