Ever since shopping went mostly online, people have become obsessed with GSM, oz/yd, and other numbers and statistics referencing the fabric weight of clothing. One thing i cannot stand is a heavy t-shirt. What purpose does a heavy t-shirt serve? I'm wearing a t-shirt as a base layer, or because it's hot outside, so why would I want it to be thick? Thick shirts don't look good. They have too much structure, they don't drape nicely. They are usually cut in such a way that is entirely unflattering for most people – huge and boxy, oversized, giant sleeves.
I can't remember where I heard this take, but I think it comes from an instagram reel. Because there's no way to feel the clothing with your hands before you buy something online, all we can look at is numbers. Big number = good. 8oz/yd is clearly better than 4.5oz/yd. I strictly think the opposite is true for t-shirts specifically. Of course there's nuance to this argument, but for the most part, a thin gildan t-shirt fits better and is more comfortable than a heavy weight giant boxy monster of a t-shirt, that has a fabric weight more suited to a sweater than a t-shirt.
I would print on the thinnest t-shirts possible if I could. With the only problem being that you need a certain fabric weight to carry a plastisol print. In my opinion, somewhere in the range of 5oz-6oz is a nice medium where you can put a big heavy print on there, but it's not a thick enough fabric to look stupid.
If you have some level of curiosity about this, and you're a heavy t-shirt enjoyer, go out and look for a thin supima cotton t-shirt. Supima cotton is just cotton with longer strands, which makes for a softer and silkier feeling fabric. I think they have some at uniqlo, or you could find an even better something on eBay. I promise they're the most comfortable, the best looking, and the best wearing type of shirt.
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