Satin fabric guide
Satin T-Shirt Design with AI
A satin t-shirt is a specialist order: ask for stretch satin at 110 to 160 g/m², and expect fewer mills to take it on.
Of the 10 cloths this guide lists for this cut, it sits between silk jersey and polyester jersey in weight.
Next to polyester jersey, it is lighter, more fluid, shinier and more demanding to care for.

Satin T-Shirt at a glance
- Cloth to ask your mill for
- Stretch satin
- Typical weight
- 110 to 160 g/m²
- Drape
- Fluid, falls close to the body
- Stretch
- None
- Breathability
- Low
- Warmth
- Neutral
- Care
- Dry clean
- How common
- Niche, usually a specialist order
- Typical cloth price
- $8-25/yard
Typical trade ranges, not one mill's figures: confirm them with your mill.
The t-shirt, in numbers
- Typical length
- 66 to 74 cm, from the high point of the shoulder
- Defining details
- Crew or V-neck, set-in or dropped shoulder, rib neckband, twin-needle hems
- Cloth needed
- about 1.0 to 1.4 m of 150 cm cloth, roughly $9 to $38 of cloth at typical prices
Typical figures for an adult size M. The pattern tier is set from the real piece count when you order.
How satin behaves on a t-shirt
On a t-shirt it slides over the shoulders and falls close to the body, so the cut needs very little ease and buttonholes want a light interfacing.
At this length a fluid cloth swings at the hem with each step and settles back close to the leg.
It is neither warm nor cool, so it works across most of the year.
The finished piece is usually labelled dry clean only.
The floats snag on jewellery and rough surfaces, and water marks show, which makes it an occasion cloth.
About satin
Satin is a weave, not a fibre: long floating yarns on the face give a smooth, glossy surface over a dull back. It is woven in silk, polyester, acetate and blends.
Duchess satin for bridal wear is a specialist product; charmeuse satin is made widely, in polyester and in silk.
Satin dresses are often lined or underlined, because the floats are delicate and the cloth shows every line beneath it.
Cutting, sewing and color
A fine microtex needle, pins only in the seam allowance and a walking foot; it slips, so cut it single layer.
The sheen lifts color, so a satin and a matte cloth from the same dye lot will not look alike.
Its high sheen catches every fold, so light it from the side and keep the background quiet.
A description to start from
A t-shirt in stretch satin, 110 to 160 g/m², with a fluid drape and a high sheen surface, for most of the year.
If satin is not quite right
- Lighter: Silk, in silk jersey
- Heavier: Polyester, in polyester jersey
- Warmer: Velvet, in stretch velvet
- Easier to care for: Cotton, in cotton jersey
- More structure: Linen, in linen jersey
Also: how the studio works, prices and questions and answers.
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