Fabric Weight
Fabric weight is the outcome of how a fabric has been woven, its finish and sometimes the fibre type. Looking at the weight can help you to decide if it will be the most suitable fabric for its end use.
A lightweight fabric is typically 30- 150 GSM, medium weight 150-350 GSM and heavyweight 350+ GSM. For example our Twill item TTT2154 can be considered a medium weight fabric as it consists of 200GSM. Similarly our Plain weave TTP4207 is a light weight fabric and weighs 116gsm. Unsurprisingly our lightweight item is mainly used for shirting purposes; customers prefer their shirts to be light and comfortable. On the other hand out TTT2154 is thicker and more durable and so is ideal for the production of work clothes such as coveralls.
Fabric Density
Fabric density describes the thickness of textile products. It is a measurement that provides the base weight of the fabric, given as a value of grams per square meter (GSM). While the thread count is a measurement of the number of threads in a given area – that is, how tightly woven the threads are – the fabric density is another measurement indicating how much fibre is in a meter square, thereby allowing us to determine how strong and thick a fabric is.
Choosing the right weight fabric
It can be tricky when having to choose between two similar fabrics which are of different weights. If the fabric of one Oxford shirt has a higher GSM than the fabric of another Oxford shirt, then it is likely to be more durable. Choosing the right weight of a fabric depends on how often it is going to be used and what its purpose will be, for example, lightweight oxford is suitable for shirting and a heavier Twill or Poly-viscose is a better fit for trousers.
The weather should also be considered. Take into account that lightweight fabrics will be more appropriate for hotter temperatures. This is why Aratex Dubai is focused mainly on light and medium weights. Each climate has its ideal fabric weights.
Comfort is another major factor to consider, especially with fabrics such as in Shirting and Suiting. Heavier fabrics will be much denser and sturdier. This means they will be durable for a lot longer. However until worn in the stiffness of the fabric can make the garment difficult to put on and can be more uncomfortable to move in than the lighter weight fabric.