2010 What’s New? : Fabrics To The Fore!

Last summer, leading wholesale distributors of blank t-shirts for designers and decorators saw the culmination of recent developments in “super lightweight”, “ultrafine” cotton t-shirts at the forefront of consumer demand.

Fabric densities in the order of 120-135gsm were earlier regarded as far too thin for t-shirt making - the cheapest t-shirts of ‘em all, good for one-off promotional use only before being used to buff the silverware. But breakthroughs with fabric manufacturing delivered 100% cotton knits in ultra-lightweight gsm that could fall, hang, handle screen printing and survive the wash like never before. Brands like Diesel and Industrie printed their ultralight slim fit t-shirts with incredible effect, so it’s more than just the vintage print job and dimensional decorations, but the holistic feel of lightness, softness and smoothness.

Ultra-Thin T-Shirt Material: Much Ado About Nothing Much?

Some prime examples of these super-fine t-shirts for men and women came from Australia, “like having nothing on” said Australia’s own Blankclothing in their advertising for popular new lines Breeze and Ibiza, both of which were actually designed in France  and fated to become popular as designer blank t-shirts. We’re talking your everyday, rock-and-roll, modern tees made from pure cotton fabric so light and delicate as to bear laundering recommendations like you’d expect to see on French camisoles. Screen printed with subtle graphics, these turned up all over the retail sector last summer - as luxury items, no less. With this gossamer-thin advance accepted by the market, it seemed like t-shirts could not get any lighter, without disappearing completely.

American-Style Tees: It’s An Enzyme Story

Slightly less whimsical but just as popular have been recent blank t-shirt releases like Luke and Lisa – lightweight and “superfine” but not quite “gossamer”. Luke and Lisa felt a little more substantial and proved beyond doubt  that they could make it through the laundry process repeatedly. Also called “American-Style” tees, the finer feel of Luke and Lisa results from an enzyme wash treatment in the fabric factory - another real milestone in fabric technology that has enhanced the silkiness and comfort of t-shirts men and women want to have on them  these days.

Organic Cotton: Acceptance But What About Demand?

Eco-friendly organic cotton t-shirts have been making marketing news increasingly in pro-active marketing response to global concerns. “Organically-grown” is an idea that’s appealing to everyone and spruiked  in all quarters, but we are still a long way from achieving significant “organic” pull from the marketplace . It’s not very far into the consumer awareness campaign, but despite the worthiness and conceptual appeal of organic cotton farming, most buyers are still failing to agree on parting with that little bit extra needed to support environmentally-friendly cotton farming. With cotton being one of the most demanding plants to grow on the planet when it comes to the need for water and pesticides, organically-grown cotton is an idea whose time has come for the planet - if not for the entire t-shirt market just yet. Far from being a fad, organic t-shirts are bound to become de rigeur. It’s an environmental imperative.

Pure Wool T-Shirts: Coming In From The Cold

Needless to say perhaps, it’s the Aussies hanging ten over the cutting edge of tshirts fashion with all-wool (pure Merino, of course), knitted superfine and ultralight into tshirts that many people (particularly outdoorsy-types) want to live in. Once thought of as strictly fit for adventure-wear, 100% woolen tees are now being seen in the coolest places as stand-alone fashion for year-round comfort. It’s actually obvious why anyone would want to get excited about woolen t-shirts as modern underwear or outerwear. Lighter and more breathable than cotton, pure merino doesn’t “itch”, can be washed in the machine, and naturally dirt and odour resistant.