A t-shirt is the simplest garment to sew and the hardest to get right, because there is nowhere to hide. No structure, no lining, no tailoring. The fabric is the product.
Start with jersey
Almost every t-shirt worth owning is made from jersey knit. It has a smooth face, a slightly textured back, and natural stretch across the width. That stretch is what lets a tee move with a body instead of fighting it.
Interlock is the main alternative. It is double-knit, so both sides look like the face, it is more stable and slightly thicker, and it does not curl at the edges the way jersey does. Interlock makes a nicer kids' shirt and a more structured adult tee. Jersey drapes better.
The right weight
140 to 180 GSM is the t-shirt range.
- 140 to 150 GSM: lightweight and drapey. Beautiful for a slouchy tee, but check opacity in white and pale colors before committing.
- 160 to 180 GSM: the safe middle. Opaque, holds shape, still soft. If you are producing a line, start here.
- 200 GSM and up: heavyweight tee territory. Boxy, structured, that premium streetwear feel. Less drape.
Fiber changes everything
100% cotton
Breathable, takes dye beautifully, gets softer with every wash. The default for good reason. Downsides: it shrinks, it wrinkles, and cheap cotton jersey pills.
Cotton with 5% spandex
The small addition that fixes the biggest problem. Spandex gives recovery, so necklines and cuffs bounce back instead of stretching out and staying stretched. For fitted tees this is worth it.
Modal and bamboo blends
Noticeably softer and cooler against skin than cotton, with a fluid drape. Popular for elevated basics and womenswear. They resist pilling better than pure cotton but cost more per yard.
Tri-blends
Cotton, polyester, and rayon together. Very soft, heathered look, excellent drape, minimal shrinkage. This is what most premium blank brands use. Harder to dye in-house.
50/50 poly cotton
Durable, colorfast, cheap, minimal shrinkage. The practical pick for team apparel, uniforms, and anything printed in volume.
How much fabric per shirt
On 60 inch wide fabric, budget roughly:
- Adult short sleeve: 1 to 1.5 yards
- Adult long sleeve: 1.75 to 2 yards
- Kids: 0.75 to 1 yard
Add 10 percent for shrinkage and cutting error. If you are grading a pattern across sizes, buy a little extra on the first run.
Do not skip pre-washing
Cotton jersey commonly shrinks 5 to 8 percent on the first wash. Wash and dry your yardage exactly the way the finished shirt will be washed, before you cut a single piece. A perfectly sewn shirt that shrinks two sizes is a wasted afternoon.
Sewing a clean tee
- Use a ballpoint needle so it slips between the knit loops rather than cutting them.
- Sew seams with a serger, narrow zigzag, or stretch stitch. Never a plain straight stitch.
- Use a twin needle for hems. It is the single detail that makes a homemade tee read as professional.
- Cut the neckband from rib knit, at roughly 85 to 90 percent of the neckline length, so it pulls the neck flat instead of gaping.
If you are producing a line
Order enough for the full run in one go. Fabric is dyed in lots, and two lots of the same color will not match exactly. Nothing looks worse on a rack than the same shirt in two slightly different blacks. Volume pricing at APC Fabrics starts at 5 yards, so ordering the whole run usually costs less per yard anyway.
Browse our jersey knits by the yard and cotton fabrics. Everything is cut to order as one continuous piece and ships from Los Angeles. For weight guidance, see our GSM and fabric weight guide.