01How French terry is made
French terry is knitted on a circular knitting machine. One yarn forms the smooth face, which looks a lot like jersey. A second, usually thicker and softer yarn is laid in and pulled into loops on the back. Many mills use a third binding yarn to tie it together, which is why you will hear "3-end" or "three thread" in quotes.
After knitting, the fabric is scoured, dyed and finished. This is where French terry and fleece split: for fleece, the mill runs the back through a brushing machine that tears the loops open into a fluffy nap. For French terry, it skips that step and leaves the loops intact.
Good mills then compact or sanforize the fabric to control shrinkage. Cheap terry often skips this, which is how you end up with a hoodie that loses a size in the first wash.
02French terry weights for hoodies and sweats
Weight is the first thing to decide, because it changes the drape, the warmth and the price more than anything else. GSM is grams per square meter after finishing. Some US suppliers quote ounces per square yard instead; roughly, 10 oz is about 340 GSM.
| Weight | Feel | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| About 200 to 260 GSM | Light, drapey, cool | Sweatshorts, summer crews, kids wear, women’s lounge |
| About 270 to 340 GSM | Mid weight, all season | Core hoodies, crewnecks, joggers |
| About 350 to 450+ GSM | Heavy, structured, boxy | Premium streetwear hoodies, oversized fits |
Heavier is not automatically better. A 450 GSM hoodie looks great on a hanger and photographs well, but it is hot, slow to dry and expensive to ship. Pick the weight for the product, then hold the factory to it.
03Pros and cons
- Breathes better than brushed fleece, so it works across more seasons
- Clean, smooth face that takes screen prints and embroidery well
- No brushed nap to shed, mat or pill on the inside
- Lighter weights drape nicely for shorts and lounge pieces
- Wide range of weights and blends available from stock fabric
- Less warm than fleece at the same weight
- Cotton terry shrinks if it is not pre-shrunk
- Loops on the back can snag on jewelry or velcro
- Heavyweight terry is expensive to ship and slow to dry
- Cheap terry uses open-end yarn that feels rough and twists after washing
04Typical uses and price
- Hoodies and zip hoodies
- Crewneck sweatshirts
- Sweatpants and joggers
- Sweatshorts
- Loungewear sets
- Baby and kids basics
Price tier: Budget to premium. Cotton and polyester blend terry from stock is cheap; heavyweight 100% combed cotton terry, custom-knit and garment dyed, sits at the premium end. Weight and yarn quality move the price more than anything else.
05How to spec it with a factory
Two factories can both quote "cotton French terry" and send fabrics that feel nothing alike. Pin it down in the tech pack so every quote is for the same thing.
| No. | Field | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Fabric composition | Exact percentages, e.g. 100% cotton, 80% cotton 20% polyester, or 95% cotton 5% spandex |
| 02 | Construction | French terry (loopback), unbrushed; note 2-end or 3-end if you care |
| 03 | Weight | GSM after finishing and washing, with a tolerance (for example plus or minus 5%) |
| 04 | Yarn | Face yarn count and spinning (e.g. combed ring spun 32s face); avoid open-end if you want a soft face |
| 05 | Shrinkage | Maximum after wash, length and width (for example 5% or less), with the test method |
| 06 | Rib trim | Matching 1x1 or 2x2 rib for cuffs, hem and collar, with spandex percentage and weight |
| 07 | Color | Pantone or lab dip reference; specify piece dye or garment dye |
| 08 | Finishing | Enzyme wash, silicone softener, or garment wash if you want a broken-in feel |
Certifications and marks
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100
- Tests the finished fabric for harmful substances. Easy to request for terry from most mills.
- GOTS
- Only if you want to claim organic cotton. The whole chain, including dyeing and the garment factory, must be certified.
- GRS or RCS
- If the polyester or cotton in the blend is recycled and you want to say so on the label.
From the factory floor
- Weigh the sample yourself on a kitchen scale using a GSM cutter or a measured square; factories round up.
- Wash test the sample three times before approving bulk and measure the garment, not just the fabric.
- Watch for substitution: a factory may quote 100% cotton and ship a blend, or quote 360 GSM and ship 320. Put both in the PO.
- Garment-dyed terry shrinks during dyeing, so pattern grading has to account for it. Ask the factory how they handle it.
- Expect fabric MOQs per color if the terry is knitted for you; stock colors from the mill lower the minimum.
06French terry vs fleece
Same base fabric, different finish. Fleece is French terry with the back brushed into a fuzzy nap. That nap traps air, so fleece is warmer and softer inside, but it breathes less and can shed and pill. French terry keeps its loops, so it is cooler and holds up cleaner over time.
| French terry | Sweatshirt fleece | |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Loops, unbrushed | Brushed, fuzzy nap |
| Warmth | Moderate | Higher |
| Breathability | Better | Lower |
| Inside wear | Loops can snag | Nap can pill and shed |
| Best season | Spring, summer, layering | Fall and winter |
07French terry vs terry cloth
Towel terry is usually a woven fabric with loops on both sides, built to soak up water. French terry is a knit with loops on one side only, built to be worn. They share a name and not much else. For towels see Turkish towels.
08French terry vs jersey
The face of French terry looks like jersey, but jersey is a single layer with no loops and is much lighter (usually under about 220 GSM). Jersey is for tees; French terry is for sweats.
09FAQ
Q01Is French terry warm?
It is moderately warm. It is cooler than brushed fleece at the same weight because the loops are not opened into an insulating nap, which makes it better for spring, fall and layering.
Q02Does French terry shrink?
Cotton French terry can shrink noticeably if the fabric was not pre-shrunk. Ask for compacted or pre-shrunk fabric and put a maximum shrinkage figure in your tech pack.
Q03What GSM is a good French terry hoodie?
Most core hoodies sit around 280 to 340 GSM. Premium heavyweight streetwear hoodies often go 380 GSM and up, while shorts and summer pieces are usually 200 to 260 GSM.
Q04Is French terry the same as fleece?
They start as the same knit. Fleece has the loops brushed into a soft nap; French terry leaves the loops intact.
Q05Does French terry pill?
Less than brushed fleece, because there is no nap on the back to ball up. Blends with polyester and fabrics made with open-end yarn are more prone to pilling on the face.