The most common fabrics used to manufacture tee shirts are usually 100% cotton, 100% polyester or polyester mixed with cotton (poly-cotton). Within the same type of fabric, they are also different grade and quality available. Each type of fabric has their own unique properties and their combination will create new material properties. There are few primary types of fabric that are used commonly used in the polo shirt making industry.
1. Pure Cotton Pure cotton has good moisture wicking abilities, breathability and decent durability. However, cotton is prone to shrinkage and skewing. Cotton will also fade in color eventually, especially with darker colors. There are different types of cotton available. The cheaper cotton used short staple cotton that will cause pilling and faded colors after a few washes. The longer staple cotton is smoother and the color will last longer. Cotton is costlier compared to Polyester
 3. Polyester
Cotton Blend
Polyester cotton blend are commonly used for corporate polo shirts or uniforms because the blended synthetics increase durability and stain resistance at a low price point. This blend combined the qualities of the cotton and polyester by adjusting the ratio of the mix. With a blend of cotton, they are more comfortable than an all polyester material shirt. Polyester cotton blend is also cheaper than pure cotton.  Silk is light, comfortable and shiny. Silk winkle easily and loses its color when it gets hot and wet. Pure silk is expensive and not recommended for polo shirts. Cotton-silk or linen-silk blends are more suitable for polo shirts. |  2. Polyester Polyester is durable, do not wrinkle or shrink and are highly resistant to staining. Polyester offer limited breathability and thus non sweat absorbent. Polyester is also not as smooth and comfortable as cotton.
Linen is made from the fiber of the flax plant. Linen is laborious to manufacture, but the fiber is very absorbent and garments made of linen are valued for their exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather. Linen is rougher then cotton and so linen blends is usually used for polo shirt instead of pure linen.  A microfibre is synthetic fibre that is made up of several different materials in various combination. The most common types of microfibers are made from polyesters, polyamides (e.g., nylon, Kevlar, Nomex, Trogamide), or a conjugation of Polyester, Polyamide, and Polypropylene (Prolen). Microfiber fabric is elastic, shiny, durable, stain resistant and highly versatile. Microfiber fabric is commonly used for athletic performance apparel and sportswear because the microfiber material wicks moisture (perspiration) away from the body, keeping the wearer cool and dry. Additional features like UV protection and odor reducer can also be added into the microfiber fabric. |
Knit Designs
The quality of a polo shirt does not just depend on the materials but also the knit. Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create the fabric. Different types of yarns (fibre type, texture, and twist), needle sizes and stitch types can be used to achieve knitted fabrics with diverse properties (colour, texture, weight, heat retention, water resistance or integrity). There are numerous types of knits, below are the few common knits.
Pique knit has the characteristic of a three-dimensional waffle look. It look like a tiny mesh grid. Pique knit is the most popular polo shirt knit as it is not only flexible but also breathable. The scale of the waffle can differ tremendously and different kind of knits are in existence. Bigger holes are used for more breathability and smaller holes are used for lesser weight. In term of breathability, Pique knit is more superior to Jersey knit.
Jersey knit or referred to as single knit. It has distinct right and wrong sides, with fine ribs running lengthwise on fabric's face, and semicircular loops running across reverse. Many variations of stitches and fibers create wide variety of single knits, ranging from delicate openwork to heavy, thick piled fabric. This knit has little or no lengthwise stretch, varying amounts of crosswise stretch. Curls to fabric's right side; cut edges unravel only from end knitted last. Jersey knitted fabric with little or no crosswise or lengthwise stretch can be used for skirts, blouses,dresses and t-shirts without pattern adjustments. Jersey with crosswise stretch requires pattern adjustments or pattern designed for crosswise stretch.
Interlock fabric is made by interlocking two simple ribbed fabrics, each made with single yarn. This knit has fine ribs running lengthwise. Fabric's face and reverse look the same thus making it reversible. Interlock knit has no lengthwise stretch; more crosswise stretch than double knits or jersey knit. This knit has fairly good shape retention. Interlock knit fabric is smooth on both side and is wonderful for T-shirts, polo shirt, turtlenecks, casual skirts and dresses.
Eyelet Knit
The same good characteristics of jersey can be embellished with the addition of an eyelet pattern. This knitting method is the Eyelet knit, whereby small holes or perforation are patterned on the fabric to facilitate breathability. This eyelet knit fabric is commonly used in sport wears.
Honeycomb /Lacoste Knit
Honeycomb or Lacoste knit is a variant of pique knit with similar knitting style. It mimics the hexagonal wax cells pattern found in bee hives. The Honeycomb knit consists of ridges and hollows that allow the fabric to readily absorb moisture and thus it is a popular fabric for polo shirts.