What Is GSM Fabric

There are many terms used in the fashion industry. We wanted to share some of them with customers to help them make informed decisions when buying clothes.

What is GSM Fabric

GSM simply refers to the fabric’s weight in grams per square metre. This is done by cutting out a fabric circle with a special cutter and then weighing it on fabric scales. The GSM is a measure of how heavy your garment’s fabric is.

Let me just briefly explain. . . . The raw fibre (cotton/linen/bamboo etc.) is then processed and spun into yarn. The yarn can then be woven or knitted to make fabric.

The final fabric’s weight can vary depending on several factors.

The actual yarn’s thickness

Some yarns can be thicker than others. Microns are used to describe different thicknesses of wool fiber. The finer the wool, the smaller the micron. A yarn made from finer wool would therefore be lighter.

The yarn’s composition

Certain fibers are heavier than others. When spun into yarn, they will be heavier. Bamboo jersey is much heavier than organic cotton jersey. Bamboo is simply heavier.

The weave or type of knitting

Some fabrics have a loose weave, while others are very transparent or sheer. Some fabrics are tighter woven, so more yarn is required.

Fabric is not the same for everyone. The GSM gives us a tangible way to determine whether the fabric is suitable.

How to weigh a fabric

First, cut a circle from the fabric. You will need a cutter (see below). It is best to use two pieces of fabric at a time. You can see the fabric on both sides, so it is best to cut two pieces and average them.

Then, simply weigh the fabric on the fabric weighing plates to determine your GSM.

We weigh the fabrics when we receive new batches. Variance is measured in a range of 5% to 5%.

Our organic cotton Bestowed label includes 3 types of cotton knits to show how relevant this information is.

Our Bestowed tops and dresses (Blythe, Dita, Nasturtium etc.) are made from 100% cotton knit fabric. This fabric is similar to a t-shirt fabric. The fabric is 140-150gSM in weight. This fabric is heavy enough not to be sheer when worn as an evening dress but light enough to wear in the summer.

The superfine cotton knit fabric that we use for our Quirk shrug and Ester cardi, Swivel Top, Swivel tops, loopy scarves, and other products is lightweight and sheer at 60gSM. It is only 1/3 the weight of other fabrics.

Our stretch organic cotton knit uses 8% Lycra to give the yarn more stretch and return. This fabric is used in Trinity pants, leggings, and fitted singlet tops such as Daria. This fabric is also used in many waistbands, Bestowed and RANT. This fabric is 220gSM in weight.

The quality of our bamboo jersey from Australia has changed over the years. We decided to make it heavier to be used for both tops AND bottoms. Lighter batches cannot be used for tops. I believe that the fabric is more durable the thicker it is. A thicker bamboo top will cover more material, making it more flattering to wear. Bamboo jerseys have varied in size from 230GSM to 300GSM. We request 280-300GSM for the new batches we have made.

The GSM will be included in all new products we offer starting this season. This is difficult with some styles, as they have been in production for several seasons. The batches are also different. However, we will try to include this information, so you are fully informed about fabric weights.

GSM is already included in each fabric description for Bestowed garments.