OKEYHAUL Spreadsheet: Jersey, Rib and Interlock T-Shirt Fabrics

How do single jersey, rib and interlock fabrics differ?

Single jersey, rib and interlock describe knitted constructions: arrangements of yarn loops that form a fabric. They can explain a material description in the OKEYHAUL Spreadsheet T-shirt category, while a label such as oversized describes the garment’s cut.

The INFLIBNET textile-learning chapter distinguishes these structures through their loop and needle arrangements. For a reader, the useful differences concern the two fabric faces, the stitch columns and the distinction between body fabric and trim.

Scroll horizontally to view all columns.

Does jersey mean fabric or a sports shirt?

It can mean either. Merriam-Webster gives jersey a fabric meaning and a separate meaning for a sports-team shirt. In a fabric description, single jersey names a knit construction. In a garment name, jersey may identify a sports-shirt style instead.

The word in a product title therefore needs context. Team graphics, numbers or a sports-shirt name do not establish the precise fabric construction. Read a garment name and its material description as different pieces of information.

What is single jersey fabric?

CottonWorks identifies jersey as a common T-shirt construction made in various weights. Its technical face shows vertical stitch columns, while its reverse has a different loop appearance. Technical face and technical back are names for the two structural sides of the fabric.

The educational weft-knitting chapter calls vertical stitch columns wales and horizontal rows courses. Those terms explain the direction of the loops; they are not measurements of a finished shirt. They also help distinguish a fabric’s underlying structure from an added print.

Does a ribbed neckband mean the whole T-shirt is rib knit?

No. CottonWorks lists neck trims among the uses of rib. A T-shirt can use single jersey for the body and a separate rib construction around the neck. The visible band at the neckline therefore describes that component, not every panel of the shirt.

Rib alternates face and reverse stitch columns. In balanced arrangements such as 1×1 and 2×2, the numbers describe the grouping of stitches. They do not state the fabric’s thickness or the garment’s size.

Does rib knit always contain elastane or spandex?

No. CottonWorks’ Digital Cotton Basics includes cotton rib and rib blends with spandex. Rib names the construction; a composition statement identifies the fibres. The knit name alone cannot supply an elastane percentage.

Keeping those descriptions separate also avoids treating visible ribbing as a performance test. A fabric’s appearance does not provide a measured stretch-recovery or shrinkage result for the individual garment.

How does interlock differ from rib knit?

Interlock combines two intermeshing 1×1 rib structures. CottonWorks and the INFLIBNET chapter describe a similar appearance on its two faces. It belongs to the double-knit group but has a different loop arrangement from basic rib.

Two similar-looking fabric faces are a structural characteristic, not a complete quality grade. The name does not disclose the weight, blend or finishing of an individual T-shirt.

How can you read a T-shirt’s fabric description more clearly?

For OKEYHAUL Spreadsheet T-shirts, first establish whether jersey is being used as a garment name or a fabric term. Then separate the body construction from any named trim, with composition and weight where stated.

Cut and graphics remain additional design choices. Keeping those descriptions clear makes it easier to compare the fabric information independently of the print or silhouette.