Terminology used
Ounce ratings (10oz, 8oz, 13oz)
This is a fabric weight per square yard. Saying that 16oz=1 imperial pound, and each hoodie takes two to three yards of fabric (depending on size) then a lightweight hoodie will come in around 1lb and some of the heavier ones will come in closer to 3lbs
Commonly you will see these as on what is called the Polartec scale which equates to Grams per Square Meter (GSM).
- 100 = 9.5 oz per linear yard
- 200 = 12.5 oz per linear yard
- 300 = 16 oz per linear yard
Loopwheeled cotton
This is what you want, if you see a loopwheel cotton hoodie, you will be jealous of it, they are simply amazing.
All high-end hoodies are made with heavy loopwheeled cotton and the best are typically from Japan, they are going to set you back a bit but they are worth every penny. When you pick up a hoodie that weights 2.7lbs you know you have a good one.
On most knit garments today you’ll notice seams running from the armholes down to the hem where the front and back sides were stitched together. Older sweats and those made by high end reproduction brands don’t have those seams, or any really seams at all, because the fabric is created as one whole tube in a process known as “loopwheeling”.
Loopwheeling is done on machines that knit in a circle, stacking layer upon layer of cotton into a giant cylinder. That cylinder becomes the body of the sweatshirt so manufacturers need different machines to produce fabric for each size of sweat.
The machines are also incredibly slow. Most of them can only perform 24 rotations per minute, which is so slow you can count them and adds up to around one meter of fabric per hour. The snail’s pace is essential, however, as the machines places no tension on the cotton yarns as they knit to create a softer and denser fabric than pretty much anything else around.
But as great as loopwheeled fleece is, it’s inefficiency led manufacturers to trade in their machines for modern knitters in the 1950s. No one has produced any more loopwheelers, so all 200 of the operational machines left are pushing 70 years of service or more. The only two loopwheeling operations left in the world are Loopwheeler in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture and Merz B. Schwanen’s factory in Germany.
French terry
French terry is lightweight and helps to keep you cool it's 100% Cotton or Cotton/Polyester Blend. The out facing side of the fabric is smooth and flat. It has a very similar in look and feel to sweat shirt fleece.
Unlike fleece, French terry's inside loops are not brushed into a fuzzy material.
Instead the loops are left untouched.
cotton fleece
Cotton fleece is middleweight and helps to keep you warm it's 100% Polyester or Cotton/Polyester Blend.
In order to get fleece fuzzy a large roller with either sandpaper or wire brushes is rolled over the knitted yarn loops until the yarns and fibers become curly and soft.
Ringspun cotton
The processes for creating regular cotton and ring-spun cotton are totally different. Regular cotton is made from soft vegetable fibers that are twisted together to make yarn, which is then woven to make material. Most of the industry standard t-shirts, such as Gildan, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and other major mills, provide regular cotton t-shirts. Regular cotton is less expensive to make, which means "profits".
Ring-spun cotton, on the other hand, is completely different. Ring-spun yarn is made by twisting and thinning the cotton strands to make a very fine, strong, soft rope of cotton fibers. Ring-spun cotton t-shirts are more durable and last longer than their regular counterparts, but will also be more expensive, too.
Fleece-Back
To create fleece-back fabrics, the underside of a knitted fabric is brushed with sandpaper or wire brushes until the yarn becomes soft and fleecy. This technique can be applied to a large range of knitted cotton fabrics and is utilized for its velvety hand feel.
Double-Face
This material is made up of two interlocking knitted fabrics. A double-knitted jersey, for example, is made up of two single jerseys knitted together so that both the underside and outside of the fabric are flat. Domestically, the Northwestern Knitting Co. has a proprietary knitted fabric made of two distinct layers, while internationally, brands like Norse Projects utilize this material
raglan
Style of shirt where the fabric continues in one piece up to the neck of a garment, without a shoulder seam. These are often referred to as baseball shirts where the sleeves from the neck down are a different color.
Interlock knit
Interlock fabric is a variation of rib knit construction. Similar to a jersey knit except both front and back of the fabric look identical. Double knit construction makes this a thicker knit fabric. Interlock is the tightest knit, gives the smoothest surface and the finest hand. The fabric is extremely soft, firm and absorbent. Uses: High-end tee shirts, tanks, camisoles, bridal wear, receiving blankets, babies' layette items, adult and children's dresses.
Flatlock seams
Flatlock seams’ most noticeable quality is that they have almost no bulk. You can see them in stretch sportswear, where seam allowances in the inside of the garment may chaff athlete’s skin. They are typically done with specific types of sewing machines.
full-zipA zipper that goes all the way up the front of the hoodie.
half-zipA zipper that goes half the way down the front the hoodie..
quarter-zipA zipper that goes a quarter of the way down the front of the hoodie.
2-way-zipA dual zipper that goes all the way up and down the front of the hoodie. There is one zipper pull at the top and one at the bottom so that you can zip up from the bottom to adjust the waist.
← Home