Polo shirt fabric
Polo Shirt Fabric: Pique, Jacquard and Stretch Knits
A polo is judged at the collar and the chest: how the face looks, how the placket holds and how the knit recovers. Twenty of our fabrics name polo shirts on their product pages, 100 to 240 g/m², in pique, jacquard, mesh and jersey faces; 6 contain spandex (10–18.5%). We hold dated, lot-referenced test records for 10. Product-page data checked on 6 November 2026.
Which fabric for your polo?
Mibein's opinion, drawn from the weights, compositions and function statements on the product pages; not test results or a guarantee. Cut a sample polo in your color before you commit.
| If you are making… | Start with | Weigh against it |
|---|---|---|
| A classic pique polo with a clean collar | TT25356 (180 g/m², mini pique, page says it resists pilling), TT25133 (135 g/m², double-face pique with wicking), TT2568-7 (145 g/m², light, soft hand, business-commute) | Pique looks and feels different from cotton pique; judge the collar and hand on a sample. TT25356 has pilling and snagging grades below |
| A structured polo that holds its shape | XWJ2101 (200 g/m², warp-knit two-tone seersucker, 16% spandex), C25145 (240 g/m², structured check, 10% spandex), XWT1513 (105 g/m², three-dimensional jacquard) | Structure comes from the knit, not a guarantee of shape retention; heavier fabrics are generally warmer to wear |
| A sporty polo where wicking and quick-dry matter | TS25166 (135 g/m², horizontal rib, UPF 50+ listed), XWT1520 (135 g/m², check jacquard), XWT1526 (165 g/m², double-knit mesh, breathable) | Wicking is a function statement unless a result is shown; TS25166 has a wicking report, published on our performance T-shirt fabric page |
| A business-casual or commuting polo | Z35308 (145 g/m², jacquard pique, 18.5% spandex, opaque listed), Q36508 (170 g/m², nylon blend, 13% spandex, good drape), P35132 (130 g/m², woven-look) | A woven-look or high-spandex knit will not look identical to a cotton polo; check opacity in light colors |
| A lightweight summer polo | TP25178 (100 g/m², woven-look), P35065 (115 g/m², horizontal stripe, cotton-look), XWT1513 (105 g/m²) | Very light fabric can show body shape and sweat marks; TP25178 has one UPF lot below its requirement |
| A relaxed, cotton-feel polo | C23462-2 (155 g/m², Sorona stretch), XWP1016 (145 g/m², single jersey), J35410 (180 g/m², 15% spandex, four-way stretch) | A cotton-like hand is a manufacturer description; judge it against the cotton polo you are replacing |
| Polos where UPF matters | TS25166 (UPF 50+ listed), TP25178 and TT25356 (UPF reports held, but their pages do not list UV protection) | UPF applies to the tested lot and color; one TP25178 lot did not meet its requirement (below). The TS25166 and TT25356 UPF values are on our performance T-shirt fabric page |
Weight, as our working guide (general guidance, not an industry standard): under 120 g/m² very light summer polos (3 fabrics); 120–149 light everyday polos (7); 150–179 mid-weight (4); 180 and above more body and structure (6). Weights are not comparable across constructions, so choose by the sample garment, not the number.
Golf? Six of these fabrics also name golfwear on their product pages (XWT1512, XWJ2101, TT2568-7, TT25133, C25318E, C25145). Golf has its own page; for a golf polo, start with XWT1512, TT2568-7 or TT25133.
Three questions before you choose
General guidance and Mibein's opinion, not test results.
- Pique, jacquard or jersey?Pique and jacquard give a polo its textured, structured look (6 of the 20 are pique); jersey and woven-look knits read softer and flatter.
- How much stretch?6 contain spandex; of the other 14, one states Sorona stretch (C23462-2) and the rest state spandex-free or knit stretch, or none.
- What quantity?Product pages state MOQ 150–400 kg per color and flexible supply for smaller orders; tell us your quantity first.
Collar, placket and trim
General guidance and Mibein's opinion, not test results.
Collar and cuffs. Where a polo has a knit collar and cuffs, they need to recover as well as the body does and match its shade; plan the collar knit and the body together and check dye lots side by side.
Placket and interfacing. A textured pique or jacquard face holds a placket differently from a flat jersey; decide your placket interfacing and test it on the sample.
Uniform or team polos. Decide how many washes the polo must survive and ask for a result after repeated washing; we publish none for these fabrics.
Common mistakes
General guidance and Mibein's opinion, not test results.
Judging the collar on the roll. Collar curl shows in the garment, not on the swatch.
Skipping the decoration test. Test your embroidery or print on a scrap of the actual fabric; textured faces such as pique and jacquard take them differently.
Reading a function as a result. Wicking, UV protection and anti-static are product-page statements unless a result is shown in the tables below or on the linked performance T-shirt page.
Assuming UPF carries across lots. TP25178 shows why: two lots passed and one did not.
Skipping the wash test. Wash a sample polo before you approve bulk and compare size, shape and color. We publish no shrinkage result for these fabrics.
To request samples, send: the garment (polo, long-sleeve polo, golf polo), season, weight band, fit, decoration (embroidery or print), color range, the function that matters most and expected quantity.
Full specifications: the 20 fabrics
For fabric developers and technical teams. The last column lists the kinds of dated, lot-referenced test record we hold (laboratory, date and lot or color recorded); a listed kind does not mean the result met its requirement or that its values are published (see the note under the test table), "wicking" includes the quick-dry measures, and values are published in the table below or on the linked performance T-shirt page. Functions on the product pages are statements, not test results: 9 list moisture-wicking, 8 quick-dry, 11 cotton-feel, 6 UV protection, 5 anti-static.
| Fabric | g/m² | Composition | Stretch as stated | Test records held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TP25178 | 100 | 100% Polyester | Knit stretch | UPF, colour fastness, other |
| XWT1513 | 105 | 100% Polyester | None stated | pilling, snagging |
| P35065 | 115 | 100% Polyester | None stated | pilling, snagging |
| P35132 | 130 | 100% Polyester | Knit stretch | none |
| TS25166 | 135 | 100% Polyester | None stated | UPF, air permeability, colour fastness, other, wicking |
| TT25133 | 135 | 100% Polyester | Spandex-free stretch with good recovery | none |
| XWT1520 | 135 | 100% Polyester | None stated | pilling, snagging, wicking |
| TT2568-7 | 145 | 100% Polyester | None stated | none |
| XWP1016 | 145 | 100% Polyester | None stated | none |
| Z35308 | 145 | 81.5% Polyester / 18.5% Spandex | Stretch with good recovery | none |
| C23462-2 | 155 | 100% Polyester | Spandex-free stretch with good recovery (Sorona®) | colour fastness |
| XWT1512 | 165 | 100% Polyester | High spandex-free stretch with excellent recovery | colour fastness |
| XWT1526 | 165 | 100% Polyester | None stated | none |
| Q36508 | 170 | 87% Nylon / 13% Spandex | Rich spandex stretch with good drape | none |
| C25318E | 180 | 86% Polyester / 14% Spandex | Rich stretch and recovery | pilling, snagging |
| J35410 | 180 | 85% Polyester / 15% Spandex | Four-way stretch with strong recovery | none |
| TT25356 | 180 | 100% Polyester | Spandex-free stretch with good recovery | UPF, pilling, snagging, wicking |
| XWJ2101 | 200 | 84% Polyester / 16% Spandex | Polyester-spandex stretch | wicking |
| XWT1527 | 219 | 100% Polyester | None stated | none |
| C25145 | 240 | 90% Polyester / 10% Spandex | Rich stretch and recovery | none |
Weights are as listed; tolerance is not recorded here. "Other" covers record kinds such as antibacterial or composition analysis.
Test results we hold
Specifications come from the public product pages; the results below come from our internal records, and the reports are not reproduced here.
| Fabric | Test | Method | Result | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TT25356 | Pilling / snagging grade | GB/T 4802.1-2008 (round-track, 10 raising and 50 pilling cycles, 490 cN) / GB/T 11047-2008 | Pilling 3-4; snagging length / width 2-3 / 2 | GTTC, 09# dark grey, lot JG240906003, 2 Dec 2024 / 30 Nov 2024 |
| XWT1520 | Pilling / snagging grade | GB/T 4802.1-2008 / GB/T 11047-2008 | Pilling face 4-5, back 4-5; snagging length / width 4 / 4-5. Report states pass (requirement in our records: pilling 3-4 face, 3 back; snagging 3 or higher) | Bureau Veritas, 06# deep blue, lot 260508050, 12 Jun 2026 |
| XWT1513 | Pilling / snagging grade | GB/T 4802.1-2008 / GB/T 11047-2008 | Pilling face 4-5, back 4-5 (pass; requirement 3); snagging length / width 3-4 / 3-4 | Bureau Veritas, two reports: 901# dark grey, lot 260918007, 29 Sep 2026 (pilling); natural white, lot 260721024, 31 Jul 2026 (snagging) |
| P35065 | Pilling / snagging grade | GB/T 4802.1-2008 (round-track, 490 cN) / GB/T 11047-2008 | Pilling face 4, back 3-4; snagging face 3-4 / 4 (length / width), back 4 / 2-3 | GTTC, colour pale porcelain blue (translated from the record), lot 250218035, 7 Mar 2025 |
| C25318E (matched by report file name) | Pilling / snagging grade | GB/T 4802.1-2008 (round-track, 10 raising and 50 pilling cycles, 490 cN) / GB/T 11047-2008 | Pilling 3-4; snagging length / width 4 / 2 | GTTC, royal blue, lot 241114019, 5 Dec 2024 / 6 Dec 2024 |
| TP25178 | UV protection, three lots | GB/T 18830-2009 | Lot H240110008 (21# mist white, before washing): UPF average 166, UVA 1.16%. Lot H240121003 (black): UPF average 191, UVA 0.80%. Both report pass. Lot J24031701 (mist white): UPF average 50, minimum 46, UVA 6.44% — report states not met (requirement: UPF >40, UVA <5%) | GTTC, 3 Apr 2024 / 23 Mar 2024 / 23 Mar 2024 |
| TP25178 | Color fastness to washing, perspiration, water, rubbing | FZ/T 73020-2019 | Report states pass for each; grades are not recorded here | GTTC, navy, lot J231104051F2, 23 Jan 2024 |
TS25166 and TT25356 UPF and TS25166 wicking results are published on the performance T-shirt fabric page. GTTC and Bureau Veritas are the laboratories named in our records (accreditation not recorded here). Each result applies only to the sample, color and lot named. Records that lack a recorded date, lot or color (and in some cases the laboratory) are not counted in the column above or the table. One of them, a CTI report for P35065 whose date, lot and color are not recorded in our index, states pilling not met; another P35065 report (black, 31 Mar 2025, laboratory not recorded) states grade 2-3, pass. We also hold further records, for example wicking reports for XWT1520 and XWJ2101 and a wicking record for TT25356, that are not published here; contact us with your fabric and color to ask what records exist. No other pilling, snagging, UPF or wicking value is published for the other fabrics on this page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best fabric for polo shirts?
There is no single best. Pique and jacquard knits give the classic textured polo look; stretch and wicking help active wear. See the recommendation table above and judge on a sample garment.
What GSM is best for polo shirts?
Our working bands, general guidance and not an industry standard, put summer polos under 120 g/m², everyday polos at 120–179 g/m² and structured polos at 180 and above. See the fabric weight guide.
Can I embroider or print on these knits?
It depends on the face. Textured pique and jacquard faces can behave differently from a flat jersey, and we publish no embroidery or print test. Test your design on a scrap of the actual fabric; contact us with the fabric and your decoration method.
Will the fabric pill or snag?
It depends on fabric, color and finish. The pilling and snagging grades published on this page are for TT25356, XWT1520, XWT1513, P35065 and C25318E; see the note under the test table for an unpublished P35065 record. Ask whether a result exists for your fabric and color. See pilling grade explained.
MOQ, lead time and samples
Product-page statements, not order commitments: MOQ 150–400 kg per color (the pages also say about 500–1,000 m per color; which figure applies to a given fabric is not stated); dyed stock ready to ship anytime; greige in stock 15–25 days; no greige in stock 35–45 days. For samples the pages say "When the fabric is in stock, we can meet virtually every sampling request." Ask us whether a report exists for your fabric and color.
Contact us
Tell our fabric experts the polo you are planning: the face, the weight band, the decoration and the tests you need.
- The face
- The weight band
- The decoration
- The tests you need