What Is French Terry Fabric? A Guide for Custom Clothing Brands

French terry is a soft, mid-weight knit fabric with a smooth flat surface on one side and small loops on the other. The loops are what give french terry its signature soft, slightly textured feel against the skin, while the smooth face makes it easy to print, embroider, and sew. It is one of the most popular fabrics for custom hoodies, sweatshirts, joggers, Loungewear Sets, and lightweight pullovers.

What Is French Terry Made Of?

French terry is most often knit from cotton, polyester, or a cotton-poly blend. Cotton french terry is soft, breathable, and comfortable on bare skin, which is why it is widely used for loungewear and casual wear. Polyester french terry is more durable, dries faster, and holds color better through repeated washing. Cotton-poly blends combine the hand feel of cotton with the strength and shape retention of polyester, and they are the most common choice for year-round custom hoodies and sweatshirts.

At Sharon, french terry is developed at our own fabric mill, which means we can adjust fiber content, yarn count, fabric weight, and finishing based on each buyer's target market and price point.

How Is French Terry Different from Regular Terry Cloth?

Both fabrics are called "terry," but they behave differently. Regular terry cloth, often called "terry toweling," is built with loops on both sides and is usually heavier, more absorbent, and used for towels, robes, and beachwear.

French terry is built with loops only on one side. The other side is a smooth knit, which makes the fabric lighter, more breathable, and better suited for garments that need to drape cleanly. This is why french terry is the standard material for sweatshirts and hoodies, while regular terry is rarely used for the same products.

If you are sourcing fabric for a hoodie line, you can see how french terry compares to fleece, another common sweatshirt material, in our french terry vs fleece comparison guide.

What Is French Terry Used For?

French terry is most widely used for casual and athleisure apparel that needs to feel soft, breathe well, and hold its shape. The most common end uses include:

• Pullover hoodies and zip-up hoodies

• Crewneck sweatshirts

• Joggers and pull-on sweatpants

• Loungewear sets and matching co-ords

• Lightweight layering pieces for spring and summer collections

• Casual dresses and tops that need a soft, structured knit

For brands building a year-round sweatshirt line, french terry is usually the default fabric for the spring and summer drops, with fleece reserved for the heavier fall and winter pieces.

Common French Terry Fabric Weights

Fabric weight is one of the easiest ways to control the hand feel and the season a sweatshirt is built for. French terry is usually described in grams per square meter (gsm). The common weight ranges for custom hoodies and sweatshirts are:

• 180–220 gsm — lightweight french terry, ideal for summer layering tops, dresses, and thin joggers

• 220–280 gsm — standard french terry, the most common range for year-round hoodies, crewnecks, and loungewear

• 280–340 gsm — heavier french terry, used for premium hoodies and fall/winter pieces that need more structure

Heavier weights give a more structured drape and a "premium" feel, while lighter weights are softer and more breathable. Choosing the right weight depends on your target market, your retail price point, and the season you are producing for.

Is French Terry Good for Hoodies?

French terry is one of the best fabrics for hoodies, especially for brands targeting year-round wear, athleisure, loungewear, and lightweight streetwear. The smooth face prints and embroiders cleanly, the inside feels soft against the skin, and the fabric holds its shape through normal wear and washing.

Compared with fleece, french terry is lighter and more breathable, which makes it a better choice for spring, summer, and indoor wear. For cold-weather collections or heavyweight streetwear, fleece is usually a better fit. Many brands sell both fabrics across the year to cover different seasons and customer preferences.

If you want to see the two side by side, our french terry vs fleece comparison guide walks through the key differences in weight, warmth, durability, and best use.

How to Customize French Terry Hoodies for Your Brand

Custom french terry hoodies can be developed in a few steps. A simple path from fabric selection to bulk production looks like this:

1. Confirm fiber content and weight — pick cotton, poly, or blend, and the gsm range that fits your target season.

2. Send your design or reference — a sketch, image, reference garment, or tech pack is enough for the manufacturer to start pattern work.

3. Approve fabric and lab dip — request a fabric swatch and color lab dip before cutting samples.

4. Review samples — check fit, weight, stitching, and any print or embroidery placement.

5. Place bulk order — confirm quantity, packaging, labeling, and shipping plan.

Sharon supports this process end to end, from fabric sourcing at our own mill to pattern making, sampling, printing, embroidery, and bulk production. We also coordinate private label trims, hang tags, and packaging as part of the same production run.

Conclusion

French terry is a versatile knit fabric that works for hoodies, sweatshirts, joggers, loungewear, and a wide range of casual apparel. It is soft, breathable, easy to decorate, and can be produced in cotton, polyester, or cotton-poly blends at multiple weights to fit different seasons and price points.

If you are planning a french terry collection, Sharon develops and produces custom french terry hoodies, sweatshirts, and joggers from our own fabric mill with low MOQ trial orders and full OEM/ODM support. Send us your fabric weight, color, and quantity requirements, or read our french terry vs fleece guide to choose between the two most common sweatshirt fabrics. Our team will reply within 24 hours with a development plan and a quote.