Choosing the right fabric for teamwear

The four constructions we build with

Most teamwear comes down to a small number of knitted constructions. Each behaves differently under print and under a running player.

These are frequently combined. A basketball kit is often an interlock body with a mesh back panel; a training top is often a wicking knit with a brushed back for winter. Specifying a mix is normal and usually the right answer.

Fabric weight: what it changes

Weight is measured in grams per square metre (GSM), and it is the number buyers ask about most and benefit from least. What weight actually controls is how a garment feels and how it prints:

• Lighter fabric moves more freely and dries faster. It is the right call for hot-weather match kit and for players who want nothing on them.
• Heavier fabric hangs straighter, feels more substantial in the hand and takes dense decoration better. It is usual for outerwear, heavier training layers and any programme where the garment doubles as merchandise.
• Print interaction. Sublimation works across a wide weight range. Embroidery and chenille need enough body in the fabric to carry the stitching without distorting — this is why jackets are built from heavier constructions than jerseys.

We do not publish a single weight for a category, because the right number depends on your programme — climate, use and how the garment will be sold or worn. Tell us what the kit is for and we will propose a weight, then confirm it on the spec sheet before anything is cut.

Matching fabric to sport

Sport-specific kit exists for physical reasons, not marketing ones:

• Basketball. Constant stop-start movement, high sweat rate, a lot of body contact. Interlock for durability, mesh where the player heats up most. Reversible garments use two faces so a squad has a practice colour and a game colour in one piece.
• Soccer. Ninety minutes of continuous running, repeated washing, and a print that has to survive a full season. A quick-dry interlock with a mesh option is the standard build.
• Table tennis and badminton. Small, fast, repetitive movement. Weight matters more than durability, and an unrestricted shoulder is more important than a heavy body.
• Training and outerwear. Worn for warm-ups, travel and the bench rather than for competition, so comfort and layering come first. This is where a brushed back earns its place.

How to specify fabric without guessing

You do not need to arrive with a specification. Effective ways to get to the right fabric:

1. Describe the use. "A summer kit for an outdoor league in a humid climate" tells us more than a weight figure would.
2. Send a sample or a reference garment. If you have a kit you like the feel of, we can match its construction.
3. Say what you are trying to fix. If your current kit is too hot, too flimsy or the print faded, that is the most useful brief we can get.
4. Ask what the print method needs. If you want chenille patches, the fabric has to carry them. We will tell you if your design and your fabric choice are pulling in different directions.

Everything is confirmed on a spec sheet before production, so there is no ambiguity about what is being made.