The Custom Tee and Hoodie Quality Guide: GSM, Fits and Fabrics Explained

You can't feel fabric through a screen. That's the fundamental problem with ordering custom tees and hoodies online — two garments can look identical in photos and feel completely different in hand: one a substantial, structured piece you'll wear for years, the other a whisper-thin thing that loses its shape by the third wash.

The good news: quality is measurable. Learn four terms and you'll never order blind again.

1. GSM — the number that tells you almost everything

GSM is grams per square metre: how much fabric you're actually getting. As a cheat sheet:

• 150–180gsm — lightweight tees. Soft drape, good for summer; less structure. (Our Austin Tee and Taylor Boho Tee sit at 180gsm — deliberately light and drapey.)
• 220gsm — the everyday sweet spot for tees: substantial without being stiff. Our classic tees (Mila, Hollis) and Carter Oversized live here.
• 280gsm — heavyweight tee territory, that structured streetwear feel. The Gia and Kendrick Heavy Tees.
• 320–350gsm — quality fleece: relaxed crews and hoods (Nola, Hawke, Cameron at 320; classic hoods like Grace and Quincy at 350).
• 400gsm — premium heavyweight fleece. The Audrey, Ella, Whittaker and Lennox. Thick cuffs, serious warmth, hangs beautifully oversized.

A supplier who won't tell you the GSM is telling you something.

2. The fabric itself

Combed cotton has had its short fibres removed before spinning, leaving a smoother, softer, stronger yarn — it's why two 220gsm tees can feel different. Carded cotton (like our 280gsm heavy tees use) is less processed and slightly more textured, which suits the rugged heavyweight look. For fleece, a cotton-rich blend — ours run 80% cotton, 20% recycled polyester — gives you cotton's feel with better shape retention, and the recycled content is an easy sustainability win.

3. Construction: the details that predict year three

Two phrases worth looking for:

• Side-seamed — the body is cut and sewn from panels rather than made from a tube of fabric. Side-seamed garments hold their shape and don't twist after washing.
• Pre-shrunk — the fabric is treated so the size you order is the size it stays. Without it, that perfect oversized fit becomes a regular fit by winter's end.

Every apparel piece in our range is side-seamed; nearly all are pre-shrunk. This is also a big part of why we build on AS Colour blanks — consistent construction, predictable sizing, no surprises.

4. Fit: order the shape you actually wear

"One cut fits all" is how custom apparel ends up in the donation bag. Think about how you wear things now: if everything you own is oversized, a regular-fit custom hood will feel wrong forever. A good range offers real choice — ours spans classic, relaxed, cropped and oversized cuts across separate women's and men's ranges, with sizes up to 5XL on many styles. And because printed apparel has no minimum order, you can buy a single piece with your own artwork straight from our online store — or, if a whole group wants one design across completely different fits, email us and we'll run it as a single team order.

The decoration deserves the garment

A quality blank with a cheap print is still a cheap shirt. Whatever you order, insist on: decoration that won't fade or crack (ours is made to last), the option of embroidery for a premium stitched finish, and a digital mockup to approve before production — the step that catches every "logo's too big" moment while it's still free to fix.

Feel it before you commit

Samples are available on request — the four terms above narrow your shortlist, and your hands make the final call. Send your idea to hello@madebyspool.com.au, tell us how you like your gear to fit, and we'll point you at the right garments.

Free pickup from Chadstone, $10 flat shipping Australia-wide, and a mockup before a single thread gets stitched.