The right fabric
for the job.
Fabric choice decides more about how a garment performs than any other decision in the build. This is the ground we work across, and what each family is actually good at.
Weights, compositions and finishes are confirmed on your quotation. They move with the garment, the season and the destination market, so publishing a single number here would be misleading. If you already work to a specific mill or quality, send it and we will match it or source it.
Performance knits.
Knitted fabric stretches because of how the yarn is looped, not because of elastane. That is why two fabrics of identical composition can behave nothing alike.
Interlock
Smooth on both faces, stable and opaque. The default for sublimated team jerseys because the surface takes print cleanly and does not curl at a cut edge.
Micromesh
Fine open structure for airflow at low weight. Race singlets, vented panels and anywhere heat management beats coverage.
Birdseye mesh
A raised cell structure that lifts fabric off the skin. Long a staple of football and basketball kit.
Honeycomb mesh
Larger cell than birdseye, more airflow and more visible texture. Common on training bibs and reversible panels.
Pique
Textured surface with body. The traditional polo fabric, and it holds a collar shape through a season better than a flat jersey.
Single jersey
Light, soft and drapey. Everyday tees and training tops where hand feel matters more than structure.
French terry
Looped back and unbrushed. Lighter than fleece, and the reason a summer weight hoodie is wearable at all.
Loopback and brushed fleece
Loops left open inside, or brushed for warmth. Hoodies, joggers and anything worn off the pitch as well as on it.
Rib knit
High recovery. Cuffs, hems and collars, where the fabric has to return to shape after being pulled over a hand or a head.
Tricot
Warp knitted, smooth and quiet with very little cross stretch. The classic tracksuit and warm up shell.
Ponte and scuba
Heavier double knits that hold their shape. Structured leggings, skirts and pieces that should not cling.
Waffle knit
Grid texture that traps air. Base layers and lifestyle pieces where insulation and look both matter.
Stretch, compression and base layer.
Elastane content is only half the story. How the base yarn is knitted decides recovery, opacity, and whether a piece is still squat proof after fifty washes.
Nylon and elastane
The squat proof family. Higher recovery and a denser hand than polyester blends, which is why it dominates leggings and premium compression.
Polyester and elastane
Four way stretch at lower cost than nylon, and it takes sublimation where nylon does not. Compression tops, rash guards and spats.
Four way stretch woven
Woven rather than knitted, so it holds a cleaner line. Training shorts and fight shorts where the shape should not cling.
Seamless knit
Knitted as a tube on a circular machine, so there are no side seams at all. Premium gym ranges and anything sold on comfort first.
Moisture engineered yarns
Polyester with shaped fibre cross sections that move sweat along the filament instead of absorbing it. Used where drying speed is the selling point.
Recycled polyester
rPET from post consumer bottles. Performs like virgin polyester and is increasingly a requirement rather than an option in European retail.
Bamboo and modal blends
Very soft with natural moisture handling. Lifestyle and studio pieces rather than high abrasion kit.
Merino wool blends
Temperature regulating and odour resistant. Cold weather base layers, at a materially higher cost per piece.
Wovens and technical shells.
Ripstop
Grid reinforcement that stops a tear travelling. Gi trousers, light shells and anywhere abrasion is expected.
Taslan nylon
Textured nylon with a soft hand and real wind resistance. A common windbreaker and track pant shell.
Micro ripstop
Very light, tightly woven and packable. Wind shells that fold into their own pocket.
Coated and membrane textiles
For weather protection. Rain shells and touring outer layers, with taped seams where waterproofing has to be real rather than nominal.
Softshell
Bonded woven face with a fleece back. Warmth and wind resistance in one layer, common on team and paddock jackets.
Cordura and high denier nylon
Abrasion rated and specified in denier: 210D and 420D for linings and light bags, 600D and 900D for kit bags, 1000D and above for riding gear.
Oxford and polyester canvas
Structured bag cloth with a coated back. Duffels, backpack bodies and anything that must keep its shape when empty.
Satin polyester
Sheen and drape. Traditional Muay Thai and boxing shorts, where the look is part of the sport.
Cotton, pearl weave and hide.
Cotton jersey and slub
Soft, breathable, and it reads as apparel rather than kit. Lifestyle tees, tanks and anything sold off the gym floor.
CVC and tri blend
Cotton rich blends with polyester, and tri blends adding rayon for drape. The standard for retail feeling tees that still survive printing.
Pearl weave cotton
The gi fabric. Dense, heavy and built to survive a grip load that would destroy a normal weave.
Gold and single weave
Lighter gi constructions. Gold sits between pearl and single; single weave is lightest and the choice for hot climates.
Cotton twill and canvas
Structured. Cap crowns, bag panels and workwear style pieces.
Full grain cowhide
1.1 to 1.4mm for riding gear, cut hide by hide rather than laid in a marker. Perforated where airflow matters more than abrasion.
Buffalo and goat leather
Buffalo for jackets that want a heavier hand, goat for gloves and palms where feel and dexterity decide the piece.
Acrylic and wool rib
Knitted accessories. Beanies and winter headwear, in fine or chunky gauges.
Everything behind the face fabric.
Most complaints about a garment are really complaints about what is behind it or attached to it.
Mesh linings
Polyester tricot or open mesh for short liners, jacket bodies and pocket bags, chosen so the outer fabric can still breathe.
Brushed tricot lining
A softer, warmer backing for tracksuits and jackets worn against skin.
Wicking and anti odour finishes
Applied treatments for moisture movement and odour control, where the yarn itself is not engineered for it.
DWR water repellent
A durable water repellent finish for shells and bags. PFC free options where the destination market requires it.
Anti pill and enzyme wash
Surface treatments that keep pique and fleece looking new through repeated washing.
Reflective transfer and piping
Applied after sublimation so it stays bright instead of dulling under the dye.
Not sure which fabric to pick?
Describe the garment and how it gets used. We will suggest the weights and constructions that suit it, and say plainly where a cheaper option would cost you.