GSM and stitching: a buyer's cheat sheet

GSM and stitching: a buyer's cheat sheet

The longer-form pieces on heavyweight GSM and cotton variants cover the why. This piece is the cheat sheet, designed to be printed, pinned next to the procurement desk, and referred to when a supplier sends a spec sheet.

Eight checks the spec sheet has to clear before the order goes out.

Check one: fabric weight in GSM, per item

The single number. Below the category threshold, the garment reads as a giveaway regardless of price.

If the spec sheet does not state GSM in grams per square metre, send a written request and stop the order until the number arrives. A supplier who cannot give you GSM in writing within a working day is a supplier whose product is not specified.

Check two: fibre composition

What the GSM is actually weighing.

The acceptable answers for company merch apparel:

• "100 percent GOTS certified organic combed ring spun cotton" (best).
• "100 percent organic cotton, GOTS certified" (next best; the spinning method may be combed or carded).
• "85 percent organic cotton, 15 percent recycled polyester, GOTS and GRS certified" (good for technical fleece).
• "65 percent organic cotton, 35 percent recycled cotton, GOTS and GRS certified" (good for performance lines).

What stays out:

• "100 percent cotton" without an organic certification (conventional cotton).
• "Polycotton blend" without specifying recycled polyester (virgin polyester is the upstream cost story you want to avoid).
• "Sustainable cotton" without a certification programme named (marketing language).

Check three: certification number per supplier

A GOTS or GRS certification covers a specific supplier facility for a specific period. The certification number is the unique identifier.

The number lets the buyer verify on the public register:

• GOTS at public.globalstandard.org. Search by certification number, business name, or country.
• GRS or RCS at textileexchange.org/standards. The TE Tracer Hub covers chain of custody.
• FSC at info.fsc.org. Public certificate search.

A supplier who lists a certification but cannot share the number is either reselling certified product without their own chain of custody, or relying on an old certification that has lapsed. Both are red flags.

Check four: country of origin per supplier

Where the fibre was woven and where the garment was sewn. Both matter for traceability, lead time, and the audit trail.

The acceptable shapes for company merch:

• "Cotton woven in Portugal. Garment sewn in Portugal. Print applied in the UK." (Norma default for apparel.)
• "Cotton woven in Turkey. Garment sewn in Turkey. Print applied in the UK." (Norma occasional for some styles.)
• "Paper milled in Sweden, FSC certified. Notebook bound in Lisbon." (Norma stationery.)

What stays out:

• "Sourced from a global supply chain" without specific countries.
• "Made in Asia" without a specific country (lazy answer that hides a long upstream).
• A country of origin on the spec sheet that does not match the certification register entry.

Check five: print method per placement

The method on the spec sheet should match the artwork shape.

Method to artwork mapping:

• DTG (direct to garment): full colour, photographic, fine gradient. Cotton apparel. Soft hand feel after the second wash.
• Screen print: two to four solid colour blocks at volume (250 units and above per artwork). Durable, vivid, slightly raised hand.
• Embroidery: single colour or two colour solid logo on cotton or wool. Outerwear, polos, headwear. Durable but not suited to fine detail.
• Foil stamp: single colour metallic or pigmented foil on paper or board. Hardback notebooks, business cards.
• Engrave: permanent surface removal on metal or hardwood. Bottles, pens, awards.
• Sublimation: full colour print infused into polyester. Technical synthetic apparel only; does not work on cotton.

A spec sheet that pairs the wrong method to the wrong artwork (e.g. DTG on polyester, screen print on a 12 colour photographic image) is a sign the supplier is winging the production specification. Push back in writing.

Check six: stitching specification

Where most spec sheets go quiet.

Three stitching standards to write into the order:

1. Body and sleeve hem: double needle stitched at 1.5cm. Reduces curling and adds weight to the hem.
2. Cuff and waistband (hoodies and sweatshirts): triple needle stitched ribbing at 5cm depth. Holds shape after fifty washes.
3. Shoulder seam reinforcement: taping at the shoulder seam reduces stretch and prevents the garment from twisting after washing.

A spec sheet that lists "standard finishing" rather than the three specific items is a sign the supplier uses whatever the factory defaults to. Ask for the three items in writing before the order.

Check seven: tag and label composition

The inner neck label or tag is the first thing the recipient touches.

Three acceptable shapes:

1. Printed inner neck label (best): the brand mark and care instructions printed directly onto the inner neckline. No itch, contemporary detail.
2. Woven side seam label (good): a small woven tag at the side seam, away from the neck. The inner neckline is clean.
3. Soft sewn label at the inner neck (acceptable): a soft woven label, sewn flat. Less premium than the first two but acceptable.

What stays out: a scratchy plastic care label sewn at the centre inner neck. The recipient will cut it out within the first wash.

Check eight: packaging specification

The packaging is part of the product. A heavyweight tee in a plastic poly bag reads as a giveaway.

The acceptable shapes:

• Outer mailer: FSC certified kraft, paper tape only. No plastic mailers, no plastic void fill.
• Inner wrap: unbleached cotton tissue or recycled paper wrap. No plastic polybag.
• Tag or band: a small kraft tag with the size and the brand mark. Optional but signals intent.

A supplier who ships in plastic polybags is not set up for premium kit programmes. The packaging spec needs a written change request before the first order.

The print and pin checklist

Before the next merch order, the spec sheet should clear all eight checks in writing:

• GSM per item, in grams per square metre, above the category threshold.
• Fibre composition with named certifications.
• Certification number per supplier, verifiable on the public register.
• Country of origin for fibre weaving and garment sewing.
• Print method matched to the artwork shape per placement.
• Stitching specification: double needle hem, triple needle cuff, shoulder taping.
• Tag and label composition: printed or woven, not plastic.
• Packaging specification: FSC kraft outer, cotton or paper inner, no plastic.

A supplier who clears all eight is a supplier worth a long term programme. A supplier who clears five is a supplier worth a short pilot with explicit conditions. A supplier who clears three is a supplier to walk away from.

For the long form on GSM, see the heavyweight GSM guide. For the long form on cotton, see cotton variants for company merch.