GSM is the single most useful number on a blank garment's spec sheet. What the figures actually feel like, with real examples from our catalogue.
In this article · 3 sections
GSM stands for grams per square metre, and it is simply the weight of the fabric. Cut out a square metre of the material, put it on a scale, and that number is the GSM. It is the most honest figure on any spec sheet, because unlike words like premium or heavyweight, nobody can inflate it.
What the numbers feel like
- 130 to 150 GSM: light and drapey. The Gildan Softstyle we carry sits here at 144 GSM. Soft against the skin, great in summer, and takes a soft-hand DTG print beautifully. Light colours can be slightly sheer, which is worth knowing before you list a white tee.
- 150 to 185 GSM: the everyday middle. Gildan's Heavy Cotton is 175 GSM and its Midweight ringspun is 183 GSM. Despite the Heavy Cotton name, this range is standard tee weight: structured enough to hold shape, light enough for all-day wear. Most merch lives here.
- 200 GSM and up: genuinely heavyweight for a tee. Stanley/Stella's oversized cut comes in at 200 GSM and Comfort Colors' garment-dyed tees at 205 GSM. This is the boxy, substantial feel streetwear buyers pay a premium for.
- 250 to 300 GSM: sweatshirt and hoodie country. A Heavy Blend crew sits at 257 GSM and the Softstyle fleece hoodie at 285 GSM. Below about 250 GSM a hoodie starts to feel thin; above 300 you are into premium heavyweight fleece.
Heavier is not automatically better
Weight signals quality to a lot of buyers, and for streetwear that instinct is fair. But a 205 GSM tee in July is a sweaty product, a light drapey tee suits athletic and fashion fits, and heavier garments cost more to make and more to post. The right GSM is the one that matches how and when the garment will actually be worn.
GSM and printing
Fabric weight barely affects whether a print method works, but it changes the look. On a light tee a big solid DTF print can dominate the garment and stiffen the panel; detailed DTG art feels more at home. Heavy cotton takes both happily. If you are torn, order a sample of the same design on two weights and let your hands decide.
Every blank in our t-shirt range lists its GSM and full fabric composition on the product page, so you can compare weights side by side before you put a design on anything.