In summer and winter, the sweatshirt is THE comfortable, stylish and easy-to-wear garment that is there for us all year round.
But what about its place in the world of B2B textiles? The sweatshirt is an effective communications tool for appealing to potential clients, raising brand visibility or standardising team work clothes.
In short, the personalisable sweatshirt is one of the blank textile supports that leaves the most room for creativity! Which is why we’re bringing it (back) into the spotlight in this article.
After sharing our tips for choosing a sweatshirt, we’ll take you behind the scenes of how a sweatshirt is made…
Composition, thickness, cut, treatments and finishes, the KARIBAN BRANDS team will take us into their studios to show us the other side of one of the most iconic pieces in our wardrobes.
Stage #1 Composition
It will come as no surprise that a sweatshirt can be made from a variety of different materials and, even better, from a combination of materials. This is also what makes a sweatshirt lightweight, more suitable for sports or designed to keep those who work outside warm.
This factor is extremely important at KARIBAN BRANDS, who offer modular material combinations to meet all their customers’ key needs.
According to them, what is the most versatile mix? The softness of cotton and the durability of polyester!
Of course, the properties of the finished garment will vary depending on the cotton/polyester ratio. But overall, this combination maximises the benefits of the two fibres. Cotton, for its soft and comfortable side; polyester, for a lasting fit and colour hold.
Speaking of colours, the REACH regulation has reduced the use of chemical substances, especially in dyes, which is great for the environment! And most importantly, increasingly effective and natural processes are being developed and will soon offer even more intense and lasting shades. In the meantime, this is precisely one of the reasons why KARIBAN BRANDS choose to add polyester to the composition of their sweatshirts, to ensure that their colourful sweatshirts stay bright for as long as possible.
Going one step further, KARIBAN BRANDS have made the decision, wherever possible, to use sustainable materials, such as organic or recycled cotton, and polyester made from recycled plastic bottles. Combining quality and responsible production is one of the most important development focuses for the group’s teams.
Organic cotton + Polyester
K494
Ladies' organic lounge hoodie
Organic cotton + Recycled polyester
K480
Men's organic cotton crew neck raglan sleeve sweatshirt
Recycled cotton + Recycled polyester
TopTex tip :
Sweatshirts are perfect for all types of decoration, in different places, offering a multitude of customisation possibilities. Watch out for sweatshirts made from 50% polyester and 50% cotton, warming up nicely for personalisation!
Stage #2 manufacture and weight
It’s time for the second stage: manufacture.
To sum up, sweatshirts can be made from two or three yarns. Two-yarn styles are usually basic sweatshirts, which can be attractive in terms of cost and make ideal goodies to be given out at sports events, for example. It is worth noting that, even with basic styles, a higher percentage of cotton compared with polyester will create a comfortable garment.
For a more “premium” look, three-yarn manufacturing is ideal: a 100% cotton outer and polycotton inner, most importantly… connected by a polyester yarn. This is what will stop the fabric from pilling and make it more durable while remaining soft and comfortable to wear. In a nutshell, it’s unbeatable when it comes to dressing employees at a trade fair or for a ready-to-wear brand.
The next thing is the knit, which can also affect the look and comfort of a sweatshirt: French Terry, for a lightweight sweatshirt, brushed fleece for a soft appearance, and Interlock for top of the range styles.
Incidentally, you may have seen the term “grammage” or “weight” on TopTex data sheets: this refers to the thickness of the fabric, in a way. To calculate it, the teams at KARIBAN BRANDS use a sample cutter and weigh the piece of fabric removed using the tool. A high grammage (around 360 g/m²) is characteristic of a thick sweatshirt with a lasting fit, while a grammage of 260 g/m² will give the garment more fluidity.
Lightweight look – 270 g/m²
K471
Ladies' oversized sweatshirt
Thickness and resistance – 350 g/m²
Stage #3 Cut
Another crucial stage in the process of manufacturing a sweatshirt is the choice and assembly of the cut.
There are two options:
- tubular assembly, which is made in 3D, without seams. This is one of the most economical cuts, which gives the garment a fashionable “oversized” look
- cut-and-sew assembly, in which the various parts are assembled and stitched together. This is more complex but gives the garment a neater structure
When it comes to finalising the “base” of a sweatshirt, only one small (but by no means unimportant) detail remains: the shape! The sleeves are usually raglan (sewn in a single piece up to the neckline) or set-in (more classic, like a tube sewn around the shoulder).
When it comes to the overall look, a few picture examples speak volumes:
The hoodie: its sportswear feel will be perfect with an impactful slogan, which is sure to be a hit with younger generations.
The zipped version: easy to put on and simple to personalise with a logo, ideal for fundraising. The perfect souvenir, which will offer greater visibility to the company selling it.
K438
LIGHTWEIGHT COTTONHOODED SWEATSHIRT
K474
Crew neck sweatshirt
The iconic crew neck basic, timeless and unisex, which can be an effective marketing tool when given as a gift to raise the profile of the brand’s name in the streets and help it become more famous.
Stage #4 Treatments and finishes
Your sweatshirt is almost finished, but there are still some important details… These are the treatments and finishes that will bring the sometimes imperceptible little “extras” that can make all the difference.
For example, a technique known as Low Shrinkage Fleece can guarantee the best possible fit. This process pre-shrinks the fabric to make sure it retains its shape as it is washed.
Enzyme treatments are used to strengthen the perfectly smooth aspect that we love about sweatshirts. Natural bacteria remove excess material to leave an impeccable surface. And for even more remarkable softness, a mechanical peach-skin feel process abrades the outer material. Your sweatshirt could not be any softer!
We’re almost there… at KARIBAN BRANDS, the teams perfect each garment, for aesthetic reasons but also to make sure the products last as long as possible.
K4027
Men's eco-friendly hooded sweatshirt
K4027
Men's eco-friendly hooded sweatshirt
For example, the rib, an elasticated band that finishes the sleeves at the wrists, can provide a vintage look as well as helping the sweatshirt keep its shape. The taped neck works in a similar way. Its role is to prevent the neck from getting irritated or the neckline from stretching. The hood also deserves attention. It can be lined for added comfort or assembled from three panels, following the shape of the head without creating a point.
Even the drawstrings are finely tuned: they finish in either a knot or a small piece of metal and are threaded through metal, plastic or stitched eyelets.
TopTex tip:
The sweatshirt is historically a sports-related garment that had to cope with significant perspiration. This is why there is a “modesty panel”, a triangle just beneath the neck that helps collect and get rid of sweat. A “vintage” and iconic detail that still exists on most current models!
You now know all the key secrets of making a sweatshirt! We could, of course, give you more details and examples… But we will finish on the eco-friendly initiatives taken by the brands that are part of KARIBAN BRANDS.
You may already know about them, but there are certifications for recycled materials (RCS and GRS) as well as for organic materials, including (OCS, or, even better, GOTS, with the two-fold environmental and social dimension).
But most importantly, for several years now, the group has been working to optimise its production processes and encourage projects with strong ethical and environmentally responsible values.
Do you want to know more about KARIBAN BRANDS’ commitments and all the latest news from the TopTex group? Browse our blog articles or contact our teams!
