What is Jersey Fabric?

Jersey is a soft, flexible knitted fabric known for its comfort, stretch and drape. Unlike woven fabrics, which are made by interlacing separate warp and weft threads, jersey is created from interlocking loops of yarn. This knitted construction gives jersey its characteristic flexibility and makes it a popular choice for T-shirts, polos, dresses, activewear and everyday clothing.

Jersey isn't a type of fibre. It can be made from cotton, polyester, wool, viscose and other fibres, or from blends combining several different materials.

Is jersey a fabric or a fibre?

Jersey is a type of knitted fabric, not a fibre. That's the most important distinction to make.

Terms such as cotton, polyester and wool tell you what fibre a textile is made from. The term jersey describes how yarn has been knitted to create the fabric.

That means you can have:

• cotton jersey
• polyester jersey
• viscose jersey
• wool jersey
• cotton/polyester jersey
• jersey containing elastane

Two fabrics can therefore both be described as jersey while feeling and performing quite differently because they're made from different fibres.

How is jersey fabric made?

Jersey is made using a knitted construction, where yarn forms a series of interconnected loops.

This is fundamentally different from a woven fabric, where lengthwise warp threads and crosswise weft threads intersect one another.

Those knitted loops can move and change shape more easily than the relatively rigid structure of a typical woven fabric.

That's where much of jersey's natural stretch, flexibility and comfort comes from.

What does jersey fabric look like?

Classic single jersey has two noticeably different sides.

On the face of the fabric you'll generally see small, relatively smooth V-shaped knit stitches.

The reverse has a different appearance, with more obvious horizontal loops.

This difference between the front and back is one way of recognising single jersey fabric.

You'll see this construction constantly in everyday clothing, particularly T-shirts.

Is jersey fabric stretchy?

Yes. Jersey generally has natural mechanical stretch because of its knitted loop construction, even when the yarn itself doesn't contain an elastic fibre.

The amount of stretch varies considerably.

A 100% cotton jersey T-shirt may have moderate natural give, while a jersey containing elastane can provide significantly greater stretch and recovery.

Fabric weight, yarn, knit construction and fibre composition all affect the result, so there isn't a universal percentage by which jersey stretches.

Does jersey contain elastane?

Not necessarily. Jersey fabric can stretch because of its knitted structure without containing any elastane at all.

However, manufacturers often add elastane (also known as spandex) when they want greater stretch and, importantly, better recovery.

Recovery describes the fabric's ability to return towards its original dimensions after being stretched.

This is particularly useful for fitted garments, activewear and clothing that needs to move closely with the wearer.

What fibres can jersey be made from?

Almost anything suitable for knitting into this type of fabric.

Cotton jersey

Extremely common in T-shirts and casual clothing. Cotton jersey combines the softness and moisture absorbency of cotton with the flexibility of knitted construction.

Polyester jersey

Common in uniforms, sportswear and performance clothing. Polyester can provide durability, quick drying and easy-care characteristics.

Viscose jersey

Usually soft with excellent fluidity and drape, making it popular for fashion garments.

Wool jersey

Provides the natural properties of wool in a flexible knitted fabric and may be used in finer knitwear and clothing.

Blended jersey

Two or more fibres can be combined to balance different characteristics.

A cotton/polyester jersey, for example, may combine some of cotton's feel with polyester's durability and quicker drying.

Is jersey warm?

Not necessarily. The warmth of jersey depends on factors including its fibre content, fabric weight, density and construction.

A lightweight cotton jersey T-shirt can be perfectly suitable for warm weather.

A heavier wool jersey can provide considerably more insulation.

So simply seeing "jersey" in a product description doesn't tell you whether the garment will be warm.

What is single jersey?

Single jersey is one of the most common knitted fabrics used in clothing.

It typically has a smooth face with recognisable V-shaped stitches and a different appearance on the reverse.

Single jersey tends to be: lightweight, flexible, comfortable and naturally stretchy, making it particularly suitable for T-shirts and casual garments.

One characteristic of single jersey is that unfinished edges can have a tendency to curl, which manufacturers need to account for during garment production.

What is double jersey?

Double jersey uses a different knitted construction that creates a fabric with two interconnected layers of loops.

It is generally heavier, more stable and more structured than single jersey and can look more similar on its two sides.

Different double-knit constructions exist, so "double jersey" covers a broader family of fabrics rather than one identical textile.

Jersey vs woven fabric

A typical woven fabric tends to be more structurally stable because its warp and weft threads intersect one another.

Jersey fabric uses loops of yarn, allowing the fabric to move and stretch more readily.

That generally makes jersey an excellent choice where comfort and freedom of movement are important.

It's one reason a knitted T-shirt usually feels completely different to a woven business shirt even if both are made from cotton.

What clothing is made from jersey?

Jersey is incredibly common in modern clothing.

You'll find it in:

• T-shirts
• polo shirts
• singlets
• dresses
• skirts
• tops
• activewear
• sportswear
• underwear
• sleepwear
• casual clothing
• some lightweight uniform garments

The exact performance of each garment will depend on what the jersey is made from and how it's constructed.

Why is jersey popular for T-shirts?

Jersey and T-shirts are practically joined at the hip.

The knitted structure provides the softness, flexibility and movement people expect from an everyday tee. It can also be manufactured in different weights, fibre compositions and finishes to create everything from lightweight promotional T-shirts to heavyweight premium styles.

Cotton jersey is extremely common, while cotton/polyester blends and performance polyester jerseys offer different characteristics.

Jersey in uniforms and workwear

Jersey fabrics are particularly useful where comfort and movement are priorities.

You'll commonly encounter them in uniform:

• T-shirts
• polos
• activewear
• sportswear
• casual workwear
• some healthcare and hospitality garments

For businesses comparing uniforms, it's worth looking beyond the word "jersey" to the fibre composition and fabric weight.

A cotton jersey, polyester performance jersey and cotton/elastane jersey might share the same basic knitted construction but behave very differently in day-to-day use.

Why is it called jersey?

The fabric takes its name from the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands, which had a long history of producing knitted woollen textiles.

Jersey knitting was historically associated with practical wool garments, but over time the term came to describe the knitted fabric construction more broadly.

Today, jersey can be manufactured from numerous fibres and is one of the most familiar fabrics in everyday clothing.