Jersey vs Pique vs French Terry vs Interlock: Choosing the Right Knit Fabric

Fabric choice is the single decision that most affects how a finished garment looks, feels, wears and holds up over its lifetime — and yet it's often treated as an afterthought once a design is locked. Jersey, pique, French terry and interlock are the four knit fabric bases behind the vast majority of casual knitwear, from basic T-shirts to polos, sweatshirts, joggers and dresses. Each has a distinct construction, and that construction determines everything from hand-feel to how well the fabric takes a print. This guide breaks down the practical differences buyers should understand before locking in bulk yardage.

How Knit Fabrics Differ From Woven Fabrics

Before comparing the four knit types against each other, it's worth establishing why knits behave differently from woven fabrics in the first place. Knit fabrics are constructed from interlocking loops of yarn, which gives them natural stretch and recovery — this is why T-shirts and joggers are almost always knits, while structured garments like dress shirts and trousers are usually wovens. That inherent stretch is also why knits require different pattern-making and sewing techniques than wovens, and why shrinkage behaviour after washing needs to be tested and accounted for at the pattern stage, not corrected after the fact.

Single Jersey

Construction and Feel

Single jersey is the simplest and most common knit construction — a single set of needles creates a fabric with a distinct technical face (smooth) and technical back (slightly textured, with visible loops). It's lightweight, drapes well, and has good stretch in the width direction with comparatively less recovery than double-knit constructions, which is why jersey garments can lose shape slightly with repeated wear and washing if the fabric quality or finishing isn't right.

Best Uses

Single jersey is the default fabric for basic T-shirts, casual dresses, and lightweight tops where drape and breathability matter more than structure. It's typically the most economical of the four fabric types, which makes it the standard choice for high-volume basics programmes.

Limitations

Jersey has a tendency to curl at raw edges before hemming, which requires careful handling during cutting and sewing. It also shows pilling and surface wear faster than denser constructions if the yarn quality is low, so fabric sourcing quality matters more for jersey than for some of the denser alternatives.

Pique

Pique is a textured knit — most commonly associated with polo shirts — created through a knitting technique that produces a subtle, waffle-like or ribbed surface texture rather than jersey's smooth face. That texture serves a functional purpose: it holds the fabric slightly away from the skin, improving breathability and giving pique garments a crisper, less clingy drape than jersey. Pique is generally heavier and more structured than single jersey, which is part of why it's the standard for collared polo shirts that need to hold their shape at the collar and placket. It also tends to take embroidery better than jersey, since the denser, more stable knit structure resists puckering around stitched areas.

French Terry

French terry is defined by its two-sided construction: a smooth technical face similar to jersey, with a looped, uncut pile on the reverse side. That looped inner face is what gives French terry its characteristic warmth and soft hand-feel, making it the standard fabric for sweatshirts, joggers, and casual loungewear where comfort and a bit of insulation matter. Because of its heavier weight and looped construction, French terry holds structure better than jersey — garments like joggers and sweatshirt cuffs benefit from that added body. It also takes screen printing and DTG printing well on the smooth face, though the looped reverse side is not suitable for printing.

Interlock

Interlock is a double-knit construction — effectively two layers of jersey-like knit interlocked together — producing a fabric with identical smooth faces on both sides and no visible technical back. This double-layer construction makes interlock denser, heavier, and more stable than single jersey, with significantly better resistance to curling at cut edges. It also has a smoother, more substantial drape, which is why interlock is favoured for higher-end T-shirts, dresses, and garments where a cleaner, more refined finish matters more than the cost savings of single jersey. The tradeoff is cost and weight: interlock uses more yarn per square metre than single jersey, and the finished fabric is noticeably heavier, which isn't always desirable for warm-climate garments.

Comparing GSM, Stretch and Drape

GSM — grams per square metre — is the standard measure of fabric weight and a useful shorthand when comparing fabric options across factories, but it should never be the only spec discussed. Two fabrics at the same GSM can feel completely different depending on yarn quality, knit density, and finishing treatment. As a general pattern:

• Single jersey typically runs lighter (140–180 GSM for standard tees), with the most stretch and the softest, most fluid drape
• Pique sits in a mid-to-heavier range (180–220 GSM), with moderate stretch and a crisper, more structured drape
• French terry runs heavier (220–320 GSM depending on brushed or unbrushed finish), with good stretch and a soft, substantial drape
• Interlock is typically mid-to-heavy (180–240 GSM), with less stretch than single jersey but a smoother, more stable drape

These ranges vary by mill and yarn composition (100% cotton, cotton-elastane blends, and poly-cotton blends all behave differently at the same nominal GSM), so treat them as a starting reference point for conversations with your manufacturer, not a fixed specification.

Blended Fabrics: Cotton-Elastane and Poly-Cotton

All four constructions discussed above can be knitted in 100% cotton, but blends are common and worth understanding since they change fabric behaviour significantly. Cotton-elastane blends (typically 92–95% cotton with a small percentage of elastane/spandex) add stretch recovery — the fabric returns to shape after stretching rather than staying loose, which matters for fitted garments and anything that sees repeated stretching during wear, like children's activewear. Poly-cotton blends trade some of cotton's breathability and softness for improved durability, colour vibrancy, and reduced shrinkage, and are generally more budget-friendly at scale. Neither blend is universally "better" — the right choice depends on whether your priority is natural fibre feel, price point, fit retention, or colour performance, and it's worth discussing which blend best fits your specific garment before finalizing a fabric quality.

Colour and Dyeing Considerations by Fabric Type

How a fabric takes dye varies by construction and fibre content, and this affects both colour consistency and cost. Denser constructions like interlock and heavier French terry generally hold saturated, deep colours more evenly than lightweight single jersey, where uneven dye penetration can show as subtle shade variation across a garment. Cotton-elastane blends can also dye slightly differently from 100% cotton in the same colour recipe, because the elastane component doesn't absorb dye the same way — this is one reason buyers should always request a lab dip (a small dyed fabric swatch) for approval on the actual fabric blend being used, rather than approving a colour based on a swatch from a different fibre composition. For garment-dyed styles specifically, fabric choice also affects how evenly the dye takes after the garment is fully constructed, which is a separate consideration covered in more detail in our guide to garment dyeing and finishing techniques.

Shrinkage and Pre-Production Testing

All four fabric types shrink to some degree after washing, and the amount varies by fibre content, knit density, and finishing process. Cotton-heavy knits generally shrink more than poly-cotton blends. This matters directly at the pattern stage — a factory experienced with a given fabric quality will build shrinkage allowance into the pattern so the finished, washed garment matches the intended size specification, rather than the size chart being accurate only for an unwashed sample. Always request a wash-down or shrinkage test on your actual fabric lot before bulk cutting begins, especially for a new fabric quality or a new supplier relationship — this is a small delay early in the process that prevents a much bigger problem (an entire size run shrinking out of spec) later.

Fabric Choice and Print/Embroidery Compatibility

If your garment involves embellishment, fabric choice affects the embellishment outcome as much as the reverse. Screen printing and DTG (direct-to-garment) printing both work best on smooth, stable surfaces — single jersey and the smooth face of French terry both print well, though jersey's stretch can cause minor print distortion if the fabric isn't stabilized during printing. Embroidery generally performs better on denser, more stable fabrics like pique and interlock, since a looser knit can pucker or distort around dense stitch areas. If embellishment is a core part of your design, it's worth discussing fabric choice and embellishment method together with your manufacturer rather than finalizing the fabric first and adapting the embellishment plan afterward.

Matching Fabric to Garment Category

For kidswear specifically, fabric choice carries extra weight because of how much more sensitive children's skin can be, and how much harder kids' garments get worn. Softness and breathability tend to matter more than structure for younger age groups, which is why brushed French terry and lightweight, combed-cotton single jersey are common choices for infant and toddler garments, while pique and interlock see more use in slightly older kids' polos and dresses where a bit more structure and durability under active play is useful. Colourfastness and shrinkage tolerance are worth extra scrutiny for kidswear given how frequently these garments get washed relative to adult clothing.

Questions to Ask When Requesting Fabric Swatches

1. What is the fibre composition and GSM of this specific fabric quality?
2. What shrinkage percentage should be built into the pattern for this fabric?
3. Is this fabric suitable for the embellishment method I'm planning?
4. What's the minimum order quantity for this fabric quality and colour?
5. Can I get a wash-down sample before bulk yardage is committed?

How Durakart Sources and Tests Fabric

Durakart works across all four of these knit bases — single jersey, pique, French terry and interlock — sourced to match the specific weight, stretch and hand-feel each order requires, with pre-production shrinkage testing built into our standard process before bulk cutting begins. Whether you're developing a lightweight kidswear jersey tee or a heavier French terry jogger, our sample department can turn around fabric swatches and a test cut so you can evaluate hand-feel and drape before committing to a full production run.