What’s are the differences in fabric for dress shirts?

Shopping for a dress or buttoned down shirt that can be embroidered with your logo can be a daunting task.  There is so much to consider.  There are colors, feature like easy care, wrinkle resistant, stain resistant, collar types, etc. would make anyone confused.  But then there is the fabric to consider.

The fabric discussion alone is enough to put most people in a tailspin.  The fabric you choose can make the difference between a good shirt choice and a not so good shirt choice.  So that’s why we put together this easy to understand information on fabric types.

It should help you choose the right fabric for your logo embroidered shirt.

Broadcloth

Broadcloth: very similar to poplin–is a tightly woven fabric with a very simple over-under weave and slight sheen, which makes it very dressy. Broadcloths are great for guys looking for as little texture as possible. They are generally a thinner, lighter fabric. (S608)

Chambray

Chambray: Chambray is a plain weave fabric.  That means it has a similar construction to broadcloth, though it is generally made with heavier yarns for a rugged, blue-collar workwear appeal. Generally there will be white threads running in the weft/width direction such that the fabric has an inconsistent color to it.  A chambray is generally heavier and more appropriate for casual wear than dress. (W380)

Denim

Denim: We all know denim as the fabric of our jeans.  But construction wise, denim is a twill fabric.  A sturdy, possibly coarser twill.  For the most part thought, you’re mostly going to find much softer, lighter versions of the fabric then what your jeans are made of. (SP10)

Dobby

Dobby:  Dobby (which is very similar to Jacquard, although technically different) can vary widely. Some versions are quite similar to broadcloth in terms of thickness and weight, while others can be thicker or woven to almost look like twill. Many dobby fabrics have stripes woven into them, although some are solid colors. The solid colors tend to have a faint stripe or dotted patterns woven in the same color as the base cloth.

End-on-End:  End-on-end broadcloths are a very popular type of dress shirt fabric with a distinct contrast coloring. Woven with colored thread in the warp and white thread in the weft, it looks like a true solid from a distance, but has more texture when seen from up close. Typically a lighter weight fabric, it’s a great choice for those living in warmer climates.

Oxford

Oxford:  Oxford is very similar to pinpoint oxford, except it uses a slightly heavier thread and looser weave. It has a slightly rougher texture but is more durable than most fabrics. A symmetrical basket weave where one yarn may cross two yarns. Oxford cloth has recently become quite popular used in casual button down oxford shirts. (8970)

Pinpoint Oxford 

Pinpoint Oxford: Pinpoint (also referred to as pinpoint oxford) has the same weave as oxford cloth, although it uses a finer yarn and tighter weave. It is more formal than oxford cloth, but less formal than broadcloth. Pinpoint fabrics are generally not transparent and are slightly heavier and thicker than broadcloths. Because of their heavier construction, pinpoints are fairly durable fabrics. A great choice for business shirts. (RH240)

Nailhead

Nailhead Woven: Consists of a solid background and color with little pinheads’ (or small nailheads) of fabric spaced at regular (and very small) intervals. The effect of this pattern is that the background color tends to overshadow the nailhead pattern.  (RH370)

Royal Oxford

Royal Oxford:  Royal Oxford is what we call a “pretty fabric”. Although the name is similar, it is not at all similar to pinpoint oxford or oxford cloth. It is a dressy fabric with a distinctive shine and texture. With a more prominent weave than broadcloth or pinpoint, it’s ideal for those interested in a dress or formal shirt with visible texture. (MCW00142)

Twill

Twill: Definitely one of our favorites, twill could be the perfect dress shirt fabric. Twill is easily recognizable because it will show diagonal lines or texture. It is generally slightly shiny. Because of the diagonal texture twill is a bit softer than broadcloth and will drape more easily. Twill won’t give you the same “crisp” look that freshly pressed broadcloth can, but it’s relatively easy to iron and resistant to wrinkles.

Poplin: Poplin is so similar to Broadcloth that we decided not to distinguish between the two in our fabric descriptions.  For all practical purposes you can equate the two.  They are both a plain weave fabric that is going to be quite thin, smooth and flat.  The amount of shine on a poplin can vary from fabric to fabric.  That said, technically Poplin is different than Broadcloth in that Poplins can have different weight yarns in the warp and weft while broadcloths will have a symmetrical construction. (W100)

Pricing for Custom Logo Embroidery: It doesn’t have to be so complicated.

Pricing custom logo embroidery services can be a very daunting and confusing adventure.

So you are ready to purchase some embroidered logo apparel. You go a Google search and find a number of companies from which can meet your needs.  You find a shirt that will work for your company so now you want to know the price.  But as you try and figure out how much it will cost to have your logo embroidered onto a polo shirt, you discover the pricing for custom logo embroidery can be a process in itself.

There are basically two different methods to price custom logo embroidery.

Stitch Count

In this method, the price is determined by the number of stitches it takes to create an image in embroidery.  The theory is the more stitches it takes, the longer it is on the embroidery machine and therefore it would cost more.

You would see this pricing method referred to usually as “$1 per thousand stitches” for example.  In this formula, a logo with 10,000 stitches would cost $10 to embroider on a shirt.

Part of the buying decision for customers is figuring out the price of an item.  Some companies make this very complicated.  For example, this is the embroidery pricing found on a competitor’s website.

Custom embroidered apparel or cap prices include up to 6 colors per logo, up to 10,000 stitches for the 1st logo, and up to 5,000 stitches for additional embroidery locations.

$0.35 for every 1,000 stitches exceeding 10,000 stitches, per piece* (regardless of quantity purchased)

What happens if my design has 7 colors in it?  Then what is the price?

I am in the business and I am not sure I understand how that pricing would work.  I can’t imagine if I were a customer just wanting a few polo shirts for my company this would make any since.

Pricing by stitch count has its advantages.  For the embroidery shop, it is a very accurate way to cover the costs of production.

But there are two very distinct disadvantages with a stitch count pricing method.  The only way to actually know the stitch count, and therefore the price, is to have the logo set-up or digitized.  That can be a time consuming process-it may even take a day or two.  How does that pricing method make is easy for a customer to make a buying decision?

Secondly, the customer really has no idea of how many stitches it takes to create their logo.  Only the embroidery shop knows the true number so this method is less than transparent.  Information is power and in this case the customer has no information or power in this transaction.

Flat Pricing Method

The other pricing method is one that we at Thread Logic have employed since the start of our company. It is a flat pricing method.

Under this method, the cost for the custom embroidery of a logo is a flat fee and it not determine by stitch count.  This makes it much easier for the customer to understand when making a decision about logo embroidered apparel.

In fact, we take it one step further; we include the cost of logo embroidery right in with the cost of the item that is to be embroidered.  That way it is very easy and transparent way for customers to make a quick and educated buying decision.

Every item on our website includes the embroidery of the logo.  It’s that simple.  No need for a quote.  No need to figure out stitch counts.

Flat pricing for custom logo apparel takes away all the disadvantages of pricing by stitch count.

So why don’t more embroidery shops use this method?  That is a good question.  The answer lies in the old traditions and practices of the industry.  Pricing by stitch count has been around for decades and is a commonly accepted practice within the industry.  It is driven by a cost account philosophy of pricing and not a customer friendly philosophy.

The flat pricing model is something we have used at Thread Logic from the time we started the company.  The feedback we get from customers on it has been very positive for the reasons stated above.  I would dare say it is one of the best marketing decisions we have ever made.