What Is French Terry?

How is French terry made?

French terry is knitted from two yarns: one knits a plain jersey face, and the other floats across the back in loops that are left uncut and unbrushed. CottonWorks, the technical site of Cotton Incorporated, shows those back floats spanning three stitches, while the second yarn knits only jersey on the technical face.

In the trade, French terry is a two-end fleece that has not been napped. Napping raises fibres out of the back loops to make the fuzzy inside of a fleece; French terry is the same kind of knit left without that step. CottonWorks names sweatpants, sweatshirts and other layering sporty garments as its uses. It also adds a technical caveat: French terry is “not technically a terry because floats and not a terry sinker form the loops”.

Where the name comes from

The word terry is recorded in English from 1784, for the loop forming the pile in uncut pile fabrics. Merriam-Webster says it is perhaps a modification of French tiré, “drawn”, so even that origin is uncertain. None of the sources consulted documents why “French” was added, or when and where the knitted fabric was first called French terry.

French terry vs fleece vs terrycloth

French terry is a knit with uncut back loops, fleece is the same type of knit with its back loops napped, and terrycloth is a looped pile cloth built on a ground cloth with extra warp threads.

Usage is not fully settled. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s CAMEO materials database describes terrycloth as a looped pile fabric whose extra warp threads form loops on one or both sides, and defines “French terrycloth” as looped pile on one side and sheared pile on the other. That differs from the apparel trade’s meaning set out by CottonWorks, where French terry is an un-napped knit. On a garment, check the inside rather than trusting the name.

What are the properties of French terry?

French terry stretches as knits do, has a smooth jersey face and a looped back, and is left un-napped, while fleece tends to be heavier.

• Stretch: CottonWorks notes that knits stretch and conform to a change of shape more easily than rigid woven fabrics.
• Seasons: CottonWorks says French terry performs well in all seasons because of its versatility and the lack of napping on the back. Fleece, by contrast, tends to be heavier and suits cold-weather and active garments.
• Weight: French terry comes in various weights, so one piece can feel quite different from another.
• Shrinkage: knits of all constructions and fibre blends are more prone to shrinkage than wovens, because their structure is more open and loose.
• Fibre: the construction name says nothing about fibre. CottonWorks lists fleece, French terry’s napped counterpart, in all cotton, cotton/polyester blends or all synthetic fibres.

How is French terry graded or measured?

French terry has no formal grading scheme in the trade and regulatory sources consulted; you compare it by construction, fibre content and weight.

• Construction: “two-end” means two yarns, the jersey face yarn and the looping yarn. Three-end fleece adds a third yarn (face or ground, tie-in and pile), which CottonWorks calls the most stable and fullest fleece.
• Fibre content: read from the label, which must give percentages by weight (see below).
• Weight: CottonWorks gives no standard range. Compare stated weights between garments where the maker gives them.

How does French terry appear on a clothing label?

French terry is a construction, not a fibre, so it is not part of the fibre disclosure required under US and EU rules; that part of the label names the fibres the fabric is knitted from.

United States

FTC guidance says textile labels must identify fibre content, country of origin, and either the company name or its Registered Identification Number (RN). Each fibre appears by its generic name and percentage by weight, in descending order of predominance.

• Fibres under 5% are generally grouped as “other fiber” or “other fibers”. There are exceptions: wool must always be named with its percentage, and a fibre with a definite functional significance may be named, as in the FTC’s example “96% Acetate 4% Spandex”, where the spandex adds elasticity.
• Spandex may also be labelled elastane; the FTC accepts either name.
• Percentages carry a 3% tolerance, but none applies when a label says the product is one fibre: “100% cotton” must be exactly that.
• Words such as “French terry” may appear alongside the required information, but the FTC says non-required information cannot be deceptive or conflict with the required disclosures.

European Union

Under Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, a multi-fibre product is labelled with the name and percentage by weight of all its fibres, in descending order. Labels must be durable, easily legible, visible and accessible, and in the official language or languages of the member state where the garment is sold, unless that state provides otherwise.

How do you tell good French terry from poor French terry?

Good French terry is what it says it is, has a clean jersey face, and comes with a full fibre and care label; these five checks tell you.

1. Turn it inside out. Small, distinct loops mean French terry. A fuzzy, brushed surface means the loops have been napped, which by the CottonWorks definition makes it fleece, whatever the listing says.
2. Look at the face. The technical face of a jersey-faced knit shows vertical columns of wales, while the back shows the loops. That tells you which side is the face and confirms the jersey construction.
3. Pull it gently across the width. A knit gives and conforms to shape more easily than a rigid woven fabric. If a “French terry” top barely stretches, ask whether it is really a knit.
4. Read the fibre line, not the fabric name. In the US, expect generic fibre names with percentages, the country of origin and a company name or RN. A small named stretch fibre, such as 4% elastane, is there for elasticity.
5. Find the permanent care label. US rules require one on garments. Because knits shrink more readily than wovens, a missing care label is a real gap.

Red flags: a brushed, fluffy inside sold as French terry; “French terry” given as if it were the fibre content; and, for goods sold in the US, a label without fibre percentages, country of origin or a company name or RN.

How do you care for French terry?

Follow the garment’s permanent care label, because the right washing and drying depends on the fibre and on how the fabric was finished. Knits are more prone to shrinkage than wovens, and CottonWorks lists product care among the factors that decide how much a garment shrinks. Mills can reduce residual shrinkage with relaxation dryers, compactors or crosslinking agents, but you cannot see that treatment, so the label is your best guide.

Is French terry sustainable?

French terry has no sustainability profile of its own: its impact depends on the fibres named on the label, so judge it fibre by fibre. One construction point is sourced: French terry is not napped, so it skips the napping finish that turns the same knit into fleece. For fibre-level detail, see the entries on organic cotton and polyester.