100% Cotton Polo T-Shirts: A Manufacturer's Spec Guide

A 100% cotton polo specification is decided by six lines, not by the phrase on the label: fibre content per component, knit structure, weight, pre-shrink treatment, collar recovery and the points of measure. Write those six, and a sample takes 3–7 working days while bulk runs 15–25 days after approval at 100 pieces per style, per colour. This page covers each line, the three knit structures a cotton polo can use, and the specification table we build the sample from.

The word cotton is a fibre claim. The specification is what turns it into a garment someone can cut, sew, check and reorder, and that is the part this page is about.

1. What 100% cotton has to mean on the specification

The composition line comes first. A polo is more than one component: body, collar, placket facing and any cuff can each carry a different knit, so write the composition for each rather than one header line for the garment.

A 100% cotton claim is a claim about fibre, not about structure. State the fibre percentage for each component and the knit used at each, and the claim becomes checkable against the approved sample and the mill documentation.

Where a component is not cotton, say so on the specification rather than letting the header line cover it. A collar in a cotton blend under a 100% cotton body is a different specification from an all-cotton garment, and the approved sample is what settles which one you signed.

This is also where a buyer can protect a reorder. A specification that names fibre per component is a specification a second run can match; one that names only the body fibre leaves the collar and placket open to whatever the first mill had in stock.

2. Three knit structures: piqué, jersey and interlock

Three knit structures appear on a cotton polo specification: piqué, jersey and interlock. We run all three on our polo line, and the structure is named on the tech pack rather than inferred from a fabric name.

Piqué is a textured knit with a raised face, and we run combed cotton piqué at 200–260 gsm. Write the structure, the weight and the face you want to see, then approve the fabric sample against those three rather than against a photograph of a finished shirt.

Jersey is a single knit with a flat face. We run combed cotton jersey at 180–220 gsm; it reads smoother than piqué at the same weight and gives a cleaner surface for decoration.

Interlock is a double knit with a flat face on both sides. We cut and sew interlock polo in cotton and poly interlock at 220–280 gsm, for a smooth face, a softer hand feel and a cleaner surface for print.

The structure changes the drape, the weight at which the fabric behaves and how the collar and placket edges are finished, so it belongs on the specification before sampling. It is also the field that decides which knit the collar and cuff are cut from when they are not the body cloth.

3. Weight: fixing the GSM on the approved sample

The exact weight is settled at approval. Record the measured weight of the approved sample on the specification, and use that figure as the reference for bulk.

GSM is fixed on the approved fabric sample, and the band follows the structure you choose. On our polo line the three cotton structures sit in these bands.

GSM bands we run for cotton polo structures
Knit structure	Fabric	GSM band we run
Piqué	Combed cotton piqué	200–260 gsm
Jersey	Combed cotton jersey	180–220 gsm
Interlock	Cotton / poly interlock	220–280 gsm

Each figure is the band we run for that structure. The weight you write on the tech pack is the measured weight of the approved sample, inside the band for the structure you chose.

If a mill quote arrives in a unit other than GSM, settle the conversion before the figure reaches the tech pack. The fabric GSM calculator linked below is there for that step, and the number you write should be the one you measured.

Weight tolerance on incoming fabric is worth asking about at enquiry: what tolerance is held on incoming cloth, and what happens to a roll outside it. Ask before bulk, when the answer can still change the specification rather than the delivery.

Knits are relaxed before cutting so they settle to finished dimensions. Confirm on the sample that relaxation is part of the route, and measure the finished garment at the points of measure rather than the cut panel.

4. Pre-shrink and garment washing

Pre-shrink treatment is a specification line, not an assumption. State whether the fabric is pre-shrunk before cutting and whether the finished garment is washed, and confirm both on the approved sample.

Garment washing is one of the processes we run in-house. Where a cotton polo is washed as a finished garment, the washed sample is the reference the bulk is measured against, not the unwashed specimen.

Dimensional change is accepted against the approved sample and the test report. Write it that way on the specification rather than as a percentage figure, so the acceptance line is one the sample and the report can settle.

Ask for the washed sample to be measured at the same points as the size chart. A washed sample measured at different points is a sample that cannot be compared with bulk, and the argument lands at final inspection instead of at approval.

5. Collar and neck recovery

Collar and neck recovery is the line that decides whether a cotton polo still reads as a polo after washing. Write how the collar and neck opening are checked, and check them against the approved sample rather than against a percentage.

Name the check in the specification. Measure the collar at the centre back and the neck opening across, before washing and again after, then compare both readings with the approved sample. Two readings and one sample are enough to settle the question.

The taped neck and the collar construction sit on the same page as the recovery check, so the three are approved together rather than in separate conversations. That keeps the neckline a single decision rather than three.

If the collar is a separate knit from the body, say so and give its composition and weight. A collar weighed differently from the body is a separate specification line, and it belongs in the composition table rather than in an email footnote.

6. Colour, colour fastness and documentation

Colour is specified against a standard, and colour fastness is accepted against the approved sample and the test report. Write it that way, and the acceptance line is one the report can settle without interpretation.

We do not state a fastness grade or a dimensional-change figure in the specification. Where a buyer needs a number for a tender or a retail requirement, third-party testing can be arranged, with the designated laboratory limited to one within China.

Ask for the test report to name the fabric and the colourway it was run on. A report that names neither is a report that cannot be tied to the bulk you are approving, and it will not settle an argument at final inspection.

Quality control runs under ISO 9001, inspection covers in-line checks at every stage and 100% final inspection before packing, accepted to AQL 2.5, and the quote is fixed once confirmed.

7. The specification table and the points of measure

The table below is the cotton polo specification as we ask for it. Each row is a field on the tech pack, what to write in it, the reference the check uses, and where the check happens.

A 100% cotton polo specification, line by line
Specification line	What to write	Reference for the check	Where it is checked
Fibre content	Percentage by component: body, collar, placket facing, cuff	The approved sample and mill documentation on request	At approval, and against fabric documentation
Knit structure	Piqué, jersey or interlock, named on the tech pack	The approved fabric sample	At approval, and at the cut-panel check
Weight in GSM	The measured weight of the approved sample	The approved fabric sample	At fabric readiness, and at cut panels
Pre-shrink and washing	Whether the fabric is pre-shrunk, and whether the garment is washed	The washed approved sample and the test report	At approval, and on the washed sample
Colour and fastness	The colour standard, plus acceptance to sample and report	The approved sample and the test report	At approval, and at final inspection
Points of measure	Every measurement point, marked on the size chart	The graded size chart	At in-line checks and at 100% final inspection (AQL 2.5)
Packing	Carton, folding and labelling	The packing specification	Before packing

Name the points of measure on the size chart and mark them on the approved sample. The list we ask for is chest, body length, shoulder width, sleeve length, sleeve opening, collar length, placket length and hem width.

A measurement point without a definition on the sample is read two ways at inspection. Mark where each number is taken, and the same number is read the same way by the line, by you and by an inspector.

The minimum is 100 pieces per style, per colour, with sizes mixed inside the run. Bonded and seam-sealed cotton builds start at 200 pieces per style, per colour.

Frequently asked questions

What should a 100% cotton polo specification state?

Fibre content per component, knit structure, weight on the approved sample, pre-shrink and washing, collar and neck recovery, colour fastness against the report, the points of measure and packing. Each line is checked against the approved sample.

Which knit structures are used for cotton polos?

Piqué, jersey and interlock. Name the structure on the tech pack and approve the fabric sample against the structure, the weight and the face you want.

Do you quote a GSM range for cotton polos?

Yes, and the band follows the structure: piqué at 200–260 gsm, jersey at 180–220 gsm and interlock at 220–280 gsm. The exact weight is then fixed on the approved fabric sample and written on the specification.

How is colour fastness specified?

Against the approved sample and the test report, not against a grade quoted in this article. Third-party testing can be arranged, with the designated laboratory limited to one within China.

What is the minimum order for 100% cotton polo shirts?

100 pieces per style, per colour, with sizes mixed inside the run. Bulk is 15–25 days after sample approval, and bonded builds start at 200 pieces per style, per colour.

Next step

Send the fibre content, the knit structure, the weight of the fabric sample you want and the points of measure you will check, and we will tell you which lines are still open before a sample is cut.

Read the polo shirt manufacturer page for the piqué and jersey builds we run, and the T-shirt manufacturer page for jersey knits and finishing. Use the fabric GSM calculator when you record the weight, read garment washing for the washed-sample route, and send the specification through the contact page.