POLO SHIRTS & T-SHIRTSTerms & Definitions

SHIRTS POLO-SHIRT

A polo shirt, also known as a golf shirt and tennis shirt, is a form of shirt with a collar, a placket with typically two or three buttons, and an optional pocket. Polo shirts are usually made of knitted cloth (rather than woven cloth), usually piqu cotton or, less commonly, silk, merino wool, or synthetic fibers.

T-SHIRT (TEE SHIRT)

A T-shirt (or tee-shirt, or tee) is a style of fabric shirt, named after the T shape of the body and sleeves. It is normally associated with short sleeves, a round neck line known as a "crew neck", and no collar.

GSM

GSM refers Grams per Square Meter. Its the metric measurement of the weight of a fabric.

A measure of fabric weight. The weight in grams for a piece of fabric with the dimensions of 1m x 1m square. Greater GSM comes with Higher Price. Usual range for polo shirt GSM is between 180 to 240; for t-shirts the range lies between 120-180 GSM

Acid-Curing: Refers to the process of fabric finishing where the fabric is poured in an acid solution to make itself softer remove the gaps between yarns & fabric roughness.

Fiber & Yarn

Fiber

The component from which a yarn is produced. It can natural or manmade.

Yarn

A continuous strand of textile fibers created when a cluster of individual fibers are

twisted together. These long yarns are used to create fabrics, either by knitting or

weaving. The type of yarn is a major determinant of quality. The longer the fibers

used in the yarn the higher the quality of the fabric. Combing removes shorter

fibers and produces a stronger more uniform yarn from which the fabric is

produced.

FABRICS Knit Fabrics

Fabrics made from interlinking looped yarns. Knit fabric is made from one continuous thread.

Woven Fabric

Fabrics composed of two sets of yarns. One set of yarns, the warp, runs along the length of the fabric. The other set of yarns, the fill or weft, is perpendicular to the warp. Woven fabrics are held together by weaving the warp and the fill yarns over and under each other.

Jersey Fabric

A style of knitted fabric using the jersey stitch to produces a fabric with a smooth, flat face, and a more textured, but uniform back. This fabric offers a smooth, flat and often somewhat elastic surface with a somewhat more textured, but still uniform, reverse. Its always knitted or interloped, providing a lighter feel which is good for warmer locations or those who particularly enjoy a lightweight fabric. The elasticity makes Jersey polo-shirts a good choice in circumstances where people are highly active as it allows for movement without creasing, bunching or chafing.

Fabric Guide: Choosing the right Polo Shirts

Cotton: Cotton is a natural fiber, good for those who have allergies or find less absorbent fabrics a problem. Individual cotton fibersrange in length from around 1.5cm to 6cm and the longer the fiber (staple) the better the quality of the fabric. Organic cotton is grownwithout the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Polyester: This synthetic fiber is constructed of long-chain polymer of esters which are water and stain resistant, chemical resistant andreturn swiftly to their original shape when stretched or compressed. This produces a high strength fabric that resists warping, shrinkingand creasing. Polyester polo shirts take dye well and cope with heavy wear so are particularly suitable for environments like factories orkitchens where there is a high likelihood of spillage and consequent potential staining. While polyester has many advantages, somepeople find a 100% synthetic fabric lacks absorption, which can lead to odor.

Poly/Cotton: Poly/Cotton fabrics combine the advantages of polyester and cotton to create a durable, crease-resistant fabric with goodabsorption qualities and requiring less laundering. Poly/Cotton polo shirts are the ideal choice for uniforms as they offer the optimumblend of comfort and ease of care and are available in a range of grams per square meter (GSM). Poly/cotton blends have morebreathability than pure polyester and less crease potential than pure cottons, giving a longer-lived fabric with more ease of wear.

Pique: A pique polo may be either knitted or woven, and is usually in the medium weight range. It tends to feature a raised design, oftenwaffles or cords. While cotton is usually a woven pique with cords running with the warp of the fabric, knitted pique is double knit on acircular machine and may have wales running in a crosswise (weft) direction or embossed patterns such as honeycomb. Piquesadvantages are a thicker and more durable fabric, which shows sweat less, and a more attractive textured detailing. It is more prone towrinkling than other fabrics unless specially treated with crease-resistant additives or surfacing. Pique offers more variety than plaincotton for sportswear and casual clothing garments so it allows more expression of individual style.

Rib Knit: A type of knitted fabric. Rib knits have a very high degree of elasticity in the crosswise direction. This knitted fabric is used for complete garments and for such specialized uses as sleeve bands, neck bands, sweater waistbands, and special types of trims for use with other knit or woven fabrics.

1. Yarn Type: -The type of yarn is a major determinant of quality. The longer the fibers used in the yarn the higher the quality of the fabric. Combingremoves shorter fibers and produces a stronger more uniform yarn from which the fabric is produced.

2. Fabric Weight: - The heavier the fabric the more raw materials have been used in producing the garment and accordingly the higher the cost of the polo-shirts. A polo-shirt with a fabric weight of 240 GSM will cost more to produce than an equivalent polo-shirt with a fabric weight of GSM

3. Fabric Dyeing: -The method of dyeing is critical to ensure a polo-shirt is colorfast and retains its color wash after wash. With 100% cotton garmentsreactive dyeing will give better performance than direct dyeing. With polyester/cotton blends the fabric needs to be double dyed so that dyestuff is appliedto both the cotton and polyester fibers.

4. Manufacture - Shoulders & Arms: - Double top stitching along the shoulder seam of a polo shirt is a sure sign of quality. More than just a basic stitchedshoulder seam, a double top stitch ensures neatness of the upper polo shirt area as well as strength and durability. Again, double top stitching along thesleeve seam where it connects with the main body of the polo shirt offers neatness around the sleeve and underarm area, as well as providing strengthand durability to the sleeve. Ribbed cuffs prevent the sleeve from stretching and sagging. This keeps the polo shirt looking smart and just like new aroundthe arms, even after considerable wear.

5. Manufacture - Polo Shirt Front: - The buttoned upper area of a polo shirt should have good quality buttons. They need to be hard-wearing and also addto the stylish appeal of the polo shirt. Horn style buttons are an excellent choice of button that satisfies both criteria. Additionally, the highest quality poloshirts have an interlined fused placket at the base of the button row. This provides the buttoned neck area with added robustness.

6. Manufacture Collar: - A good quality polo shirt will have a 3-ply flat knit collar. 3-ply is superior to 2-ply and gives the collar strength and durability,helping to prevent it from 'folding up' when worn or after washing. Herringbone taping in the collar is a good quality sign too, as the taping helps the collarto maintain its shape.

7. Manufacture Hem: - In the hem area, look out for polo shirts with a double top stitching around the hem. Just as with the shoulder and arm seams, thedouble top stitch keeps the seam neat and prevents the threads from unravelling or working loose in this area. Also, look out for herringbone taping onthe waist seam. Split sides are also very fashionable at the waist.

8. Label: - Finally, polo shirts that have a removable label instead of a permanent tag on the neck are popular amongst buyers. A removable tag negates theproblems of neck irritation that a permanent tag can cause.

Buyers Assess Polo-shirt Quality

Polo Shirt

Terms & Definitions Nylon: The first completely manmade (synthetic) fiber. Its major features are high strength and excellent

resilience, nylon has superior abrasion resistance and high flexibility.

Oxford: A fine, soft, lightweight woven cotton or blended with manufactured fibers in a 2 x 1 basket weave. For examples of products using reactive dyes please see our woven shirt.

Blend: A term applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one fiber. The fabric or yarn can beblended. With yarns, two or more different types of fibers are twisted or spun together. By blending fiberstogether it is possible to improve the performance of the fabric. The most common blend for polo-shirts andsweatshirts is polyester and cotton.

Carding: A process used to detangle and align the fibers in preparation for spinning. The process alsoremoves dirt and foreign matter.

Colorfastness: A term used to describe a dyed fabric's ability to resist fading or dye loss due to washing,exposure to sunlight, and other conditions. For superior colorfastness we use reactive dyes on many of our100 cotton items. For examples of products using reactive dyes please see our polo shirts.

Combed Yarn: It uses a combing method to remove short fibers and to straighten or arrange longer fibersinto parallel order to create a smooth, fine yarn. Combed cotton is usually used to produce finer (lightweight)t-shirts and is softer than Brushed Cotton. This gives the yarn excellent strength, uniformity & superior fabrichigher quality fabric. The combing process is an additional step after carding. In this process the fibers arearranged in a parallel form.

Crease Resistance: A process that improves the Crease recovery And Smooth-drying Properties of a fabric. In The Process Used Most Extensively, The fabric is impregnated with a solution that is absorbed into the fibers. After processing the fabric has improved crease resistance.

Interfacing: Fabrics used to support, reinforce or give shape to sewn garments. The interlining is normally placed between two layers of fabric.

Embroidery: A process of embellishment where a fabric or garment has colored threads are sewn on to the fabric to create a design. SPI (stich per inch) is the unit of embroidery.

Interlining: An insulation, padding, or stiffening fabric sewn to the underside of the fabric.

Repellency: The ability of a fabric to resist or absorb such things as water, stains, soil, etc.

Resiliency: The ability of a fabric to spring back to its original shape after being twisted, crushed or distorted.

Shrinkage: The reduction In length or width of a fiber, yam or fabric. Shrinkage is normally associated with wetting or high temperature.

Waterproof: A term applied to fabrics where space between the fibers are closed, filled, or reduced and therefore will not allow water or air to pass through them.

Terms & Definitions

Water Repellent /Water Resistant: A term applied to fabrics that have been treated with a finish whichcauses them to shed water or resist water.

Wick-ability: The ability of a fiber or a fabric to absorb, disperse moisture and allow it to pass through to thesurface of the fabric so that evaporation can take place.

Absorbency: The ability of a fabric absorb moisture. Absorbency effects the characteristics of the fabricsuch as comfort, static build-up, shrinkage, stain removal, water repellency, and wrinkle recovery.

Durability: The ability of a fabric to resist wear through continued use.

Wrinkle: A small unwanted or irregular crease in a fabric.

Wrinkle Free Finish: A process, that Improves crease recovery and the ability of a garment to dry withoutcreasing. In the most commonly used process the fabric is treated with a solution that is absorbed by

Wrinkle Recovery: Similar to resiliency. It is the ability of a fabric to bounce back after it has been twisted,wrinkled, or distorted in any way.

Pill, Pilling: Accumulations of fibers on the surface of a fabric. These "balls" of fibers occur during wear.

Reactive Dyed: A water soluble dyes that bonds well to cotton and nylon fibers. Reactive dyed garmentshave superior brightness and colorfastness.

Terms & Definitions

KNIT FABRICS vs WOVEN FABRICS

Knit Fiber

Knit fabrics are more difficult to work with because they stretch and the edges curl.

Knit fabric is made from one continuous thread (much like the one continuous yarn in hand knitting), it stretches all over.

Woven Fiber

The fibers create a little crisscross pattern

That crisscross pattern is created when all those tiny fibers are actually woven together. Woven fabric works in the same way as those weaving looms, except that the fibers are way thinner.

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