Knits yarn into loops instead of a weave, so it stretches, drapes close and curls at cut edges.
Also called: cotton jersey, knit fabric
The basics
What to know about jersey
Jersey names a construction, not a fiber. Any yarn can be knitted into it: cotton, viscose, polyester, wool or a blend of those. A machine builds the cloth from one continuous yarn looped through itself row after row. That is why the face shows fine vertical lines and the back shows small horizontal waves. Turn a tee inside out and you can see both sides of the same structure.
Loops give stretch with no elastic fiber present at all. Pull a jersey tee sideways and the loops flatten and spread, then relax back. A woven shirt in the same cotton has nowhere to go and simply resists. Stretch comes free, but recovery does not. That means most jersey now carries 3 to 5 percent elastane to stop knees and elbows bagging out by evening.
Weight decides how a jersey garment behaves. Around 120 to 150 grams per square meter it is a summer tee that shows every line beneath it. At 180 to 220 grams it hangs away from the body and can hold the shape of a fitted dress. Single jersey also curls at any raw edge, because the loops pull the fabric toward the back. That is why hems are turned and stitched rather than left cut.
Washing is easy and pressing is not. Machine wash warm, but tumble drying is where cotton jersey loses its length, so dry low or lay it flat. A snag pulls one loop out of line and can run a ladder along the whole row. Hook the loose loop through to the inside with a pin, and never cut it off.
In photos
Jersey on real products
See this option on different products. Open a photo for a larger view, or select the name to read its guide.
Jersey comes off a circular knitting machine, a rotating cylinder set with hundreds of latched needles that pull each new loop through the row below. The output is a continuous tube of cloth, either slit open for flat cutting or left whole for tubular tees with no side seams. Because one yarn feeds a whole row, a single break can drop a ladder down the fabric.
Fiber comes first. Cotton, viscose, polyester or wool is spun into yarn, dyed either as yarn or after knitting, then fed to the needles. Finishing sets the final width and the shrinkage. Cotton jersey is usually compacted, a steam and pressure step that pulls the loops closer before you buy. It can also be brushed on the back to raise the soft fleece used in sweatshirts.
Best for
When it works well
Tees and casual dresses start here, because the loops move with you and need no extra seam room for stretch.
Travel packing favors it, since jersey shakes out of a suitcase with far fewer creases than woven cotton.
Anyone who avoids ironing gains most, as the textured knit face hides small creases that would show on a smooth woven shirt.
Fitted styles work in the heavier weights, because 200 grams per square meter holds a shape a thin tee knit cannot.
Sensitive skin does well in soft cotton jersey, as the looped surface has no stiff yarn crossings to rub against.
