Whether your next branded apparel purchase is destined for use by your amazing employees, your energized sports team, or those who believe in your brand mission, there is more to think about than just colour schemes and logos.
The perfect wearable treasures need to look fantastic and feel the part too. Factors like texture, thickness, durability, and breathability all play their part when it comes to choosing the best apparel options for you. These considerations will ensure that when you finally green light your order, you’ll be able to enjoy total confidence in the performance that your amazing branded clothing will soon provide!
With all of that in mind, it’s handy to get familiar with the most popular fabric types and their qualities. So today, we’re going to take a tour of seven key fabrics, highlighting what distinguishes them and where they’ll truly shine. Are you ready? Then let’s begin!
1. Standard Cotton for Budget-Friendly Branded Apparel
Great for:
- Budget-friendly branded clothing
- Event Merchandise
- Ready-for-anything printed Tees
Standard cotton is manufactured using the natural fibers of the cotton plant, and provides an instantly recognizable look and feel that you’ll likely know from your favourite brand and organization tees! To make this fabric, the cotton fibers are “carded” in a process that cleans and straightens them before they get spun into yarn and, ultimately, woven into fabric.
2. Ringspun Cotton for Customized Workwear
Great for:
- Premium branded Tees
- Screen printed merchandise
What sets ringspun cotton apart from standard cotton is that it is spun for longer, creating a finer and softer cotton with a tighter weave. This makes it epic as a screen printing surface while also offering a smoother skin feel.
3. Combed Cotton for Corporate Apparel
Great for:
- Casual but high-end corporate workwear
- Printed and embroidered fashion apparel
Those looking to climb even further up the cotton fabric types ladder should definitely check out combed cotton. To make this fabric type, in addition to carding, the cotton fibers are also combed to create a smoother caliber of yarn. The result is super-soft premium cotton.
4. Peached Cotton for Comfort and Cool Kids’ Apparel
Great for:
- Cuddly-soft kids clothes
- Luxurious custom workwear
- Premium retail apparel
Have you ever picked up an item of kid’s clothing and thought, how do they make it so soft? The answer lies in the creation of a fabric type known as peached cotton. This is achieved by chemically treating and then mechanically texturising cotton fabric to create that irresistible fuzzy feel.
5. Polyester For Branded Sportswear and Workwear
Great for:
- Performance sportswear
- Breathable workwear
- Ultra-lightweight branded apparel
Moving away from cotton fabric types and toward something synthetic, we discover polyester, an affordable fabric made from a petroleum-based polymer. Polyester is woven just like cotton but provides a shinier and smoother look. It is also much better at moisture-wicking than cotton, making it great for sports apparel and workwear for physical professions.
6. Poly-Cotton for Functional Branded Apparel
Great for:
- Smart-looking but highly functional workwear
- Branded shirts and polos
As you might have already guessed, poly-cotton draws the fibers of cotton and polyester together to create a distinct fabric type. This easy-care blended fabric can offer a brilliant balance between the two material’s prized properties.
7. Tri-Blend for Statement Branded Apparel
Great for:
- Contemporary branded apparel
- Cool and casual workwear
If you love those funky Tees that feature a mottled colour effect, then you’ve unknowingly been coveting tri-blend fabric. This signature and textured colour finish are created by adding rayon fibers to cotton and polyester, creating a fabric that takes dye in an interesting way. Not only that, but tri-blend also offers a stylish, lightweight drape that many people love.
Find the Best Fabric Type for Your Brand With K-Factory
Here at K-Factory, we understand how vital it is to achieve the right look with your custom merchandise, workwear, sportswear, or apparel. Alongside fantastic screen printing and stunning embroidery, we can also provide apparel crafted in your fabric type of choice. So, are you ready to start designing your must-have merch? If so, connect with our team today!
