How We Measure Fabric
Every fabric on our shelf is listed with measured numbers: weight in gsm, usable width, a stretch rating and the fiber content. This page explains where those numbers come from and how to use them — because a fabric you buy through a screen should be knowable before it arrives.
Where the numbers come from
Each cloth enters our catalog with the specification data measured for it at the mill that weaves or knits it — weight, width, composition and construction. Our catalog system then normalizes every value into one schema (grams per square meter, centimeters converted to inches, composition percentages) and machine-checks it for plausibility: units that do not reconcile, compositions that do not sum, weights impossible for the construction.
One rule governs the whole pipeline: when a value cannot be verified, we show nothing rather than a guess. A blank field on a listing is the honest state of our data, not an oversight — and it is why the numbers that ARE shown can be trusted.
Weight: what gsm means
GSM is grams per square meter — how much a square meter of the cloth weighs. It is the single most useful number in fabric shopping because it predicts so much: opacity, warmth, drape and what the fabric wants to become.
- Under 150 gsm — blouses, linings, sheers, floaty dresses
- 150–250 gsm — t-shirts, shirting, most dresses; the everyday middle
- 250–350 gsm — sweatshirts, pants, structured pieces
- Over 350 gsm — coating, heavy bottoms, upholstery territory
If you think in ounces per square yard: one ounce is about 34 gsm, so a 6 oz denim shirt weight is roughly 200 gsm.
Width: why it changes your yardage math
Width is the usable cloth edge to edge. Most of our knits run 55 inches and up — wider than the 44-inch quilting-cotton standard — which means big pattern pieces fit side by side and a dress can take a yard less than the pattern envelope assumes. Check the width on the listing before buying the envelope's yardage; wide fabric is quiet savings.
Stretch: rating and direction
We class each fabric by whether it stretches and recovers, derived from its construction and its elastane content. Knits stretch by structure; anything with spandex stretches with recovery; wovens without elastane are stable. Four-way stretch extends and recovers in both directions — the requirement for leggings, swim and dance. Stretch and construction are separate facts, and a good listing states both.
Fiber content: the blend percentages
Composition determines feel, breathability and care, so we display it exactly as specified for the cloth — and when a mill's composition data cannot be reconciled, the blank-over-guess rule applies. A few percent of spandex in a blend changes garment behavior completely; a cotton-polyester split decides softness against durability. The percentages are the fabric's recipe: read them the way you read an ingredient label.
Common questions
What does gsm stand for in fabric?
Grams per square meter — the weight of one square meter of the cloth. Higher gsm means heavier, warmer, more opaque fabric; lower means lighter and floatier.
How many gsm is a t-shirt?
Most t-shirts are 140–200 gsm single jersey. Lighter reads drapey and layerable; 200+ reads boxy and premium.
Why do some listings show no weight or composition?
Because we could not verify the value, and we publish nothing rather than a guess. The numbers that do appear passed normalization and plausibility checks.
What is the difference between 2-way and 4-way stretch?
Two-way fabric stretches in one direction (usually across); four-way stretches and recovers both across and along — what fitted activewear and swim require.