Choices can often overwhelm – so here’s a bit of information about the differences between the two bases we offer, and the benefits of each!
Firstly, lets talk the word ‘bases’ – all I mean when I say this is the type of fabric the design is printed on – the base of the fabrics. As I said last in last week’s blog post – the composition of the fabrics used doesn’t change, it will always remain as a 95% cotton, 5% elastane blend!
Jersey
The Jersey base we use has a weight of 210g/m^2 which makes it the perfect year round weight – not too thin to be unusable in winter and not too thick to be too hot in summer!
Jersey itself if a single knit fabric, smooth and soft on both side. It has exceptional stretch and recovery, meaning that it doesn’t go baggy, unlike the kind of material most store bought t-shirts and some leggings are made from. This means that there is a great reduction in clothing going out of shape – and in ‘saggy knees’ in leggings.
Good quality knit fabrics which contain a good elastane blend are more expensive to purchase, but the pay off is, in my experience, more than worth it.
French Terry
Similar to the Jersey fabric we use, with the same base. Our French Terry comes with a weight of 250g/m^2, making it a heavier weight than the Jersey.
French Terry is also a knit fabric, and is soft on both sides. However, the inner side to French Terry is loop backed, meaning that it traps air and is a great insulator keeping you nice and toasty, without being too heavy.
What are their uses?
Both of these fabrics can be used for any of our items, depending on what you want/need.
Jersey is the perfect choice for leggings/rompers/dresses/skirts all year round, and is the only fabric I would suggest for the pants and bucket hats. It also makes a great light weight jumper for those typical British in between weather days!
French Terry is the perfect choice for warmer clothing – great all year round for jumpers and perfect for making warmer rompers, dresses or even leggings! It makes a great lounge set if you pair one of our jumpers with a pair of leggings too! One of my favourite sets is the Lounge Sweater with a pair of Super Slim Harems, but the joy of handmade to order is you can choose your own combos!
When are they available?
Jersey is available all year round – if it’s in stock then normal dispatch times are applicable.
French Terry is a little different – it is available to be ordered all year round, but there is a slight caveat. During Spring/Summer if you require an item in French Terry then I ask that you email to confirm this as I will order in as requested. During Autumn/Winter there will be a few options available in French Terry, in this case normal dispatch times apply, however if you require another design to be printed then an extra TAT will be needed – please email me if this applies to you!
What about ribbing?
You may have noticed last week that I slipped in another term – ribbing. This is another 95%/5% knitted composition, but is milled in a round. This is something that I use for some neckbands – namely the pull on romper! This is because it has excellent stretch, meaning that it can withstand being pulled up the body and returns to it’s neckband size!
So thats it! A brief overview of the fabrics we use, and why we use them!
I hope that has been helpful, and that it has answered any questions you may have had.
If you have any more questions, or you just want to say hi, then leave a comment below.
Next week we’ll take a look at why it’s so important to shop British this year, and I’ll share with you a few of my favourite small businesses!
Until next time, A x