Garment Manufacturers
Bella+Canvas
Bella+Canvas is a US apparel company that prioritizes sustainability by limiting and filtering its water supply, saving energy, and recycling leftover fabric.
Garments are manufactured in the United States, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Vietnam.
District
District is a fashion-conscious company committed to responsible sourcing. Its product line consists of casual and trendy everyday wear.
Garments are manufactured in India.
Gildan
Gildan offers fashion basics in a wide variety of styles and colors. The brand is known for its Genuine Responsibility program which focuses on producing garments using renewable energy and less water than the industry average.
Garments are manufactured in Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
Next Level Apparel
Next Level Apparel specializes in soft cotton fabrics and innovative blends. The brand offers a full spectrum of fits, styles, and colors.
Garments are manufactured in Haiti and Nicaragua.
T-Shirt Properties
Many aspects affect a fabric's durability, look, and feel. Understanding them will help you select a T-Shirt that looks good, feels comfortable, and lasts long. Let's take a look at what makes a high quality T-Shirt.
Fabric Blends
When it comes to fabric blends, the key is in the name - blends are created by combining different types of fibers. Fabric blends are popular in clothing because they combine the best characteristics of two or more fibers.
Synthetic fibers are known for their strength, wrinkle resistance, and low shrinkage. In contrast, natural fibers have excellent absorbency and feel soft on the skin.
Therefore, it's no surprise that poly-cotton is one of the most common fabric blends. Polyester fibers ensure durability and good color fastness (resistance to fading or running), while cotton fibers provide breathability and comfort.
Fabric Composition
Regular Cotton
Regular cotton is made of fibers found in the seeds of the cotton plant. They're twisted together to make yarn and then woven to create the material. The regular cotton T-Shirt is the industry standard. It's less expensive to make, therefore, cheaper and easier to sell.
Ring-Spun Cotton
The yarn for ring-spun cotton is made by twisting and thinning the cotton strands to make a very fine, strong, and soft cotton fiber rope. They've been through a spinning process that softens and strengthens each fiber.
Ring-spun cotton T-Shirts are more durable than their regular cotton counterparts but are slightly more expensive.
Combed Cotton
As the name suggests, combed cotton is combed to rid the batch of shorter fibers and impurities and produce softer, more robust yarns. Combed cotton is considered higher quality and softer than regular, uncombed cotton.
Ring-Spun Combed Cotton
Ring-spun combed cotton is even more refined. After the cotton fibers are spun, they are combed to remove any impurities or imperfect strands. This way, the knit is soft and highly durable. Plus, it creates a smooth fabric surface.