Two 220 GSM t-shirts can feel completely different.
GSM is the number everyone asks for and the one that explains the least. Here's what actually decides hand feel, drape and lifespan.
What GSM measures
GSM is grams per square metre — the weight of the fabric. A 160 GSM tee is light and airy; a 240 GSM tee is heavy and structured. That's useful for choosing between a summer race tee and a winter streetwear drop. It tells you nothing about softness, pilling, shrinkage or how the colour holds.
The five things that matter more
Combed or carded, ring-spun or open-end. Combed ring-spun cotton is smoother and pills less at the same GSM.
Single jersey drapes; interlock is denser and more stable; French terry has loops; pique has texture. Same weight, different garment.
Bio-wash, special wash and silicon wash transform hand feel. This is where 'premium' is made.
Stitch density, collar rib quality, side seams vs tubular, hem width — the details you feel after five washes.
Pre-shrinking and heat setting decide whether a Large stays a Large.
Your t-shirt didn't shrink because it was cheap. It shrank because nobody controlled the process.
How to specify instead
Tell your supplier how the garment will be worn and washed, and what it needs to feel like. Ask for the yarn, the knit and the finish — not just the number. Then ask for a sample and wash it three times before you approve it.