Summer is coming, besides sweatshirts and shirts, But, while the T-shirt is the obvious garment to select from the wardrobe on sunny days, not all Tees are equally suited to summer comfort. Put on a heavyweight tee in a non-breathable fabric and you’re going to suffer!
First, here’s an overview of what you should look for when choosing the best summer fabric for a T-shirt:
- Natural: biodegradable and non-irritating on the skin (hypoallergenic)
- Lightweight: easy and graceful to move around in
- Breathable: circulating air to keep the body cool
- Soft: comfortable to wear in the heat, and gentle on the skin
- Absorbent: taking sweat and moisture away
- Odourless: the best summer fabrics don’t encourage smells and sweatiness!
So what fabrics combine to create these elements?
Cotton – the perfect raw material for summer fabrics
Cotton is a must-have for sunny summers – it ticks all of the boxes for a comfortable summer fabric. Cotton is made from plants, so it’s natural, lightweight, breathable, absorbent and super soft. Because of these qualities, it’s also odourless. In short, it’s a great summer all-rounder!
Cotton knits to consider
While cotton is the raw material – it then gets spun into a yarn (below), which is then either knitted or woven into the T-shirt fabric. The photo below shows premium ELS cotton yarns, waiting to be knitted to luxury ‘jersey knit’ in the SANVT factory in Portugal…
There are three types of cotton knit that work well in hot weather:
- Jersey knit: commonly used to create T-shirts, offering a good mix of flexibility and breathability
- Pique: often used in Polo shirts. Known to be very breathable and to show less sweat compared to other types of knit (makes sense for more formal summer outings)
- French Terry: naturally breathable and absorbs moisture well, but used a bit more in sweatshirts and shorts. For more, see our other blog post on French Terry
Bear in mind that cotton knits can be pure cotton but they can also be spun into a mixed yarn with other fabrics. And in summer, it’s best to avoid mixes that include synthetics like Polyester even though they can provide extra flexibility
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