T-shirt
A lightweight shirt without buttons, usually with short sleeves and no collar. Often made of cotton and frequently bears a picture or slogan.
T-shirt: basic knit garment, the workhorse of casual wear
A T-shirt is a simple pullover garment made from knitted fabric, typically cotton or cotton-blend jersey. It has short sleeves, a crew neckline, and no front closure: you pull it over your head to wear it. The name comes from its shape when laid flat, which resembles the letter T. In industrial textile production, T-shirts represent one of the highest-volume garment categories, with billions manufactured annually across multiple continents.
The basic construction involves cutting body panels (front, back, two sleeves), attaching them via seaming, and finishing the neckline with a ribbed knit band. The seams are typically sewn with a narrow stitch width, around 1.5 to 2mm, using polyester thread on industrial lockstitch machines. Sleeve caps are set using a specific ease allowance, usually 0.5 to 1.25 inches of gathered fabric, to allow arm movement without puckering. Garments are then pressed, folded, and packaged.
Fabric weight matters significantly in the trade. Lightweight singles jersey runs 130 to 150 grams per square meter and drapes loosely; midweight ranges from 150 to 180 gsm and suits most casual wear; heavyweight (180 gsm and above) resists shrinkage and feels more durable. Cotton content typically ranges from 100% to blends of 50% cotton with polyester or viscose. Synthetic blends dry faster and reduce shrinkage during washing, but pure cotton remains preferred for comfort and breathability despite higher shrinkage rates.
Production challenges and variations
The primary failure points in T-shirt manufacture are neck band slippage, sleeve seam puckering, and off-grain cutting that causes the garment to twist after washing. Shrinkage variation between fabric pieces of different dye lots causes fit problems and customer complaints. Pre-shrinking (called sanforizing) using steam or compressive processes stabilizes the fabric, though 1 to 2 percent residual shrinkage is normal. Neck bands made from tighter-knit ribbing, often with a slightly different fiber content, control neckline stretch.
Variants include crew neck, V-neck, henley (with a buttoned placket), and oversized fits. Some T-shirts use flatlock seams instead of traditional stitching to reduce bulk on the inside. Printed designs are added by screen printing, direct-to-garment printing, or heat transfer. The garment's simplicity makes it ideal for mass production: a single production line can output 5,000 to 10,000 pieces per shift depending on automation level and fabric thickness.