Cotton Fabric Guide for T-Shirts: Combed, Ring-Spun, Pima, Organic & Slub

"100% cotton" tells you almost nothing about a t-shirt. Two tees that are both 100% cotton can feel worlds apart — one soft, smooth, and durable; the other rough, thin, and pilling after three washes. The difference is in how the cotton is processed and knitted. This guide explains the cotton terms that actually matter when you spec a t-shirt.

The Yarn: How Cotton Is Spun

Before cotton becomes fabric, it's spun into yarn — and the spinning method is the single biggest driver of hand-feel and durability.

Carded (Open-End) Cotton

The most basic processing. Fibers are cleaned but short fibers aren't removed, leaving a slightly rougher, fuzzier yarn. Cheaper, more durable in a rugged way, but less soft. Common in budget and promotional tees.

Combed Cotton

The short fibers are combed out, leaving only the longer, aligned fibers. The result is a smoother, stronger, softer yarn with less pilling. A meaningful quality step up — and what most decent retail tees use.

Ring-Spun Cotton

The yarn is spun by continuously twisting and thinning the strands, producing a finer, stronger, softer yarn with a smooth surface. Combed and ring-spun cotton is the sweet spot for premium tees: soft hand, clean print surface, good durability.

Spec tip: "100% combed ring-spun cotton" is the phrase to put on your tech pack for a premium tee. It costs a little more than carded but the quality difference is immediately obvious to customers.

Cotton Grades: Pima & Supima

Not all cotton plants are equal. Fiber length (staple) drives softness and strength.

• Upland cotton — the standard, short-to-medium staple. The vast majority of cotton apparel.
• Pima cotton — extra-long staple, noticeably softer, stronger, and more lustrous. A premium upgrade.
• Supima® — a trademarked, certified American Pima. Same extra-long-staple benefits with verified origin and a marketing-grade name.

Pima/Supima tees command premium pricing and feel luxurious, at a higher fabric cost. Worth it for elevated basics positioned on feel.

Knit Construction

How the yarn is knitted into fabric changes drape, weight, and stretch.

• Single jersey — the standard t-shirt knit. Light, breathable, with a smooth face and looped back. Most tees.
• Double jersey / interlock — two layers knitted together. Thicker, more structured, smoother on both sides, more opaque. Premium, heavier tees.
• Slub jersey — yarn is intentionally spun with irregular thick/thin sections, giving a textured, vintage, lived-in surface. Popular in fashion and streetwear tees.
• Pique — a textured, waffle-like knit, mainly used for polo shirts.

Weight (GSM) and What It Means for Tees

GSM	Feel	Best for
110–140	Very light, slightly sheer	Fashion, layering, women's fits
150–180	Standard t-shirt weight	Everyday retail tees
180–220	Mid-heavy, structured	Premium basics
230–280	Heavyweight	Boxy/oversized streetwear tees
280–320	Ultra-heavyweight	Premium boxy streetwear

For a deeper dive on weight, see our hoodie & fabric GSM guide — the same GSM logic applies to tees.

Cotton Blends (and Why Brands Use Them)

Pure cotton is breathable and natural but wrinkles, shrinks, and lacks stretch recovery. Blends solve specific problems:

• Cotton / Polyester (e.g. 60/40, 50/50) — better shape retention, smoother print surface, less shrinkage, lower cost. Common in performance and promo.
• Cotton / Elastane (e.g. 95/5) — adds stretch and recovery for fitted styles.
• Tri-blend (cotton / poly / rayon) — exceptionally soft, drapey, with a heathered vintage look. Popular in fashion tees.
• Cotton / Modal or Cotton / Bamboo — silky hand, extra softness, a premium-sustainable angle.

Sustainable Cotton Options

• Organic cotton — grown without synthetic pesticides/fertilizers; the credible claim requires GOTS certification.
• Recycled cotton — uses post-industrial cotton waste, usually blended for strength.
• BCI / regenerative cotton — improved-practice conventional cotton with a lighter footprint.

See our sustainable manufacturing guide and certifications guide to make claims you can back up.

How to Spec Cotton on Your Tech Pack

A complete cotton fabric line on a tech pack looks like this:

Fabric: 100% combed ring-spun cotton, single jersey, 220 GSM, [Pantone] dyed. OEKO-TEX Standard 100.

That one line tells the manufacturer the fiber, processing, knit, weight, color, and safety standard — everything needed to source the right fabric. Use our free tech pack template to capture it.

Make Your Tee in the Right Cotton

Potato Apparel sources combed ring-spun, Pima, organic (GOTS-documentable), and slub cottons in single jersey, double jersey, and interlock, from 140–320 GSM — with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified options and physical fabric swatches before bulk.

• Custom T-Shirt Manufacturer — premium cotton tees, MOQ 50 pcs.
• Custom Streetwear Manufacturer — heavyweight boxy cotton tees.
• Y2K Clothing Manufacturer — slub and washed cotton looks.

Not sure which cotton fits your product and price point? Tell us your design and target retail and we'll recommend a fabric and send swatches.