What is heavyweight cotton?

People ask what heavyweight cotton means. The honest answer is unsexy. It is a measurement.

Cotton is sold by weight per square metre, abbreviated GSM. The lightest summer t-shirts come in around 130 GSM. The heaviest workwear hoodies push 500. Most high-street clothing sits between 150 and 250.

A heavyweight piece is anything over 280 GSM. Real heavyweight, the kind that hangs on you with intent, starts at 350. Our hoodie is 430. Our tee is 305.

The reason the number matters is washes.

Cotton wears down with use. Each wash thins it slightly. A 150 GSM tee will be threadbare in a year of regular wear. A 305 GSM tee will not. The cloth has more material to lose before it shows.

This is also why heavyweight clothing costs more. There is more cotton in it. Five times the cotton, sometimes, compared to a thin summer shirt. The cost is real, not added by branding.

When we say heavyweight cotton, we mean weight you can feel before you have worn it. Pick up our hoodie and your hand notices. That is the point.

What heavyweight does

A heavy garment holds its shape. The boxy cut on our hoodies and tees stays boxy because the cloth has body. Lightweight fabric collapses around the wearer no matter how the pattern is cut.

A heavy garment holds heat. More fabric means more insulation. A 430 GSM hoodie keeps you warm at five degrees. A 200 GSM one needs a coat over it.

A heavy garment holds prints. Water-based ink binds into fabric. The thicker the fabric, the deeper the bind. Our prints survive hundreds of washes because there is enough cloth for them to live in.

What it costs

The trade-off is summer. A 305 GSM tee is too warm for July in the UK. We design for cold months on purpose. Spring through autumn the heavyweight tee is fine. Mid-summer it sits in the drawer.

The hoodie blends cotton with polyester (around 56% cotton, 44% polyester). The polyester adds structure and reduces shrinkage. Pure cotton heavyweight hoodies stretch at the cuffs and waistband over time. The blend keeps shape.

This is more than most brands tell you. Most labels say "100% cotton" or "premium fabric" without giving numbers. The number is the truth. 305 for the tee. 430 for the hoodie.

If you want lighter, plenty of options exist. If you want this, we make it.