Everyone loves a good sweatshirt. There’s something about that soft, warm fabric that just feels so good on your skin. Their ease of movement and comfort really makes them a classic piece of clothing that everyone should have in their closet.
The fabric choice for your sweatshirt can really affect the comfort level you can enjoy while wearing it, so choosing the right material will be the difference between a sweatshirt you can wear every day and a sweatshirt that is stuffed in the bottom of your drawers.
So, what are the best fabrics for sweatshirts? You can choose from fleece, cotton, polyester, nylon, wool, and a variety of other blends. What you choose really depends on the occasion, your personal preference, and the weather in your area.
Let’s take a look at the best fabric options for sweatshirts below.
Best Fabrics For Sweatshirts
1. Fleece Fabric
Fleece is a popular choice of fabric when you are looking for a sweatshirt that will keep you warm during the winter. The fabric is really soft against the skin, and it can trap heat really well.
What is fleece exactly? Despite its name that takes after a sheep’s coat, fleece is a man-made fabric. It is 100% synthetic and is made from plastic instead of a wool coat of a sheep.
You wouldn’t know that it’s synthetic when you wear it, however, because it can feel incredibly soft against the skin.
Fleece is made from polyester. The fibers are spun and then brushed to increase in volume. Aside from polyester, other natural fibers such as wool, hemp, and rayon can also be blended with this material to enhance the texture of the fabric.
While people can be turned off when they think about synthetic fabric, fleece can actually be made from recycled water bottles, making it a somewhat environmentally friendly product.
One of the main advantages of wearing fleece is that it can keep the body warm even while being active. It has a pile surface that’s made up of multiple layers of cut fibers that can trap air pockets, which means that it can keep you warm better than other materials.
Aside from being durable, fleece is also moisture-resistant, stain-resistant, and can withstand harsh weather conditions, which is why it is a popular fabric choice for winter garments.
Compared to wool, fleece can feel softer and more lightweight, but it’s definitely much more affordable than wool. The only disadvantage of fleece is that it can create static during dry days, which can attract lint and pet dander.
2. Jersey Fabric
Jersey is a soft, stretchy fabric that can be made from various types of fibers, including wool, cotton, or synthetic fibers.
It has a smooth side and a side that is piled with loops. Depending on the fiber, it can have a light to medium weight and is suitable for various garments, including sweatshirts.
Since it is a knit fabric, it is usually very stretchy and suitable for athletic wear. You can find a standard jersey, which has one smooth and one piled side, or a double-knit jersey, which appears smooth on both sides.
Originally, jersey is mainly made from wool. After the introduction of cotton and synthetic fibers into the fabric, jersey became more durable and lightweight. These fibers are also cheaper than wool, which popularize jersey as a great fabric choice for sportswear.
Due to their structure, jersey-knit fabrics are known to be stretchy. In addition, spandex or nylon can be added to the fiber composition to add stretch to the fabric.
Jersey is also very soft against the skin and feels highly breathable, which makes it a great option for sports sweatshirts. Depending on the fiber composition, the fabric can also hold structure very well, adding shape to your sweatshirt.
‘Jersey’ refers to the knit construction of the fabric, so if you’re curious about how to care for the fabric, you should take a look at the fiber composition. Polyester jersey is the most low-maintenance, while cotton and wool jersey can bleed and shrink after the first wash.
You should pay attention to the fiber composition and the specific care instructions to take care of your garment properly.
3. Nylon & Nylon Blends
Nylon is made from synthetic polymers, and it is a 100% synthetic fabric.
When it was first invented, it was marketed as an inexpensive substitute for silk stockings. Before the emergence of nylon, silk was the only material that was durable enough to be used for sheer stockings.
Nowadays, nylon is a very popular material used in the manufacture of garments because it offers so many benefits.
The first thing it is known for is its elasticity. Nylon will stretch up to 33% of its size and will still spring back to its original shape. It is also an excellent material from which to make stockings as this elasticity gives the nylon a level of comfort.
Nylon is very durable; it has very good abrasion resistance, meaning that it can withstand rubbing and friction without being damaged; this makes it an ideal material for sportswear and athletic sweatshirt.
Additionally, nylon does not generate static electricity when rubbed against other surfaces. This means that you are less likely to receive an electric shock from wearing nylon clothing than you are from clothes made of wool or silk, both of which create electrostatic charge more easily.
Finally, nylon has hydrophobic properties, meaning that it does not absorb water easily; when wet, nylon garments hold less than 1% of their weight in moisture and dry quickly, making them comfortable to wear and easy to clean.
Although it’s commonly used in sportswear, nylon doesn’t have the same moisture-wicking properties as other types of fabrics. Instead, nylon is usually blended with polyester or cotton to enhance these fabric’s elasticity while improving the fabric’s moisture-wicking ability and breathability, making it more suitable for activewear.
4. Polyester Fabrics
Polyester is a durable, lightweight, synthetic fiber. It is a polymer made up of long chains of repeating molecular units.
Polyester is a very popular material for athletic sweatshirts because it is lightweight and has superior moisture-wicking ability.
If you’re on a budget, polyester may be the best choice for your sweatshirt. Compared to other fabrics, polyester is very inexpensive. This low cost makes it popular for many uses, such as clothing and industrial applications.
The main advantages of polyester are in its strength and durability, it resists shrinking and wrinkles, it’s resistant to many chemicals, and it can be easily washed and dried in the washer and drier.
Polyester also dries quickly because it resists moisture absorption, and when you are doing strenuous physical activities, wearing a polyester fabric can help wick away moisture easily to keep you dry.
Because polyester is so lightweight and flexible, it makes an excellent fabric for sportswear and casual wear where comfort and flexibility are important.
Because polyester only works with heat-set dyes, this type of fabric holds its color well and always looks new and fresh, unlike natural fibers like wool or cotton, which lose their luster quickly after being cleaned or worn several times.
The only disadvantage of polyester is that it is not very breathable, which can make you feel quite stuffy during warmer days. However, if you are looking for a lightweight material with superior moisture-wicking ability, this is still a great material to go with.
5. French Terry Fabric
French terry is a fabric made with loops on one side and cut threads on the other side. This fabric is great for making t-shirts, sweatpants, and sweatshirts.
It’s also nice to make all sorts of garments for babies and toddlers, including onesies and bibs.
Most french terry fabrics are made from 100% cotton, but they can sometimes be blended with spandex or nylon to add elasticity.
French terry fabric has a few advantages over other types of knit fabrics.
First, French terry fabric is often used for making sportswear because it absorbs sweat very well, helping the wearer stay comfortable during intense physical exercise or even in hot weather.
French terry fabric is thick enough to be cozy but light enough to wear comfortably in any season. This type of knit fabric doesn’t wrinkle easily and doesn’t overstretch, which makes it last longer than other types of knit fabrics.
French terry fabric has no vertical stretch, but it has horizontal stretch thanks to the knit construction, offering flexibility when you are exercising or running errands.
6. 100% Cotton Fabric
Cotton really needs no introduction. 100% cotton is extremely kind to the skin, can absorb moisture well, and can be super durable.
Cotton really is a friendly fabric for all types of weather. During the summer, lightweight cotton fabric can make you feel light and airy, and in the winter, a cotton sweatshirt can keep you warm without being too stuffy.
That’s because cotton is soft, absorbent, and breathable. Not only does this make it an extremely comfortable fabric to wear, but it also means that cotton clothes are less likely to cause irritation.
You’re probably familiar with the feeling of sweat-soaked clothes clinging to your body and making you feel uncomfortable, but cotton allows your skin to breathe by absorbing any moisture and then releasing it into the air.
For athletic wear, cotton is a good choice of fabric for you as it won’t hold onto smells the way many synthetic fabrics do. It is also more resistant to static than other fabrics, so it will not attract lint or pet hair.
Cotton is highly durable, so the clothing you buy will last longer and save you money in the long run.
The quality of the cotton fabric has a big impact on durability. High-quality cotton has long fibers making it stronger and less likely to pill. Cotton fabrics that have been mercerized or combed are also more resistant to pilling and will last longer than other types of cotton.
Compared to other types of natural materials, cotton is also more low-maintenance. You can easily launder it in the washer and dryer, although keep in mind that cotton can shrink in the dryer when it is exposed to high heat.
7. Wool
Although wool is a less popular material for sweatshirts, it has many preferable characteristics that make it a great choice, especially for a winter garment.
The original outdoor clothing fabric, wool, has been used for thousands of years and is still the material of choice for many outdoor activities.
It’s the perfect base layer for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, hunting, and fishing, and it’s also found in many casual styles such as sweaters, blazers, and even suits.
So what makes wool such a great fabric for sweatshirts? First of all, wool keeps you warm because of its natural crimp. It traps tiny pockets of air, which act as insulation to keep the heat inside.
Because wool fibers are so fine, they can be very densely woven together to create a fabric that is surprisingly lightweight while offering excellent protection against the elements.
In addition, wool is naturally wrinkle-resistant because the crimp in the fibers causes them to spring back into shape when bent.
Wool is extremely absorbent and can take up one-third of its own weight in moisture before feeling damp. This makes it a great fabric for activewear because it will absorb moisture from your skin and then evaporate it quickly into the air around you, keeping you warm and dry.
However, wool is a less popular material for sweatshirts because it can be quite expensive, and it does take some effort to care for correctly – you usually need to handwash and air dry wool to maintain its appearance.
If you think the advantages are worth it, then you should definitely invest in a good wool sweatshirt.
How To Choose The Right Material For Your Sweatshirt?
When choosing the right material for your sweatshirt, it’s important to note the characteristics of the fabric and how well-suited they are for the purpose of your garment.
For example, if you are looking for loungewear, you don’t have to worry too much about durability or moisture-wicking ability. In comparison, if you are looking for athleticwear, the fabric needs to be stretchy, durable, and has a good moisture-wicking ability.
Some fabrics are more suited for the summer than the winter. While fabrics like cotton can work for all seasons, fleece and wool are only suitable for the winter months.
Let’s take a look at some considerations when you choose the right material for your sweatshirt.
1. Stretch
Stretchy fabric is good for activewear because it offers flexibility for your movements.
Depending on the fiber content and the construction, a fabric can have very high levels of stretch. Synthetic materials like nylon or spandex offer multi-directional stretch, while knit construction can add horizontal stretch.
If you are wearing a sweatshirt to work out, a stretchy fabric can really enhance your comfort and offer better flexibility for your workout. However, if you are just looking for loungewear, you don’t need a big range of movement, so stretch is not a deciding factor in this case.
2. Weight
The fabric weight can also affect your comfort level while wearing. For example, if you are looking for something to keep you warm during the winter, using a thicker and more textured fabric (like fleece or wool) can make you feel very nice and cozy.
However, if you are looking for sportswear or a summer sweatshirt, then using a lightweight fabric is definitely more suitable. It will feel airy against the skin without feeling too bulky or stuffy.
4. Breathability
Breathability is especially important during the summer when you tend to sweat a lot. The fabric’s ability to regulate airflow can make the fabric feel very lightweight and keep you comfortable, whereas a fabric that traps air can really make you feel super hot and stuffy.
Natural fabrics like cotton or wool tend to have better breathability, while synthetic fabrics are known to trap heat in your body.
5. Moisture-Wicking
The fabric’s moisture-wicking ability is especially important if you are looking for athletic wear.
When you work out or go for a run, you will sweat a lot, and if the fabric doesn’t wick away the moisture (or absorb the moisture), you will feel heavier and heavier with each minute, not to mention the BO issue!
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