KAPTAIN KIRK CLOTHING CO.
UNDERSTANDING T-SHIRTS
TYPES
Crewneck: A t-shirt with a rounded neckline and no collar.
Heavyweight: Any t-shirt over 5.8-oz.
Henley: A shirt without a collar that features a button-up placket and a t-shirt-like neckline.
Lightweight: A t-shirt that weighs between 3.4 and 4.5 ounces.
V-neck: A t-shirt with a "V" shaped neckline.
PARTS
Arms: The portion of a t-shirt that extend from the main body outward and add coverage to the shoulders and generally the
Shoulders: Like the arms of a T-shirt, the shoulder fit varies depending on the style. However, typically, the shoulder seams of the shirt should lineup with the wearer's real shoulder line.
Torso: The main body of a t-shirt.
1 X 1 Rib: A knit typically used for the neck and binding.
Shoulder taping: Fabric tape sewn over the seams of a shoulder, on the inside of a t-shirt, to reinforce the stitching, and protect the wearer from uneven stitches and scratchy edges.
Side seams: Seams used to join the front and back parts of a shirt, adding structure and a more tailored fit.
Double-needle: A double row of stitching to create a commonly found on sleeves and bottom hems for looks and durability.
FITS
Classic: A seamless t-shirt construction created to fit a general body type and size.
Missy: A fit that is tailored for women's bodies and feature slightly tapered side seams.
Unisex: A fit that is suitable for men and women usually offers a range of sizes to accommodate various body types.
FABRIC
50/50: Also known as poly/cotton, is a t-shirt that is made up of 50% polyester and 50% cotton.
Carded cotton: A type of cotton created with yarn that has been cleaned and formed into parallel strands to remove impurities.
Combed cotton: A cotton finish that offers a softer feel than carded cotton due to additional spinning, and the removal of impurities and short protruding threads.
CVC: Also known as Chief Value Cotton refers to bi-blends with more than 51% cotton content. “
French Terry: A 100% cotton or blended and knitted terry fabric featuring loops and soft piles of yarn on the interior and the other side flat.
Heather: Most often a cotton/poly or cotton/rayon blend creating a multicolored, non-solid, blurred effect.
Jersey: A t-shirt knit with a flat, smooth surface and and some stretch.
Modal: A fabric made up of synthetic fibers creating a soft hand and flounce, often used to create tri-blended t-shirts.
Rib knit: Knit fabric that is made up of rows of knitted loops giving it considerable stretch and shape retainment.
Ring-spun cotton: A fabric created by twisting and spinning fibers of yarn around a spindle to produce a fine, tight, long yarn.
Slub: A t-shirt made of slub yarn, that is twisted and spun to create lumps in the yarn and create an enhanced knitted fabric.
Tri-blend: A t-shirt made of three different materials.
Singles: A numerical value that displays the thickness/quality or diameter of the yarn, and is measured by the individual fibers in a twist.
WASHES
Enzyme-Washed: A mechanical or chemical treatment that uses a solution to remove fine fibers from a fabric's surface.
Garment-Washed: A special wash process applied to a finished garment to soften, preshrink, and/or change the look of the garment.
Mineral-Washed: A wash process which wears away at the dyes of a garment after it has been dyed and assembled.
TREATMENTS
Burnout: A sodium bisulfate treatment that burns away cotton to leave only the synthetic fabric.
Garment-Dyed: A fully constructed garment that is left untreated, then dyed as a whole.
Pigment-dyed: A garment dye that is applied to a fully assembled T-shirt allowing the dye sit on top of the fabric, like a coating.
Yarn-dyed: A process where the yarns of the T-shirt are dyed ahead of the knitting process.
Preshrunk: A fabric treatment that is performed to the fabric of a garment before a t-shirt's assembly forcing the material to tighten up, and allow for shrinkage once washed.
Dyed-to-match: Refers to details on a garment that matches the color of the garment to the fixtures such as buttons, thread, zippers, and linings.
