What Fabric to Use for Each Type of Garment in Production

Choose the fabric by garment and by the fabric family the pattern was designed for: t-shirts, sweatshirts, joggers and leggings use knits (jersey, fleece, budget fleece, rib, spandex jersey), while shirts, dress pants, smocks and jackets use wovens (poplin, gabardine, denim, twill, windbreaker fabric). In series production, weight, roll width, shrinkage and color stability matter just as much, because they drive fabric consumption, final size and customer complaints.

Modeltex production guide. Updated on Sep 6, 2026.

Knit or woven: the decision that defines the pattern

A knit fabric (jersey, fleece, rib, pique, spandex jersey, modal) stretches because it is made of loops; a woven fabric (poplin, gabardine, denim, linen, crepe, taffeta) barely gives unless it contains elastane. That is why a knit pattern is drafted with less ease, and with negative ease in leggings or tops (the garment measures less than the body), while a woven pattern needs movement ease, darts and openings with zippers or buttons so it can be put on.

You cannot cut a t-shirt pattern in poplin or a shirt pattern in jersey and expect the same fit: in the first case the garment will not go over the head, in the second it hangs like a shapeless bag. Modeltex patterns are approved with a sewn sample for a specific fabric family; to take a knit design to woven, or the other way around, the ease has to be adjusted or the pattern requested as custom patternmaking.

T-shirts, tank tops and polo shirts

For production t-shirts the standard is 24/1 cotton jersey, roughly 150 to 180 g/m²: it balances body, price and ease of sewing. 30/1 is lighter and is used for women's and summer t-shirts; 20/1 is heavier and gives a premium product. Combed jersey prints better than carded, jersey with spandex (95/5) improves recovery in fitted t-shirts and tank tops, and modal is used in women's wear for its drape.

Polo shirts use cotton or cotton-polyester pique, generally 180 to 220 g/m², with the collar and cuffs in rib or collar knit. All of these cotton fabrics shrink 3 to 5% in general, more if they are not pre-shrunk, and the finished length has to allow for it. Jersey is often sold as a tube about 90 cm (35 in) wide, double that when opened, which changes the marker compared with open-width fabric of 150 cm (59 in).

Sweatshirts, joggers and fleece garments

Sweatshirts and joggers are produced in cotton or cotton-polyester fleece, generally 280 to 340 g/m². Brushed fleece (raised back) is the winter choice; unbrushed or lighter-weight fleece is for mid-season. Budget fleece is a cheaper fleece with a less even surface, more pilling and more shrinkage, which works for school uniforms and promotional sweatshirts where price rules. Cuffs, waistband and neck use rib knit of the same color and weight.

For joggers, use fleece with spandex if you want a fitted garment, and classic fleece or budget fleece for a loose cut. Cotton fleece can shrink up to 5% lengthwise (approximate) and that shows in the leg length: run a wash test before the production run.

Leggings, tops and activewear

For leggings, sports tops and bike shorts the fabric is nylon-spandex (polyamide with elastane: suplex, athletic spandex), with good recovery, because the garment works with negative ease and has to return to its shape. Cotton spandex is cheaper and more comfortable, but it deforms with use and is best kept for casual leggings. Anything that is sublimated goes on microfiber or 100% polyester jersey, because sublimation only sets well on polyester.

Fabrics with elastane come in widths of about 150 cm (59 in) and have a direction of greater stretch, which must run across the body. A leggings pattern designed for suplex will not fit the same in cotton spandex; if you change the fabric, test a sample in the middle size before cutting the size range.

Shirts, pants and dresses in woven fabric

Shirts are cut in poplin (the 65/35 cotton-polyester blend is the most used for its price and ease of pressing), batiste for lightweight shirts, and linen or viscose for summer, with interfacing in collars, cuffs and plackets. Dress pants and work pants use gabardine (roughly 220 to 270 g/m², heavier for work) or twill; chinos and women's pants use stretch gabardine with 2 or 3% elastane; denim is chosen by weight, generally 10 to 14 oz, with elastane for women's wear.

Bengaline is a woven with elastane that gives a lot across the width, widely used in women's pants and fitted dresses, and it needs its own pattern. For dresses and blouses, crepe, viscose, linen, satin and chiffon drape differently: the same pattern yields very differently in crepe than in linen. Check the shrinkage of denim and linen, and remember that bias-cut pieces use more fabric and stretch when hung.

Jackets, coats and windbreakers

Sport jackets are made in polyester or nylon windbreaker fabric, with or without a waterproof coating, lined with taffeta or mesh; insulated jackets add wadding between the shell and the lining, and the weight of the wadding defines how warm they are. Polar fleece is the economical unlined option, sherpa goes in interiors and hoods, faux leather in fashion jackets, and coats and blazers use wool cloth or wool-polyester blends.

A jacket pattern includes ease for one layer of clothing underneath and for the thickness of the wadding: a lightweight windbreaker pattern does not work as is for a puffer jacket. Add the lining patternmaking and the trims (zippers, grommets, elastics), which weigh as much as the fabric in the cost of a jacket.

Uniforms and what to check before cutting

In school and work uniforms, resistance to frequent washing rules: cotton-polyester pique for polo shirts, fleece and budget fleece for sweatshirts and joggers, gabardine and twill for pants and vests, poplin and drill for shirts and smocks. Polyester blends shrink less, fade less and iron more easily than pure cotton, which is why they dominate that segment.

Before cutting any production run: ask the supplier for composition, weight and usable width; wash a marked 50 by 50 cm (20 by 20 in) square and measure it dry to learn the real shrinkage of the lot; check that the usable width matches the marker; and make a sample in the final fabric. Modeltex digital patterns come with the full size range already graded, so the sample validates fabric and construction, not the patternmaking: if the fabric does not work, it is cheaper to change the fabric than to redo the pattern.

Frequently asked questions

What fabric is used to make t-shirts to sell?

The standard is combed 24/1 cotton jersey, about 150 to 180 g/m² (approximate), because it balances price, body and a surface that takes printing well. For women's or summer wear, 30/1 jersey or modal is used, and for fitted t-shirts, jersey with 95/5 spandex. Allow for 3 to 5% shrinkage in cotton and use a pattern designed for knits.

What is the difference between fleece and budget fleece?

Both are knit fabrics with a fuzzy back, used for sweatshirts and joggers. Fleece has a more even surface, better stability and usually comes brushed for winter; budget fleece is cheaper, with more pilling and more shrinkage, and is used in school uniforms and promotional sweatshirts. If you switch from one to the other, check the finished length after washing.

Can I use the same pattern for knit and woven fabric?

Not without adjusting it. A knit pattern has less ease because it counts on the stretch of the fabric; cut in poplin or gabardine, the garment comes out small or cannot be put on. Conversely, a woven pattern cut in jersey has too much ease and no shape. Each design needs the pattern for the fabric family it is produced in.

What fabric is best for sports leggings?

Nylon-spandex (polyamide with elastane), known as suplex or athletic spandex, for its recovery and quick drying. Cotton spandex is cheaper and more comfortable but deforms with use, so it is kept for casual leggings. If the leggings are sublimated, the base has to be polyester (microfiber or polyester jersey).

How much does cotton fabric shrink when washed?

Generally 3 to 5% in cotton jersey and fleece, more in budget fleece or in fabrics that are not pre-shrunk; polyester blends shrink less and pure polyester almost not at all. Since it changes from lot to lot, wash a marked 50 by 50 cm (20 by 20 in) square and measure it before cutting. If the pattern does not allow for it, the finished garment loses length.

What fabrics are used for school and work uniforms?

Cotton-polyester pique for polo shirts, fleece or budget fleece for sweatshirts and joggers, gabardine or twill for pants and vests, poplin or drill for shirts and smocks. Polyester blends are preferred because they withstand frequent washing, shrink less and hold their color. The size range has to be wide because a single order covers everyone from children to adults.

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Sewing patterns ready for production, with the full size range, in the Modeltex catalog.