What You Need to Know About Wholesale T-Shirts

By: ShirtsBargain Posted on: Jun 27, 2025

This comprehensive T-Shirts 101 guide serves as the ultimate resource for understanding wholesale t-shirt fundamentals, covering everything from fabric composition to seasonal applications and care instructions.

T-Shirt Types and Styles include performance shirts with moisture-wicking and anti-odor technologies, raglan sleeves for trendy fits, long-sleeve options, pocket tees, vibrant tie-dye styles, sleeveless tanks, and sustainable options from eco-conscious brands like Allmade.

Neckline Classifications feature the universally popular crewneck for versatile branding and everyday wear, fashion-forward V-necks that enhance accessories, and stylish scoop necks offering relaxed charm and deeper curves for statement-making looks.

Fabric Types form the heart of t-shirt selection. 100% cotton provides breathability and print-friendly surfaces but prone to shrinkage. Polyester offers durability, wrinkle resistance, and moisture-wicking properties ideal for performance wear. Cotton-polyester blends combine natural comfort with synthetic durability at budget-friendly prices. Tri-blends featuring cotton, polyester, and rayon create premium softness with heathered, lived-in aesthetics. CVC (Chief Value Cotton) blends prioritize cotton content for enhanced breathability while maintaining polyester benefits.

Weight Classifications determine seasonal suitability and durability. Lightweight options (3.5-4.5 oz/yd²) suit warm climates and layering, mid-weights (4.5-5.3 oz/yd²) work for everyday promotional use, while heavyweights (5.3+ oz/yd²) provide structured durability for workwear and streetwear applications.

Seasonal Considerations guide fabric selection: lightweight cotton and CVC for summer heat, heavyweight blends for winter warmth, and versatile tri-blends for year-round use.

Care Instructions vary by fabric type, with cotton requiring cold washing and medium ironing, polyester needing low heat to prevent damage, and tri-blends requiring gentle care with inside-out washing and hang drying to preserve their premium feel and appearance.

At ShirtsBargain, we know you're looking for quality, variety, and the best bang for your buck. We're starting with a simple apparel guide to help you find the right kind of apparel wholesale at the best value.

We are going to kick off this series with a T-shirt 101 guide. Consider this your go-to resource for understanding every stitch, fiber, and fit in the wholesale T-shirt arena.

From fabric types that feel like a dream to necklines that amp up the style quotient, we've got the lowdown on everything you need to stock smart and sell big.

What Are the Various Types of T-Shirts?

The shape and cut of a tee dictate its vibe and its ideal customer. Knowing these distinctions helps you pick styles that sell.

Performance T-shirts: T-shirts made with specific fabrics or fabric blends to enhance comfort and performance during physical activities. These tees have better moisture management capabilities, are typically breathable, and can also have features like stretchability, wrinkle resistance, UV protection, anti-odor, and anti-microbial technologies.
Raglan T-shirts: T-shirts with raglan sleeves. You can find soft and trendy raglan shirts in our District t-shirts wholesale collection.
Tie-Dye T-shirts: T-shirts that are subjected to a resist-dyeing process to transform them into vibrant, wearable art. Explore our Port and Company t-shirts collection to find a curated selection of tie-dye tees.
Long-sleeve T-shirts: Like you don’t know. Any t-shirt with long sleeves. Necklines or fabrics don’t matter.
Pocket T-shirts: T-shirts that come with a pocket on the left chest.
Sleeveless T-shirts: T-shirts without sleeves, commonly called tanks or tank tops, that offer a distinctive, fully casual style.
Sustainable T-shirts: T-shirts made sustainably, either with sustainable/recycled materials or by ethical manufacturing practices. Many manufacturers have taken the sustainability route currently, including brands like Allmade. Allmade t-shirts are known for recycled blends and sustainable blank tees.

What Are the Various T-Shirt Neckline Classes?

Crewneck T-shirts: Undeniably the most popular type of t-shirts, crewneck t-shirts have a round, ribbed neckline that works pretty much for everyone. Crewneck t-shirts are great for branding, events, custom merch, and everyday wear. As they say, you can never go wrong with a solid crew.
V-neck T-shirts: V-neck tees are for those who need more flair than crewnecks can deliver. With a ”V”-shaped neckline, this type of t-shirt can enhance style by accentuating accessories like necklaces. Fashion-forward people favor this type of tee, though you don’t see them being used a lot in promotions.
Scoop-neck T-shirts: The scoop-neck T-shirt offers a wider, deeper curve and is preferred by those who want to make a style statement. It has a relaxed charm.

Read our blog on "What are the different necklines" to understand why necklines aren’t a trivial detail.

What Are the Different T-Shirt Fabrics?

A t-shirt’s heart and soul is the fabric. It dictates comfort, durability, seasonal relevance, and how well the t-shirt can take decorations.

Cotton: 100% cotton t-shirts are soft, breathable, and absorbent. They are fantastic for everyday wear and take prints well, particularly suiting specific customization methods. However, cotton is prone to shrinkage and might wrinkle. Our Gildan t-shirts wholesale collection features some of the best-selling budget-friendly cotton t-shirts on the market today.
Polyester: The distinctive trait of 100% polyester t-shirts is durability. High-grade polyester can make t-shirts wrinkle-resistant and give them moisture-wicking properties, unlike cotton t-shirts that don't exactly wick moisture but absorb it. Polyester is the main fabric of activewear, making it a vital component of performance t-shirts. They can feel less natural than cotton, but their functional benefits are huge. Brands like Sport-Tek specialize in polyester tees. Sport-Tek t-shirts are among the most budget-friendly performance tees in the wholesale activewear market.
Blends: Fabric blends typically combine two materials. It can also have a third one to form a tri-blend. T-shirts typically come in cotton-polyester or polyester-cotton fabric blends. The difference here is in the naming convention, where the higher content comes first when you mention the blend. Cotton-poly blends offer the natural benefits of cotton and the practical benefits of polyester, normally at budget-friendly prices. They are most preferred for promotions and general use.
Tri-Blend: Tri-blends are unique among t-shirt fabrics as there are three materials in play. Aside from cotton and polyester, the third material can be rayon, spandex, or something else. They have a pre-worn feel, are very soft to the touch, breathable due to the cotton content, and durable due to the polyester, and a third material can impart additional properties like silky texture, stretchability, etc. These are premium choices with a heathered, lived-in look for brands wanting that cozy, luxe appeal.
CVC: Not exactly a fabric but a fabric specialty, CVC stands for “Chief Value Cotton,” where cotton dominates in a fabric blend, typically cotton-poly blends. It’s usually 60% cotton and 40% polyester. Because of the higher cotton content, CVC tees are inherently very soft and breathable, complemented by the durability and shrink resistance of polyester. They are a step up from 100% cotton t-shirts without going tri-blend. Check out our Bella Canvas t-shirts wholesale collection for top-quality CVC t-shirts at competitive prices.

Read our blog on fabrics to understand all the apparel fabrics in detail.

How T-Shirts Are Classified by Weight?

Usually measured in ounces per square yard (oz/yd²), the weight of t-shirts tells you a lot about the fabric's thickness and feel and if they are suitable for the season.

Lightweights (around 3.5-4.5 oz/yd²): These are generally airy and drape well. They're ideal for warmer climates and layering. Lightweight t-shirts are also thin and can sometimes show what's underneath.
Mid-Weights (Around 4.5 - 5.3 oz/yd²): What you will like for everyday wear. These tees offer reasonable durability, softness, and opacity. Most standard promotional tees fall into this category. Brands like Gildan and Stanley/Stella offer excellent mid-weight t-shirt styles that are popular with printers.
Heavyweights (5.3 oz - 6 oz/yd² and up): They are durable, often have a structured feel, and offer a different level of comfort. Their durability makes them good picks for workwear and streetwear brands. Prints on heavyweight fabrics are comparatively more robust. You may want to check out our blog on "What are the popular heavyweight t-shirts?"

How to Care T-Shirt? Cheat Sheet for Seasonal Shuffles

Understanding the fabrics helps you pick the right tees for the right season.

Summer: Lightweight cotton and CVC t-shirts are ideal for the heat, offering breathability and comfort. This blog can help you with "How to choose the perfect t-shirt for summer."
Winter: Heavyweight cotton and cotton-polyester blends offer warmth and durability.
Year-Round: Tri-blend t-shirts are versatile enough to use year-round.

How to care for your t-shirts to extend their life

How to care for cotton t-shirts: Wash in cold water, tumble dry on low. Iron on medium heat.
How to care for polyester & performance blend t-shirts: Wash cold, tumble dry low, or hang dry. Avoid high heat.
How to care Tri-Blends & Rayon Blend T-Shirts: Wash cold, inside out. Hang dry or tumble dry very low. Iron on low heat only if needed, inside out. Avoid high heat.

You can now source bulk t-shirts at the best value and guide your customers to the perfect t-shirts for their needs. At ShirtsBargain, we're here to help you get top-quality T-shirts at a minimum investment with our low prices. All that’s left is to discover the right styles for the job.