Fabric weight, expressed in grams per square metre, is the first figure every polo buyer asks for. It is a useful indicator but an incomplete one: two fabrics of the same weight can look and wear very differently depending on structure, yarn and finishing. Still, once you understand the usual ranges and what each means, you can choose fabric for your collection or order with much more confidence.
The weight bands used for polos
In practice nearly all polo shirts fall into three bands:
- 160–190 g/m²: lightweight polo. Suits promotions, summer events and low-price products. Cool to wear, but more prone to distortion and slightly see-through in light colours.
- 190–220 g/m²: standard polo. The most widely used band for company polos and core collections. A good balance of comfort, appearance and cost.
- 220–250 g/m² and above: heavy or premium polo. Hangs better, holds the collar and placket shape and feels more expensive in the hand. Suits premium retail, dark colours and transitional seasons.
How to choose the right weight
Answer a few questions before you request quotes:
- Who wears the shirt, and how often? A polo worn daily needs a more stable fabric than one for a single event.
- Which season? For high summer stay below 210 g/m²; for spring and autumn, 220–250 g/m² works well.
- Which colour? White and pastels need slightly more weight for opacity. Dark shades hide sheerness, but at low weights they lose their looks faster after washing.
- Which fit? A slim polo in a heavy fabric can feel tight; a loose one in a light fabric can hang shapelessly.
- At what retail price? Weight directly drives consumption in kilograms and therefore cost.
How to measure GSM properly
Do not rely on the roll label alone. Measuring is simple:
- cut a 100 cm² circular sample with a GSM cutter, or a precisely cut 10 × 10 cm square;
- weigh it on a scale accurate to 0.01 g;
- multiply by 100 to get g/m²;
- repeat at three points across the roll width, not just at the edge, where the fabric can differ.
Measure after conditioning, once the fabric has rested unrolled in the workroom for a few hours. Agree an accepted tolerance with the supplier, for example ±5%, and put it on the order.
Weight and cost per piece
Because piqué is sold by the kilo, every gram counts. Let's assume a men's polo in size L uses roughly 1.3 m² of fabric, including cutting waste. At 180 g/m² consumption is 1.3 × 0.18 = 0.234 kg. At 245 g/m² it becomes 1.3 × 0.245 = 0.319 kg, about 36% more. If the price per kilo were the same, the fabric cost would rise in the same proportion. That is not necessarily a problem, but it has to show up in the selling price and the product's positioning.
Common mistakes with fabric weight
- Comparing offers on price per kilo alone. A lighter fabric can cost more per kilo and still less per shirt.
- Ignoring structure. A 210 g/m² double piqué can feel fuller than a 230 g/m² single piqué.
- Heavy fabric with a tight fit. The result is a stiff shirt that feels restrictive at the shoulders.
- Not checking after washing. Weight rises slightly with shrinkage; a fabric that shrinks a lot will also change the garment size.
An example for a premium black polo
For a premium polo in a dark colour, sold at retail or worn as smart staff wear, we would choose the single piqué in black, 245 g: 100% combed cotton gives a natural handle, and the higher weight keeps the collar and placket in shape and holds a deep black through many washes. This article is made to order in any of the 220 card colours, from 150 kg per colour. If you want to compare several weights from the piqué family, request samples through an enquiry and try them on your own pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What GSM do you recommend for a promotional polo?
For one-day events or summer campaigns, 170–190 g/m² is usually enough. If the shirt will be worn after the campaign, go for 190–200 g/m²: the cost difference is small, and the product looks better after the first washes, which matters for the brand's image.
Does fabric weight change after washing?
Yes, slightly. If the fabric shrinks, the same amount of fibre covers a smaller area, so the GSM rises. That is why you need to know the fabric's shrinkage and build it into the pattern, rather than just comparing the weights stated on spec sheets.
What GSM tolerance is reasonable?
Tolerance is negotiated between buyer and supplier and written on the order. In practice many companies work with about ±5%. What matters is agreeing the measuring method and the number of test points, so any claim is judged by the same rules on both sides.
