French Terry Fabric: Characteristics and Breakdown (2024)

It isn’t often that we dig deep to find out how our clothing is made or how to care for it. Usually, we only seek this information when a piece of clothing isn’t performing as we feel it should. More often than not, the clothing we demand the highest level of performance from is our outdoor and/or workout related gear. Some of the best performance gear available is crafted from french terry cloth fabric.

Workout gear isn’t a need for people with active lifestyles; it’s a requirement. If our clothing can’t keep up with us, we’ll be inhibited from moving freely and doing the activities we need to do because of poor clothing choices. French terry cloth is not only an excellent choice for performance gear, but it’s also beautifully constructed and fashionable.

Tasc Performancespecializes in gear for the lifestyle that deems it a necessity. We don’t just make athletic clothing; we make clothing that can be worn all day, keep up with your nine to five, and hit the gym ortrailafter. Not only that, our clothing does it in style. When creating our french terry cloth pieces, we check all the boxes.

  • Comfort. If it isn’t comfortable, you aren’t going to wear it, and you definitely won’t perform as well in anarticle of clothingthat doesn’t move with your body. Our french terry cloth fabric moves and stretches with, utilizing our four-way stretch technology. You’ll never experience binding, bunching, or uncomfortable fibers.
  • Moisture Wicking. If your performance gear can’t effectively remove excess moisture from your body, it’s not really doing much. Our french terry cloth fabric is exceptionally effective at moisture-wicking because it is constructed from a bamboo and cotton fabric blend. Bamboo fabric is naturally moisture-wicking due to the nature of how bamboo grows in the wild.
  • Odor Resistant. Call us particular, but we don’t like workout gear that smells like, well, workout gear. Our bamboo cotton blended french terry fabric has antibacterial properties that allow it to resist mold, mildew, and odor retention.
  • Hypoallergenic.If you have sensitive skin, you may have had reactions to other workout and/or performance-related clothing made from synthetic fabric. These fabrics are generally treated with chemicals that allow them to wick away moisture. Unfortunately, they can be irritating to the skin. Bamboo fabric doesn’t need to be treated with chemical finishes to maintain its performance-related qualities, so if you have sensitive skin or simply want to limit the number of chemicals you expose to your skin, it’s the best option for you.
  • Sun Protection.Our french terry cloth fabric features UV protection without the use of chemicals. Most fabric that claims UV protection achieves this protection by using chemicals sprayed on the fabric to block the sun’s rays. Bamboo is naturally UV resistant, so chemicals aren’t necessary, and the UV protection lasts wash after wash.
  • Easy care. The last thing anyone wants is a bunch of workout clothing that has a “hand wash only, hang to dry” label. Ourperformance clothinggoes in the washer and dryer and comes out wrinkle-free.

Characteristics of French Terry Cloth

We use numerous fabric blends when creating clothes that keep up with your own performance level, but one of our most popular fabrics is french terry cloth. If you’re unfamiliar with textiles, here’s a little background information on how this fabric is made.

Terry clothfabric’s claim to fame is definitely its moisture-wicking capability. Terry cloth is generally made from cotton and cotton blends. Terry cloth features a high loop pile design, which means that the fabric is woven such that the texture is more porous than a normal flat weave fabric. Terry cloth fabric can be made with uncut loop piles or closed loop piles.

French terry cloth is essentially the “sportswear” version of terry cloth fabric because it stretches a bit more than traditional terry cloth fabric and is known for being incredibly comfortable. Unlike traditional terry cloth fabric, french terry cloth is constructed such that the high loop pile is on the backside of the fabric, leaving a smooth finish to the exterior.

French terry cloth is:

  • Excellent at keeping sweat locked away. Because the high loop pile fabric is next to the skin, sweat and moisture are easily wicked away into the fabric, leaving your skin fresh and preventing an excess of dripping sweat while you work.
  • Completely comfortable. The internal finish of french terry cloth is some of the softest material on your skin. The soft finish on the outside of the fabric is smooth and velvety soft.
  • Breathable. Nothing is worse than fabric that traps in body heat when you don’t want it to. Our french terry clothing is more breathable than others because it’s constructed from a cotton bamboo blend. Bamboo fiber contains micro gaps that allow bamboo clothing to allow for better airflow than many other fabrics.
  • Easy care. French terry cloth is an amazing easy-care fabric. It resists wrinkling, so it always looks amazing, even when thrown on at the last minute and can be tossed in the washer and dryer without worries of performance loss.

What is the Fabric Breakdown of French Terry Cloth?

Most french terry cloth clothing you’ll find today is made from some type of cotton/polyester blend. When used as workout or performance gear, you’ll find french terry that is sometimes blended with additional materials to give it added stretch and mobility. With these additional textiles come added weight and the introduction of fibers that may not be odor resistant or moisture-wicking. Many inexpensive french terry cloth fabrics go heavy on polyester and light on cotton and other natural fabrics, making them less “french terry” and more “poly blend.” While it is necessary to include some polyester materials to give french terry cloth enough stretch for proper mobility, we blend our fabric with naturally flexible organic fibers to keep synthetic fibers to a minimum.

Tasc Performance french terry cloth fabric is constructed from a blend of bamboo viscose, organic cotton, and elastane.

  • Bamboo viscose. Our bamboo fabric comes from bamboo that is sustainably grown and crafted in our own patent-pending process that specially releases the natural performance features of bamboo into the end-resulting fabric. This is why our french terry is breathable, moisture-wicking, supremely soft, and features UV protection.
  • Organic Cotton. Crafted from the highest quality, sustainably grown cotton available, our organic cotton pairs perfectly when woven with our bamboo viscose to deliver french terry cloth that is not only performance ready, but also features cloud-like comfort you won’t find in other french terry cloth fabrics.
  • Elastane. Just 4% of our french terry cloth fabric consists of elastane, which means you get the benefit of maneuverability without the weight of heavier polyester fabric blends. Additionally, this allows our french terry cloth fabric to be odor resistant, unlike many performance blended french terry fabrics that are heavily blended with synthetic fibers and chemically treated to add moisture-wicking properties. We don’t have to use chemicals to treat our fabric because bamboo viscose is moisture-wicking naturally.

What Can I Expect from French Terry Cloth Performance Wear?

You can expect supreme comfort and flexibility from your french terry cloth performance wear. And as with most all Tasc Performance pieces, the subtle design and classic styles mean you can wear your favorite gear outside of the gym or off the trail as much as you want. In fact, we bet you’ll end up virtually living in some of our signature legacy pieces, which are highly versatile, feature detailed styling, and as always, are ready to perform the minute you are.

You can also expect to appreciate the ease of care you’ll get from french terry cloth fabric. French terry cloth is wrinkle resistant, which means even if you leave it hanging out in the dryer overnight, a simple “fluff” will bounce the wrinkles out and make it wearable.

Your french terry cloth can be placed in the washer and dryer without the risk of losing vital performance features. For instance, many clothing articles that claim to have UV protection can offer it because they’ve been finished with a chemical spray. That spray deteriorates after numerous washings, and over time, the fabric loses its ability to block UV rays.

Bamboo is a natural UV protectant, and as such, it will retain its UV protection no matter how many times you wash and dry it.

French terry cloth is an exceptional fabric for performance, comfort, and style. Made from a blend of high-quality cotton and bamboo, tasc Performance french terry cloth is breathable, lightweight, moisture-wicking, and UV protectant. French terry cloth moves with our body, so whether you’re holding on to the side of a massive rock, perfecting your downward dog, or simply checking out the local farmer’s market on a Saturday, you’ll look and feel your best. You can count on french terry cloth to be dependable and durable, and easy to care for.

Sources:

https://www.hunker.com/13411478/characteristics-of-terrycloth

https://americanhiking.org/hiking-resources/

https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sun-protective-clothing/

French Terry Fabric: Characteristics and Breakdown (2024)

FAQs

What are the characteristics of French terry fabric? ›

| What is french terry? French terry is a versatile knit fabric with soft loops on the inside and a smooth surface on the outside. This knit has a soft, warm texture you'll recognize from your comfiest sweatshirts to athleisure joggers as well as loungewear.

What is a French terry fabric structure? ›

The French terry is a flexible fabric that is stretchable. It can withstand such rough use and high pressure because it is a knit fabric. The strong structure of the French terry is due to the interlocked loops, which makes it a highly durable fabric.

What are the properties of terry fabric? ›

A high-quality terry fabric must have five important properties: (i) a high rate of water absorption; (ii) a high level water absorption; (iii) quick drying; (iv) excellent mechanical comfort; (v) excellent surface texture. These properties are dominantly affected by the fibre characteristics.

How do you identify French Terry? ›

As we've seen, french terry fabric is identified by having raised loops on the inside, with a smooth outer side. The loops are 'unbrushed'. We all probably have something made from french terry in our wardrobe, whether it's a pair of track pants, a hoodie or jumper.

Is French Terry high quality? ›

French Terry is not only soft and gentle but also remarkably durable. It withstands the test of time and retains its shape, making it an ideal choice for everyday wear.

Is French Terry too hot for summer? ›

While Fall may be when you see the most French Terry out on the streets, it is truly a fabric for all seasons. It can help keep you warm in a Sweatshirt and Joggers, or stay cool in an extra comfy pair of Shorts on a hot Summer's day.

How is French Terry constructed? ›

It's created using wool knitted into loops with soft yarns on the inner edges and inside the garment's interior. The knitter uses this technique to keep the outer surfaces smooth. This results in a soft and absorbent fabric able to be worn year round. The French Terry is generally larger than most t-shirts.

Is French Terry thick or thin? ›

French terry is a midweight material; it's not as thick and heavy against the skin as a traditional sweatshirt material like fleece, but still keeps the wearer warm. Because it is lighter, it has more options for how and when you might wear it.

What is French terry fabric similar to? ›

French terry is a knitted style of fabric that is similar but superior to jersey, velour, or fleece. The defining feature of this textile is the loops on one side only, with soft piles of yarn on the other.

What is special about terry cloth? ›

Terry cloth is one of the most widely used household linen items. It's the kind of material that generally makes bathrobes, towels and towels that we use after the bath or shower, so it's basically meant to dry. In fact, the terry cloth is called so precisely for its ability to absorb large amounts of water.

What are the characteristics of terry wool? ›

Terry is a velvet-like fabric, slightly stretchy with a high pile. It feels very soft and nice against the skin. Generally commercially available in plain colours, occasionally printed. The natural versions generally have a synthetic component - where the backing is polyester to give strength and durability.

What is the structure of terry cloth fabric? ›

Terry Fabric is made from microfibers and shaped into continuous loops. The loops that extend from the fabric bottom are called piles. Those piles help the fabric absorbent and soft. The longer the loops, the better absorbency increases.

What is a French terry also known as? ›

French terry fabric (also known as Loop Back Jersey or Summer Sweatshirt) is a medium weight knitted fabric very similar to jersey. It has a smooth soft surface on one side, and looped texture on the back. French terry is a soft and comfortable fabric to wear any day of the year.

Why is French terry so popular? ›

This feature makes French Terry a great option for activewear. The all-season versatility of French Terry fabric is another factor that contributes to its popularity. It offers natural insulation, making it suitable for cooler temperatures, while its breathability ensures comfort during warmer months.

What is the right side of French terry fabric? ›

French Terry typically features a looped texture on only one side of the fabric and a smooth texture on the other side. Typically, the smooth side of the fabric is considered the right side, though many sewists choose to feature the looped side in their garments for a bit of visual interest.

What is the benefit of French terry fabric? ›

It's an absorbent fabric, with the looped side wicking moisture away fast; each loop will hold many times its own weight in water. This feature is appealing if you want to wear French terry sweatshirts and joggers during summer. But equally, the fabric will keep you warm in cooler weather too.

What does French terry fabric feel like? ›

It's unlike the original Terry Fabric because French Terry has 2 different textures. One side is soft and flat, while the opposite side has loops just like the Terry Cloth.

Is French terry softer than cotton? ›

French Terry fabrics are soft and comfortable fabrics mostly made from cotton. French terry fabrics can be considered medium weight fabrics meaning that they are heavier than the cotton that can be found in most shirts.

Is French terry thick or thin? ›

French terry is a midweight material; it's not as thick and heavy against the skin as a traditional sweatshirt material like fleece, but still keeps the wearer warm. Because it is lighter, it has more options for how and when you might wear it.

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