Our yarn-dyed stripe tees have stripes that do not line up at the side seams and the dark stripes stain the light ones. What do we check?
Stripes need pattern rules, not just a fabric order. Specify the repeat and matching points, test dark-on-light staining after washing, and check skew and shade per lot.
Our navy and white stripe tees look wrong: stripes do not meet at the side seams, and after washing the white stripes look grey-blue. What should we ask the mill and factory?
Main answer
Yarn-dyed stripes are knitted from yarn that was dyed before knitting, so the stripe colours are built into the fabric. They are more labour-intensive than printed stripes and bring two special risks: stripes that do not line up where garment pieces meet, and dark yarn that bleeds into light yarn in washing. Both can be controlled by specification.
Stripe repeat and matching
The repeat is the distance over which the stripe pattern repeats. If the repeat is not fixed and the stripe height varies from roll to roll, cutters cannot match stripes. Specify the repeat, the stripe sequence, and the tolerance on stripe height. Decide which seams must match, for example side seams and sleeve to body at the chest, and tell the factory in the tech pack. Matching usually needs more fabric and slower cutting, so expect cost.
Cutting and marking
Ask the factory how it will cut: single layer or with pattern-matching aids. Check a pre-production sample for stripe alignment at the matching points. Remember that skew changes where the stripes land: AATCC TM179 measures skew change after home laundering, and a fabric that twists after washing will pull stripes out of line even if they matched when cut.
Bleeding between stripes
When dark yarn is next to white, any loose dye can stain the white after washing. ISO 105-C06 reports colour change and staining on adjacent fabrics after laundering. Ask for staining results on the actual stripe fabric, not only on a plain dyed fabric, and wash finished garments with a named procedure such as ISO 6330 to see the real effect. If staining is poor, ask the mill to improve the washing off of the dark yarn or to choose a different dye.
Shade between lots
Yarn dye lots can vary, so a reorder may look different. Approve each lot against a sealed sample and, where several lots go into one order, keep garments from different lots out of the same carton. Check fabric weight with ASTM D3776 and compare stripe width between rolls.
What to write in the order
Give repeat, stripe sequence, tolerance, matching points, fibre, weight, a minimum staining grade and skew limit. Keep a washed approved garment as the reference.
Sources and further reading
- ISO 105-C06:2010 — Colour fastness to domestic and commercial laundering
- 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 get the mill to confirm the stripe repeat and tolerance in writing and price the extra fabric the factory needs for matching.
Merchandising perspective
Stripes that meet at the seams look expensive, and ones that do not look wrong, so I'd define the matching points on the tech pack.
QC perspective
We'd wash finished stripe tees and check staining on the light stripes, skew and stripe alignment against the approved sample.
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.
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