What Is Jersey Fabric?
Jersey is a knit fabric with a smooth face and a looped back. It is the cloth almost every t-shirt is made from, and the reason t-shirts drape and stretch the way they do. Unlike a woven fabric, where two sets of yarn cross at right angles, jersey is made from a single yarn looped through itself, and that loop structure is what gives it its give.
You will see it called jersey knit, cotton jersey, jersey material or single jersey. They refer to the same construction. The name is geographic: the fabric takes it from the island of Jersey, where the knitted cloth was made for fishermen's garments long before it became the basis of modern casualwear.
How jersey is knitted
Jersey is weft knitted, meaning the yarn runs across the fabric and loops through the row below. Knit it on one set of needles and you get single jersey: one smooth face showing neat columns of V shapes, and a back showing horizontal loops. Knit it on two sets and you get a double knit such as interlock, smooth on both faces.
That single-versus-double distinction is not academic. It decides how the fabric behaves the moment it is cut, which is the first thing anyone notices on a sample.
Why jersey curls at the edges
Cut a piece of single jersey and the edges roll: the hem curls up, the sides curl in. This is not a fault and it is not fixable by pressing. It happens because the loops on the two faces pull with different tension, so a raw edge has to move to relieve it.
It matters practically because it decides construction. A single jersey garment needs its edges finished — hemmed, bound, or ribbed — and it makes raw-edge designs difficult. If you want a raw hem that lies flat, you are asking for a double knit rather than single jersey, and that is a fabric decision to make before the pattern, not after the first sample comes back.
Single jersey vs interlock
| Single jersey | Interlock (double knit) | |
|---|---|---|
| Faces | Smooth front, looped back | Smooth on both sides |
| Weight | Lighter, typically 110-220 GSM | Heavier for the same yarn |
| Curling at raw edges | Yes, always | No, it lies flat |
| Stretch | More, and recovers less | Less, and holds shape better |
| Opacity | Lower, can show through | Higher, more stable |
| Cost per metre | Lower | Higher, twice the knitting |
| Suits | T-shirts, vests, summer dresses | Polos, structured tops, kidswear |
What weight to specify
Jersey is specified by weight in GSM, and for t-shirts the range is narrower than most people expect.
- 110–140 GSM — lightweight summer tees. Drapes well, and thin enough that colour and fit both need thought, because it will show what is underneath.
- 140–180 GSM — the everyday t-shirt range, and where most brands should start.
- 180–220 GSM — premium, structured tees. Holds its shape, feels substantial, costs more per unit and per carton.
Above about 220 GSM you are usually better served by a different construction than by heavier jersey, because the fabric starts to feel dense rather than substantial. If you want weight and structure in a top, interlock or a heavier French terry will get you there more comfortably.
Cotton, combed cotton, and blends
100% cotton jersey is the default and the right starting point for most brands. Where the real quality difference sits is not the fibre but the preparation: combed cotton has had the short fibres mechanically removed before spinning, which leaves a smoother, stronger yarn that pills less and takes print more cleanly. Carded cotton skips that step and costs less. On a plain tee, combed versus carded is more noticeable in month six than in week one.
Adding elastane at 3–5% gives stretch jersey, which suits fitted shapes and holds a neckline better. Polyester and cotton-poly blends resist shrinking and cost less, at some cost to the dry cotton handle. Organic cotton jersey is the same construction from certified yarn — if the label is going to make the claim, the certificate has to follow the fabric through every stage, which is what a GOTS certified factory documents. Ours is RSC 9687.
What a factory needs from you
"Cotton jersey" narrows it to a family and leaves every decision open. What we ask for: the weight in GSM, the composition including elastane, whether the cotton is combed or carded, and a reference garment whose handle you already like. The reference settles more than the numbers do, because handle is exactly what a specification describes worst.
One thing worth deciding early: jersey shrinks unless the finishing prevents it. Compacting relaxes the fabric before cutting and brings residual shrinkage down to a few percent. Confirm it with a wash test on your own sample rather than after bulk, because a tee that fits the size chart off the machine and misses it after one wash is a shrinkage problem wearing a grading problem's clothes.
We knit and sew jersey every week at our own floor in Narayanganj, from a 100-piece minimum per style. If you are working on t-shirts, polos or tanks and vests, send a reference garment with your enquiry and we will match the cloth rather than guess at it.
Frequently asked questions
What is jersey fabric made of?
Most commonly cotton, and most often 100% cotton for t-shirts. Jersey describes the knit structure rather than the fibre, so it can be made from almost anything: cotton, cotton blended with polyester for lower cost and less shrinkage, cotton with 3 to 5% elastane for stretch, or viscose, modal and bamboo for a softer drape. When a brand says cotton jersey without qualifying it further, the questions still open are whether the cotton is combed or carded, what weight it is in GSM, and whether there is elastane in it, and all three change the finished garment more than the fibre name does.
Why does jersey fabric curl at the edges?
Because single jersey is knitted on one set of needles, so the loops on the two faces pull with different tension and a raw cut edge has to move to relieve it. The hem rolls up, the side edges roll in. It is inherent to the construction, not a fault in the fabric, and pressing will not cure it. The practical consequence is that single jersey garments need finished edges: hemmed, bound or ribbed. If your design calls for a raw edge that lies flat, specify a double knit such as interlock instead, and decide that before the pattern is cut rather than after the first sample.
What GSM is a good t-shirt?
Everyday t-shirts sit at 140 to 180 GSM, and that is where most brands should start. Lightweight summer tees run 110 to 140 GSM, which drapes beautifully but is thin enough that you need to think about colour and what shows through. Premium structured tees run 180 to 220 GSM and feel noticeably more substantial in the hand, at a higher cost per unit and per shipping carton. Above roughly 220 GSM jersey starts to feel dense rather than premium, and a different construction usually serves better.
What is the difference between jersey and interlock?
Both are knits; the difference is how many sets of needles made them. Single jersey uses one, giving a smooth face and a looped back, lighter weight, more stretch, and edges that always curl when cut. Interlock is a double knit made on two sets, so it is smooth on both faces, heavier for the same yarn, more stable, more opaque, and it lies flat when cut. Interlock costs more because it takes roughly twice the knitting. Choose single jersey for t-shirts and vests, interlock where a garment needs to hold its shape or show a flat raw edge.
Is jersey fabric stretchy?
Yes, naturally, because it is a knit rather than a woven. The loops let the fabric extend, mostly across the width rather than along the length, which is enough for a t-shirt to pull over your head and recover. What plain cotton jersey does not do especially well is recover after long or repeated stretch, which is why necklines go slack over time on cheaper tees. Adding 3 to 5% elastane fixes that, and is worth specifying for fitted shapes and anywhere the neckline has to keep its shape.
Does jersey shrink?
Cotton jersey will shrink unless the finishing prevents it. Compacting, sometimes called pre-shrinking, relaxes the fabric before it is cut and brings residual shrinkage down to a few percent rather than the noticeable drop you get from untreated cloth after a hot wash. Ask what finishing the fabric has had and what residual shrinkage the mill states, then confirm it yourself with a wash test on your sample before bulk is cut. It is a cheap test that prevents the most common and most expensive complaint a first-time brand receives.
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