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Wool fabric guide

Wool T-Shirt Design with AI

Mills make wool t-shirts regularly, usually in merino jersey at 150 to 200 g/m².

Of the 10 cloths this guide lists for this cut, it sits between linen jersey and cotton jersey in weight.

Next to cotton jersey, it is lighter, more fluid, warmer to wear and more demanding to care for.

T-shirt in merino jersey, on a model in a studio
Rendered in the studio for this page

Wool T-Shirt at a glance

Cloth to ask your mill for
Merino jersey
Typical weight
150 to 200 g/m²
Drape
Soft
Stretch
Slight
Breathability
High
Warmth
Warm
Care
Dry clean
How common
Common
Typical cloth price
$15-80/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 $16 to $120 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 wool behaves on a t-shirt

On a t-shirt it skims the body without clinging, and gathers at a yoke or a cuff sit softly instead of standing up.

At this length a soft cloth moves gently at the hem and falls in loose folds.

It wears warm, which places it in autumn and winter collections.

The finished piece is usually labelled dry clean only.

It recovers from creases overnight and resists dirt, but it felts if washed hot and moths eat it in storage.

About wool

Wool is the fleece of the sheep: springy, warm even when damp and naturally resistant to odour. Fine merino feels soft against skin, while coarser wools give tweed and melton their body.

Fine merino comes mostly from Australia and New Zealand; Biella in Italy and Yorkshire in England are known for fine worsted cloths.

Wool dresses, skirts and tailoring are usually lined in viscose or cupro so they slide and do not itch.

Cutting, sewing and color

An 80/12 needle; wool shapes with steam, so ease a sleeve head or a curve with the iron rather than with extra seams.

It takes acid dyes evenly, and heathers and marls come from blending dyed fibres before spinning.

Its surface is matte, so it photographs evenly under flat light.

A description to start from

A t-shirt in merino jersey, 150 to 200 g/m², with a soft drape and a matte surface, for autumn and winter.

If wool is not quite right

Also: how the studio works, prices and questions and answers.

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