Cotton Basics
Cotton & Cotton Blends: Soft, breathable, natural (tees, casualwear, and fashion basics).
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Fabric & Size Guide for Custom Apparel
A practical fabric and size guide for clothing brands worldwide: knit vs woven, GSM by garment, the best fabrics for sportswear and activewear, and how to choose. GenXport sources the fabric and manufactures the garment under one roof.
Knit & woven
Full material range
GSM-matched
Weight per garment
Source + make
Vertically integrated
Worldwide
Ships globally, USA priority
Choosing the Right Fabric for Your Apparel
Fabric decides how a garment looks, feels, performs, and lasts. This guide helps brands pick the right material, then we source it and make it.
Picking fabric is the first real decision in any clothing or sportswear project, and getting it wrong is expensive. This guide covers the building blocks brands worldwide ask about most: knit versus woven, GSM weight by garment, the main fabric types, the best fabrics for sportswear and activewear, and a simple way to choose.
GenXport is more than a guide. We are a vertically integrated manufacturer, so once you have chosen, we source the fabric through our mill network and build the finished garment under one roof, confirming the exact material and GSM on a sample before bulk. We serve brands across the USA, UK, Europe, Australia, and beyond, with the USA as a priority served market.
Knit vs Woven Which Construction Do You Need?
The first fork in any fabric decision, it determines stretch, structure, and the garments each suits.
Feature
Knit fabrics
Woven fabrics
Construction
Interlooped yarn
Interlaced warp & weft yarns
Stretch
Natural stretch & recovery
Little stretch unless blended with elastane
Feel
Soft, flexible, comfortable
Stable, structured, crisp
Best for
T-shirts, activewear, sportswear, hoodies
Shirts, trousers, jackets, structured wear
Examples
Jersey, interlock, pique, fleece, mesh
Poplin, twill, oxford, canvas, ripstop
Most ranges use both: a knit tee with a woven-collar polo, or a knit hoodie with a woven outer shell. Tell us the product and we will steer the construction.
GSM by Garment: Matching Weight to Product
GSM (grams per square metre) is fabric weight. Too light and a garment feels cheap; too heavy and it loses its purpose. These are practical starting ranges.
Garment
Typical GSM range
Why this weight
Lightweight sports jersey
120–160 GSM
Breathable and fast-drying for play
Performance / activewear top
150–200 GSM
Stretch and structure with breathability
Standard t-shirt
160–200 GSM
Everyday comfort and durability
Premium / heavyweight tee
200–240 GSM
Structured, premium hand feel
Polo shirt (pique)
180–220 GSM
Smart, durable, holds shape
Hoodie / sweatshirt fleece
280–360 GSM
Warmth and a substantial feel
These are starting ranges, not fixed rules. Confirm the exact GSM and ranges with our team \u2014 final weight depends on fibre, construction, and your target price. We always confirm GSM on a sample before bulk.
Best Fabrics for Sportswear & Activewear
Performance fabric is what makes sportswear actually perform. Here are the materials buyers ask for by name.
One of the most common questions we get is what the best fabric for sportswear or athletic wear is. There is no single answer, it depends on the sport, the fit, and the print, but these are the performance sports fabrics we work with most.
For moisture-wicking workout shirts specifically, performance polyester and polyester-mesh knits are the go-to. We make stretchable, breathable custom sportswear and confirm the exact fabric on your sample. See our full sportswear manufacturing and activewear manufacturing.
Moisture-wicking performance
Breathable mesh knits
4-way stretch recovery
Quick-dry polyester
Compression-ready blends
Full-dye print compatibility
Fabric
Why it is used
Best for
Performance polyester
Holds full-dye colour, lightweight, quick-drying
Jerseys, training tops, moisture-wicking shirts
Polyester interlock
Smooth, stable surface for sharp prints
Team kits, cycling wear
Moisture-wicking mesh
Breathable, moves sweat away from the skin
Match jerseys, summer kits
Poly-spandex / stretch
Four-way stretch and recovery
Compression wear, leggings, athleisure
Recycled performance polyester
Sustainable with a performance feel
Eco-focused sportswear lines
Technical functional fabrics
Engineered for specific sports needs
Breeches, specialist athletic wear
Common Fabric Types at a Glance
The materials behind most apparel lines, and where each one fits.
Performance Polyester
Polyester & Performance: Durable, colour-fast, quick-drying (sportswear and activewear).
Poly-Cotton Mix
Poly-Cotton: Balance of comfort and durability (everyday tees and uniforms).
Fleece & Loopback
Fleece (French Terry / Loopback): Warm and substantial (hoodies, sweatshirts, joggers).
Stretch Blends
Spandex / Elastane Blends: Stretch and recovery (leggings, compression, athleisure).
Eco Options
Recycled & Organic: Sustainable options including GOTS-certified organic.
How to Choose the Right Fabric (5 Steps)
A simple way to narrow down from "I need fabric" to a confirmed, sampled material.
1
Start With the Garment: Define the product and how it will be worn and washed.
2
Pick Knit or Woven: Stretch and comfort point to knit; structure points to woven.
3
Choose the Fibre: Cotton for softness, polyester for performance, blends for balance.
4
Set the GSM: Match weight to the garment and your target price.
5
Confirm Stretch & Print: Match stretch and the right print method to the fabric.
6
Approve on a Sample: We confirm fabric and GSM on a sample before bulk.
We Source the Fabric and Make the Garment
The advantage of choosing a vertically integrated manufacturer over a pure sourcing agent: one partner, fewer hand-offs.
Choosing fabric is only useful if someone can reliably source it and turn it into a finished product. GenXport does both. We source knits, wovens, trims, zippers, labels, and elastics through our mill network, then cut, sew, print, and finish in-house, so fabric quality and garment quality are controlled by the same team.
We support fabric testing for colourfastness, shrinkage, GSM, and harmful-substance limits, so materials meet your standard. See quality & compliance and our production workflow, where fabric selection is built into sampling.
ISO 9001
Quality management
OEKO-TEX 100
Tested for harmful substances
WRAP / SEDEX
Ethical & social compliance
GOTS
Certified organic lines (where used)
Frequently Asked Questions
The best fabric for sportswear is usually a performance polyester or poly-spandex knit. Polyester holds full-dye colour and dries quickly, mesh adds breathability, and poly-spandex blends add four-way stretch for compression and movement. The right choice depends on the sport, fit, and print, and we confirm it on a sample.
GSM means grams per square metre, the weight of a fabric. Lower GSM is lighter and more breathable (good for summer tees and jerseys), while higher GSM is heavier and warmer (good for hoodies and outerwear). We match GSM to each garment and confirm it on your sample.
Knit fabrics are made from interlooped yarn, so they stretch and recover — ideal for t-shirts, activewear, and sportswear. Woven fabrics are made from interlaced yarns, so they are more stable and structured — ideal for shirts, trousers, and jackets. Many ranges use both.
Moisture-wicking workout shirts are best made from performance polyester or a polyester-mesh knit. These fibres move sweat away from the skin and dry fast, keeping athletes cool and dry. We confirm the exact fabric and GSM on a sample before bulk.
Start with the garment and how it will be used, then match fibre, knit or woven construction, GSM weight, stretch, and print method. Send us your product and end use, and we will recommend fabric options and confirm them on a sample.
Yes. GenXport is vertically integrated, so we source knits, wovens, trims, zippers, labels, and elastics through our mill network and manufacture the finished garment under one roof, with testing and quality checks throughout.
Apply This Guide to Your Product
Fabric choices flow into every category we make, pick a product and we will match the material.