Fabric GSM guide — what 180, 240 and 380 really mean

GSM stands for grams per square metre — literally the weight of a one-metre-by-one-metre swatch of fabric. It's the fastest way to describe how heavy, opaque and structured a knit or woven fabric will feel in the finished garment.

Rough GSM ranges we quote from

• 120–150 GSM — lightweight jersey. Summer tees, thin liners, base layers. Drapes soft, shows body shape, can be sheer in whites.
• 160–200 GSM — standard tee weight. The sweet spot for retail tees, polos and long sleeves.
• 220–260 GSM — heavy tees, mid-weight sweats, French terry hoodies. Structured, holds a print well.
• 280–340 GSM — heavyweight fleece and terry. Boxy premium hoodies, sweatpants with drape.
• 360–420 GSM — heavyweight brushed fleece. The "vintage sweat" feel — dense, opaque, structured.
• 200–350 GSM woven — shirt-weight to jacket-weight canvas, twill and denim.

GSM is not the whole story

Two 240 GSM fabrics can behave completely differently. Also ask about:

• Yarn count — the fineness of the yarn (higher count = finer yarn).
• Construction — single jersey, interlock, French terry, fleece, waffle, rib.
• Finish — enzyme wash, silicone wash, peached, brushed, mercerised.
• Shrinkage — always ask for the report after wash tests. 5% length shrinkage is normal for cotton fleece.

Pick GSM around the wearer, not the spreadsheet

A 380 GSM hoodie is a great product — in London in November. In a Karachi or Miami summer, it's unsellable. Match the fabric to the season, the region and the retail price you want to hit. Heavier is not always premium; it's just heavier.

What to send us when you're sourcing

Send a target GSM range, a reference garment you like, and the composition you want. We come back with 3–5 real swatches from vetted Karachi mills, with GSM measured, shrinkage tested and price per kilo quoted — usually within a week.