Tubular or open-width knit fabric for our tees? What changes in fit and quality?
Tubular jersey is finished as a tube and can make tees without side seams. Open-width fabric is slit and finished flat, which allows side seams, more sizes and tighter width control.
A factory offers our basic tee in a cheaper "tubular" version without side seams, or a side-seamed version from open-width fabric. Which should we choose for a retail tee?
Main answer
Jersey is knitted on circular machines as a tube. It can be dyed and finished in tubular form, or slit open and finished flat, called open-width. Tubular fabric lets a factory cut tees with no side seams, using the tube as the body. Open-width fabric is cut into front and back panels joined by side seams. Each route has trade-offs in fit, sizing and quality control.
Tubular tees
Tubular tees save the side seams, which reduces sewing time and cost, and give a smooth side with no seam. But each body width needs a matching tube diameter, so the number of sizes and the body shape are limited, and the body is a straight tube without shaping at the waist. Tubular finishing can also leave crease lines where the tube was folded. Spirality in single jersey shows as the body twisting after washing, with no seam to hold it straight.
Open-width, side-seamed tees
Open-width finishing on a stenter lets the mill set width and control shrinkage and skew more precisely. Side seams let the pattern shape the body, grade sizes freely and use fabric efficiently. This is the common route for retail and fashion tees, at a somewhat higher sewing cost.
Twist and shrinkage
Both routes can twist if yarn and finishing are not controlled. Check bow and skew on fabric with ASTM D3882 and skew change after home laundering with AATCC TM179, and measure tees after washing with a named procedure such as ISO 6330. Check fabric weight with ASTM D3776.
How to choose
Tubular tees suit promotional and budget basics where cost matters most and a straight fit is fine. For retail tees with a shaped fit, several sizes and tight tolerances, open-width fabric with side seams is usually the safer choice. Compare washed samples of both before deciding, and look at the sides and hem after several washes, since that is where differences in twist and shape usually show first.
What to specify
State tubular or open-width finish, fabric width, weight with tolerance, shrinkage and twist limits, and the construction, side seams or none, and keep washed approved samples as the bulk reference.
Sources and further reading
- ASTM D3882 — Bow and Skew in Woven and Knitted Fabrics
- AATCC TM179 — Skew Change in Fabrics After Home Laundering
- ISO 6330:2021 — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
- ASTM D3776/D3776M — Mass per Unit Area (Weight) of Fabric
Standards and rules are summarised from their published scope or official guidance. Use the current edition and confirm requirements for your market.
Three perspectives on this question
Purchasing perspective
I'd ask for both versions priced per finished tee, so the side-seam saving is compared with any fit or quality trade-off.
Merchandising perspective
Our retail tee needs a shaped fit across sizes, so I'd lean toward side seams and use tubular for promo tees.
QC perspective
We'd measure washed tees for body twist and width in every size, and check tubular tees for fold creases.
Working on a similar program?Send your tech pack, fabric references and test requirements. We reply with a quote and the questions we need answered.
Contact Knitwear BaseRelated products
Related articles
- Oversized Hoodie Manufacturer: Drop Shoulder, Body Width and Fit-Block Changes
- Oversized T Shirt Manufacturer: Drop Shoulder, Body Width and Fit-Block Changes
- Clothing Factory Quality Control: Building a QC System Inside the Factory
- Apparel Quality Control Checklist: What It Has to Cover
- T-Shirt Manufacturer China: A GSM and Fabric-Cost Benchmark by Weight Class
- Clothing Sample Development Services: Fit Sample, PP Sample and What to Approve at Each Stage
- The Sweater Manufacturing Process: From Yarn to Finished Knit
- Cashmere Quality Parameters: Micron, Ply, Twist, and GSM Explained
- Sports Bras Wholesale: Support Levels, Sizing, and Fabric Choices
- Pajama Sets for Wholesale: Fabric, Fit, and Gift-Ready Packaging
