What Is Jersey Fabric?

How is jersey made?

Jersey is made by knitting rows of loops with the same stitch, the knit stitch, in every course (row). CottonWorks, the technical site of Cotton Incorporated, defines jersey fabrics exactly that way. Sources differ on the knitting method: Merriam-Webster calls jersey a plain weft-knitted fabric, while the CAMEO materials database at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, says it can be produced as circular, flat or warp knits.

On a circular machine, needles knit around a cylinder and the fabric comes off as a tube; CottonWorks says circular machines are commonly used for single knits. The fibre can be almost anything. Merriam-Webster lists wool, cotton, nylon, rayon and silk, and CAMEO adds other synthetics.

Jersey is also the base of other knits. French terry has a jersey face, with a second yarn floating in loops across the back; brush those loops and the same knit becomes fleece.

Where the name comes from

The cloth is named after Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, and Merriam-Webster dates the fabric sense of the word to 1587. CAMEO describes jersey as first made on the island and says the original versions were wool and worn by fishermen. The sources consulted give no date for when knitting began there.

Jersey and Chanel

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, jersey was more commonly used for men’s underwear until Gabrielle Chanel began to work with it. The Met’s essay says Chanel bought jersey mainly because it was cheap, that much of her clothing was made of it, and that she kept using it because it draped well and suited her simple designs.

Single jersey vs interlock vs double knit

Single jersey is one layer of knit stitches with a different face and back, while interlock and rib are double knits that look the same on both sides and resist curling.

Double knits are heavier because they are made of two separate fabrics, and they use more yarn, which raises their cost. Ponte di Roma is a variation built on interlock. Ribs are covered in their own entry on rib knit.

What are the properties of jersey?

Jersey stretches easily across its width, curls and runs at cut edges, and unravels from both ends.

• Stretch: single jersey’s extensibility across the width is about twice its extensibility along the length (CottonWorks).
• Edges: cut across the width, single jersey curls and runs, and because it is knitted horizontally it unravels from both ends.
• Weight: jersey comes in various weights depending on its use, so there is no single “jersey weight”.
• Drape: the Met records drape as one reason Chanel kept using it.
• Shrinkage: knits of all constructions and fibre blends are more prone to shrinkage than wovens, because their structure is more open and loose.
• Uses: CottonWorks calls jersey the most common knit fabric today and names T-shirts, underwear and swimwear as its uses.

How is jersey graded or measured?

Jersey has no formal grade; it is described by the knitting machine’s gauge, by fibre content and by weight.

• Gauge: the number of needles per inch on the machine. An 18-gauge cylinder has 18 needles per inch. CottonWorks puts standard knits at 20–44 gauge and ultra-fine knits at up to 60 gauge; for cotton, 8–28 gauge is common, with finer gauges up to 44. A higher gauge means more needles per inch.
• Construction: single jersey or a double knit such as interlock (see the table above).
• Fibre content: read from the label.
• Weight: the sources consulted give no standard range, and this entry gives none. Compare stated weights where the maker gives them.

How does jersey appear on a clothing label?

Jersey is a construction, not a fibre, so it is not part of the legally required fibre disclosure; that part of the label names the fibres the jersey is knitted from.

Under US law, FTC guidance says a textile label shows each fibre’s generic name and percentage by weight, in descending order of predominance, along with the country of origin and either the company name or its Registered Identification Number (RN).

• Fibres under 5% are generally grouped as “other fiber” or “other fibers”, with 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”.
• Spandex may also be called elastane, and a fibre trademark may appear only next to the generic name, as in “80% Cotton 20% Lycra® Spandex”.
• Percentages carry a 3% tolerance, but none applies when the label states one fibre: “100% cotton” must be exactly that.
• The word “jersey” may appear alongside the required information, but non-required information cannot be deceptive or conflict with the required disclosures.

How do you tell good jersey from poor jersey?

Good jersey is the construction it claims to be, with a fibre line and a permanent care label that agree with the listing; five checks in your hands and on the label tell you.

1. Find the face. The technical face shows neat vertical columns of loops (wales); the back shows horizontal rows of loop tops (crowns).
2. Look at an inside edge. A cut edge or seam allowance that rolls up points to single jersey. One that lies flat and looks the same on both sides points to interlock or rib, which cost more to make because they use more yarn.
3. Stretch it both ways. Single jersey should give about twice as much across the width as along the length. If a “ponte” or interlock piece stretches and curls like a T-shirt, ask what it really is.
4. Read the fibre line. A small named stretch fibre, such as 4% elastane or spandex, is there for elasticity. For goods sold in the US, expect generic fibre names with percentages, the country of origin and a company name or RN.
5. Find the care label. US rules require care instructions on a permanent label on garments. Because knits shrink more readily than wovens, a missing care label is a real gap.

Red flags: “jersey” given as if it were the fibre content; a label claiming “100%” of one fibre while a hang-tag or listing names a second fibre, such as elastane; 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 jersey?

Follow the garment’s permanent care label, because the right washing and drying depends on the fibre and on how the fabric was finished. CottonWorks lists garment care labelling and laundering practices among the factors behind shrinkage. Mills can cut residual shrinkage with relaxation dryers, compactors or crosslinking agents, and without such measures there is little or no reduction. You cannot see that treatment, so the label is your best guide.

Is jersey sustainable?

Jersey has no sustainability profile of its own: its impact depends on the fibres named on the label, such as rayon (viscose) or polyester, so judge it fibre by fibre. One construction point is sourced: double knits such as interlock use more yarn than single jersey.