A Fabric Guide To Embroidered Polo Shirts

Embroidered polo shirts are a mainstay of our business and the embroidery machines are always busy embroidering logos and wording onto our superb range of polo shirts. As with all the types of clothing we supply, the choice in polo shirts has expanded to such a level that the hardest part of ordering an embroidered polo shirt is selecting which one to use to display your embroidered logo.

So, what are those choices and how will your choice of polo shirt fabric affect the finished embroidered polo shirt product. As a rule polo shirts come in 3 main fabric types, 100% cotton, polyester and cotton mixture and 100% polyester. In general, the more cotton in the fabric the more comfortable it is to wear and provides a superior feel next to the skin. Inserting polyester adds durability to the polo shirt and allows it to be washed at higher temperatures whilst still maintaining the shirts shape and colour. A further advantage to polyester is the wicking capabilities of the fabric which means this is often a fabric of choice when designing polo shirts for sport and exercise.

What we at JKL need to know is how each fabric affects the embroidery that is stitched onto it? All fabrics react differently when embroidered. This is in partly affected by the size and number of stitches within a single embroidered logo and also the weight of the fabric. Polo shirts made from 100% cotton or with a polyester and cotton mix rarely provide any issues to embroidery. The only fabric type that can sometimes cause problems is when we are embroidering onto 100% polyester made polo shirts. Depending on the weight and size of the embroidered logo or lettering these polo shirts can sometimes pull and distort when stitched making the polo shirt look miss-shaped and also the embroidery look uneven due to the fragile surface of the garment. There are ways in which we can counteract the fabric of the embroidery, mainly by adding backing paper to the logo. This stiffens the area to be embroidery and provides a suitable base on which to stitch the logo.

Our recommendation at JKL Clothing is to select a polo shirt fabric that is at least 50% cotton and has a weight of 180gsm minimum. We have found that an embroidered logo onto a polo shirt made from this standard of fabric performs best. The main brands we supply also appreciate this and it is reflected in our best selling ranges from Fruit of the Loom, Gildan and Kustom Kit.