Custom Streetwear Guide: How to Choose Right Fabrics Weight

Want your streetwear brand to make a splash on the trend scene? Fabric grammage (GSM, grams per square meter) could be your secret weapon! As a streetwear manufacturer with 18 years of experience in customized streetwear production, providing customized consulting to more than 2,000 brands such as Playboy, BOOHOO, etc., we have witnessed how grammage weight can give a garment a unique soul.

Imagine wearing a T-shirt as light as a feather for a summer day, or a sweater as thick as armor for a tough look. Grammage determines the thickness, drape and durability of a garment, directly affecting the wearing experience and brand personality. Take Supreme for example, its classic Box Logo T-shirt is made of 180-200 GSM cotton fabric, which is light and breathable, and perfectly fits the casual attitude of skateboarding culture; while the 400 GSM fleece cotton sweatshirt is thick and sturdy, and has become an iconic item on the streets in fall and winter. The right gram weight not only enhances the quality, but also gives your brand story a deeper meaning.

Whether you're a startup brand or looking to expand your clothing line, gram weight choices should be made with your target market and season in mind. Want to create a summer pop-up similar to Supreme? 180-200 GSM is ideal. Want to replicate its fall/winter hardcore style? 400 GSM delivers a premium texture. Now, are you ready to breathe soul into your brand with gram weight?

The beauty of streetwear is that it tells a story, and fabric weight is the backbone of that story. From lightweight tees to heavyweight jackets, each weight plays a unique role in the 2025 trends. Let's take you on a journey through the world of grammage trends with real brand examples! What kind of story does your brand want to tell?

Stüssy's Lightweight Legend: Stüssy's 160 GSM Organic Cotton Logo T-Shirt is a classic of skate culture. The lightweight and breathable fabric makes it a summer street favorite, and with its relaxed fit and brightly colored logo, it's the perfect way to show off a free-spirited attitude. Its thin 200 GSM jersey is soft enough to be worn in multiple layers, and WGSN predicts that these lightweight fabrics will account for 30% of the streetwear market by 2025. Have you ever wondered how to create a summer pop-up with lightweight fabrics?

Off-White's Vintage Magic: Off-White's 250 GSM ring-spun cotton twill T-shirt achieves a vintage-washed look in a medium-weight fabric, combined with a street-art graphic that's easy to take from daytime to party. This fabric combines comfort and structure for all-season wear at a great price point. Wondering why Off-White tees are always on trend? The secret to the medium-weight is that it can be worn alone to show off your personality or as a layering stalwart.

Toughness from Carhartt WIP: Stepping out into the streets for fall/winter, Carhartt WIP's 350-400 GSM heavyweight cotton work jackets and pants are known for their abrasion-resistant twill fabrics. Heavyweight fabrics provide a stiff fit, perfect for the hardcore work ethic favored by European streetwear enthusiasts, and BoF 2024 reports that heavyweight fabrics are growing by 20% in the high-end street market. Does your brand want to create a hardcore aura?

Veja's eco-pioneers: eco-friendly is not just a trend, it's the future of streetwear. veja's 200 GSM recycled cotton t-shirt combines bio-based materials for lightweight comfort and a minimalist design with an eco-label that appeals to the green-conscious trend setter. the Global Textile Report 2024 reveals that 70% of consumers prefer to opt for sustainable fabrics. Do you want your brand to be an eco-friendly trendsetter?

Different fabric weights have their own advantages and disadvantages, how to choose the best brand for you? The following comparison table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of 150-400 GSM fabrics, their applications and representative brands to help you make a quick decision. Does your brand need to be light and breathable or heavy and hardcore?

Choosing the right fabric grammage is the first step in customizing your streetwear. In my 10 years of customizing for brands such as Supreme and Kith, grammage is not only a technical parameter, but also a carrier of the brand's story. Here are three guides to help you find the perfect fabric through our customer case studies and industry insights. Are you ready to pick the grammage for your brand and create a street-ready look?

Grammage selection is a direct reflection of brand positioning. From fast fashion to high street, each positioning has its own weight preference. Here are our insights: 

As a full-service streetwear manufacturer with 18 years of experience, we have worked with over 2,000+ brands, including international brands such as Playboy and Boohoo, and therefore offer a full range of services from fabric selection to finished product delivery. Here are our core strengths to help you turn gram-weight selection into brand success.

Supreme's 180 GSM lightweight T-shirts to Fear of God's 380 GSM heavyweight sweatshirts, grammage is the secret weapon of streetwear to convey the story of your brand, so choosing the right grammage of fabrics can help to elevate the tone of your brand. Do you want your brand to be the next Supreme or Fear of God?