"You get what you pay for" is correct most of the time. But not always. Even well known brands cut corners in order to deliver high margin and low costs products. Here is how to make sure that the next T-shirt you buy is good quality and looks great wash after wash.
1. Fabric
Cotton is a super popular type of fabric for good reason: it's soft, versatile, durable (when high-quality) and comparatively affordable. The most important quality property of cotton is its staple length, i.e. the length of the individual fibres the fabric consists of. Fabric made from long cotton fibres is generally considered to be of a higher quality than fabrics made from shorter fibres. Here's why:
- Durability. Longer fibres can be spun into a finer yarn. Fine yarn can be more tightly bound, which makes the resulting fabric stronger and more durable.
- Softness. Another plus of long fibres is they can be turned into a much softer yarn.The shorter the staple, the more difficult it is to spin the fibres into yarn without having tiny ends of fibres stick out at all angles. Longer cotton fibres can be closely bound together, which keeps them from going into different directions.
- Breathability. One reason why some fabrics are less breathable than others is that they contain tiny air pockets in between the individual threads which create thermal insulation. Cotton made from long, finely spun fibres can be very tightly woven to eliminate air pockets and that uncomfortable, sweaty feeling that we tend to associate with low breathability.
- The staple length of cotton depends on its type and origin. Three types that are known for their extra-long staples are Pima, Sea-Island, and Egyptian cotton. If an item is made from either of these, brands will definitely include that on the label. But: These names are not controlled, so make sure you fully research the brand and double-check the overall quality of the fabric and the rest of the item, before you buy.
Here’s how to estimate whether a cotton garment was made with long-staple fibres or not:
- Touch it! Even cotton fabric that is sturdy, thick and or even stiff should feel soft on the skin. If it doesn’t, it was probably made with shorter fibres and will be less durable in the long run.
- No pills. Cotton is generally not as prone to pilling as other fabrics, so if you already see a trace of pilling on a new garment, move on!
- Check the density of the fabric by holding it up to a light. Even if it is very fine, the fabric should not be transparent. If the fabric lets through a lot of light, it’s a sign that it is not very dense and therefore will not be very durable.
- Cotton needs to be spun, so look closely at the threads that make up the fabric. There should be no gaps or size differences between the individual threads. All you should see up close is a regular pattern of smooth rows.
- One extra tip: Cotton is an especially good choice when you are shopping at low-end/budget stores. Some fabrics are hard to get right at the lower end of the price range but since cotton is comparatively cheap to produce, you should be able to find cotton items that are affordable AND well-made.
2. Stitches
Most manufacturers focus on the outside of a T-shirt. If a t-shirt is well made, then stitches will be well done, even throughout, and with no loose threads.
Check out how many stitches a T-shirt has. The higher the count then the better because it means that more time was spent putting this tee together. If you’ve never paid attention to this kind of things, then a good place to start would be your wardrobe. Compare between different garments you have and try to relate to the brands.
3. Hems
Like stitches, hems are indicative of how much care was put when making the garment. When it comes to T-shirts, you should be paying particular attention to the collar, the sleeves and the lower hem.
All Share Tahoe t-shirts are made from high quality cotton with 5% spandex for a more flattering feminine fit. We hope this guide will help you buy your next t-shirt with high confidence.
Happy Shopping!