You picked a hoodie fabric by name.

Then the sample came back wrong.

Too thin. Too warm. Too fuzzy. Not what you pictured.

The problem usually isn’t the factory. It’s the words.

“Fleece,” “French terry,” and “loopback” get thrown around like they mean three clean, separate things. They don’t.

One of them is a trap word. Two of them are often the same fabric.

And the difference that actually changes how your hoodie feels, drapes, prints, and sells gets lost in the noise.

This is the decoder:

By the end, you’ll know exactly what each name means, when the names overlap, and which structure suits your product.

We’ll cover construction, the GSM ranges that matter, warmth, drape, and durability side by side.

How each takes print and embroidery, what each costs and why, and how to spec the structure so cleanly your sample comes back right the first time.

No fluff. Let’s decode it.

Chapter 01

Why “Fleece” Is a Trap Word?

Start here, because this is the root of the confusion.

“Fleece” isn’t one fabric:

“Fleece” is a category, not a construction. It’s a loose word for any fabric with a soft, fuzzy surface.

It can mean a brushed cotton sweatshirt interior.

It can mean a synthetic polar fleece jacket.

Those are completely different materials.

So when a brand says “I want a fleece hoodie,” a factory can hear three different things.

That’s the first crack where orders go wrong.

“French terry” and “loopback” are usually the same thing:

Here’s the part most guides won’t tell you plainly.

French terry and loopback are two names for the same basic construction.

Smooth face on the outside. Uncut loops on the inside.

The UK and Europe tend to say “loopback.” The US tends to say “French Terry.”

Ask a sourcing pro whether loopback is just another name for French terry, and the answer is yes.

There are minor distinctions some mills draw. We’ll get to those.

But if you think loopback and French terry are two unrelated fabrics, you’re already off track.

Brushed fleece starts life as a loopback:

This is the key that unlocks everything.

Every sweatshirt fabric begins as a loopback knit.

The loops sit on the inside.

Leave those loops intact, and you have French terry or loopback.

Brush them open with wire and combs, and you get brushed-back fleece.

Same starting fabric. One extra step.

 

The real fork:

The question isn’t “terry or fleece.” Are the loops left intact, or are the loops brushed open? That single fork decides warmth, weight, drape, and how your hoodie photographs.

Now let’s take each one in turn.

Chapter 02

French Terry: The Looped-Back Base

This is your year-round option. Start here if you want one fabric that works across seasons.

What is it actually?

French terry is a knit fabric with two faces.

The outside is smooth and flat, like a clean jersey.

The inside has small uncut loops.

Those loops are made by laying an extra yarn into the knit.

Part of the stitch stays raised, forming tiny loops on the technical back.

The loops sit on the inside only. The outside stays smooth.

That’s why a printed logo lies clean on the face while the loops do their job out of sight.

Why does it breathe?

The loops trap a little air for moderate warmth.

But because they’re uncut and open, air still moves through. That’s the trade.

French terry gives you warmth without the suffocating feel of a heavy brushed lining.

It’s the fabric people reach for when they don’t want to overheat. It’s also absorbent.

The loops pull moisture away from the skin, a bit like the loops on a towel.

That makes it a solid pick for athleisure and gym hoodies.

The GSM that matters:

Weight is the single biggest lever in French terry.

Here’s the working map for hoodies.

For the full picture, see our guide to choosing hoodie GSM.

French Terry · Weight Map
GSM
220–280
Lightweight. Spring hoodies, layering, warm climates. Less hood structure.
280–320
Midweight. The sweet spot for most adult and kids’ hoodies.
330–400
Heavyweight. Winter hoodies and oversized cuts with substantial drape.
450–500
Premium heavyweight. The trending “heavy” streetwear hoodie. Sculptural.
200 300 400 500 550

For most bulk programs, 280-320 GSM gives the best balance of consistency and seasonal flexibility.

Where does it shine?

French terry holds a clean, structured drape. The shoulders sit right.

The hood stands instead of collapsing.

It also resists pilling well, because the loops stay intact and the fibers stay secure.

And it doesn’t get that thin, overwashed look that cheap hoodies develop.

If your brand leans minimal, premium, or athletic, this is your default.

Chapter 03

Loopback: Same Family, Real Distinctions

You now know loopback and French Terry are the same core construction.

So why give loopback its own chapter?

Because the small distinctions people draw under the “loopback” label are worth understanding.

They affect feel, structure, and price.

The naming nuance:

“Loopback” describes the effect directly: a back full of loops. It’s the older, more technical term, common in UK and European sourcing.

When a buyer says “loopback,” they often mean a cleaner, more classic, retail-ready uncut-loop fabric.

Frequently in higher-grade cotton. Often positioned as the premium, fashion-forward choice.

When a buyer says “French terry,” they usually mean the same thing in more casual, US-market language.

Same fabric. Different accent.

Loop size and structure:

Here’s where a genuine spec difference lives.

The loops can be fine and small, sometimes called baby terry.

Or they can be larger and more pronounced.

Smaller, denser loops feel smoother and more refined.

Larger loops feel more textured and add a touch more interior volume.

Some mills also knit loopback at a slightly heavier hand than a basic French terry, with a more substantial loop.

So two fabrics with the same name can still feel different.

Loop height and density are real specs, not marketing.

Why does it feel “structured”?

A good loopback relies on yarn quality and knit tightness, not on brushing, to feel good.

That’s the point of difference. It earns its hand from combed, ring-spun cotton and a clean knit. No fuzz needed.

That gives Loopback a crisp, breathable, structured feel that holds up wash after wash.

It’s the choice when craftsmanship and longevity matter more than instant coziness.

The practical takeaway:

Don’t treat “loopback” and “French terry” as a fabric decision.

Treat them as a vocabulary decision, then spec the things that actually vary: loop height, loop density, GSM, and fiber grade.

That’s what separates two “French terry” samples that feel nothing alike.

Chapter 04

Brushed-Back Fleece: The Cozy Option

This is the warm one. The fabric most people picture when they think “hoodie.”

What brushing does?

Take a loopback knit.

Run the inside against wire brushes and combs.

The loops get torn open into a soft, fuzzy pile.

That pile is the whole point. It’s called the nap.

The face stays smooth. The inside turns plush.

Brush it lightly, and you get a thin, soft layer.

Brush it hard, and you get a thick, lofty one.

Why is it warmer?

The nap traps air in thousands of tiny pockets. Trapped air is insulation.

That’s why brushed fleece feels instantly warm the moment you put it on.

French terry can’t match that hit of coziness, because its loops are still closed.

For cold-weather collections, this is your fabric.

Cotton, poly, or blend:

Brushed fleece comes in cotton, polyester, or a blend.

Cotton fleece feels natural and soft, with the trade-off of more shrinkage.

Polyester and poly-blend fleece dry faster and resist shrinkage but can feel less breathable and are more prone to pilling over time.

An 80/20 cotton-poly blend is one of the most ordered hoodie fabrics because it balances softness, stability, and cost.

The GSM that matters:

Brushed fleece tends to run heavier than French terry because the nap adds bulk.

Brushed Fleece · Weight Map GSM
280–320

Everyday midweight. The most common custom hoodie weight.

330–360

Substantial midweight. Strong structure and warmth.

380–450+

Heavyweight. Premium, oversized, cold-weather positioning.

200 300 400 500 550

Sourcing trap:

Brushing changes the finished weight. Always confirm whether a quoted GSM is measured before or after brushing. Getting this wrong is one of the most common early sampling errors.

The downside:

Brushed fleece pills and sheds more than intact loopback, especially at high polyester content. Over time the fuzzy interior can mat or thin.

So coziness comes at a small durability cost. Worth knowing before you build a premium line on it.

Chapter 05

The Fourth Name That Trips Everyone: Polyester Fleece

Quick but important. This is the trap inside the trap.

When some people say “fleece,” they don’t mean brushed sweatshirt fabric at all.

They mean polar fleece. Microfleece. The stuff of zip-up outdoor jackets.

That’s a fully synthetic fabric, usually from polyester, often recycled.

It’s brushed on both sides. It has no smooth jersey face.

It’s light, water-resistant, and barely shrinks.

It is not a hoodie sweatshirt fabric, and it behaves nothing like the three structures above.

Why flag it?

Because if your tech pack just says “fleece,” a supplier could quote you polar fleece.

Name the construction, not the vibe.

Chapter 06

Warmth, Drape, and Durability Compared:

Here’s the centerpiece. One table to settle the structure question.

This is intact-loop French terry/loopback versus brushed-back cotton fleece at comparable hoodie weights.

Structure comparison · at comparable hoodie weights
Property French Terry / Loopback Brushed-Back Fleece
Interior Uncut loops, textured Brushed nap, fuzzy
Warmth Moderate breaths High traps air in nap
Breathability High Lower
Drape Cleaner, structured Bulkier, softer
Hand feel Crisp, substantial Plush, cozy
Pilling resistance Higher (loops intact) Lower (nap mats over time)
Typical hoodie GSM 220–500 280–450+
Best season Spring, fall, mild winter, year-round Autumn, winter
Brand fit Minimal, premium, athletic Cozy, mass-market, streetwear warmth

How to read this?

Warmth and breathability sit on a seesaw.

Brushing buys warmth and costs breathability.

Leaving loops intact does the reverse.

Drape follows the same logic.

Intact loops give a cleaner, more structured fall.

The nap adds softness and bulk.

The durability point worth repeating:

Pilling is the most common consumer complaint about hoodies.

Intact loopback wins here. The fabric stays locked in the loops.

Brushed fleece, having been roughed up by design, has a looser surface fabric.

Add polyester, and the pilling risk climbs.

So if you’re building for longevity and repeat customers, the structure choice is also a returns-and-reviews choice.

Don’t read GSM in isolation:

A 240 GSM French terry, a 240 GSM jersey, and a 240 GSM fleece feel completely different after cutting, washing, and wearing.

GSM tells you weight. It doesn’t tell you structure, drape, or warmth on its own.

Always pair the number with the construction.

Chapter 07

Which Fabric Suits Which Season and Style:

Now match structure to the product you’re actually building.

Lightweight summer and athleisure hoodies:

Go French terry, 220-280 GSM.

It breathes. It wicks. It won’t cook the wearer during a workout or on a warm evening.

This is the gym hoodie, the spring drop, and the layering piece.

Brushed fleece here would be a mistake. Too warm and too heavy for use.

Year-round everyday hoodies:

French terry or loopback, 280-320 GSM.

This is the safe, versatile core of most ranges.

Warm enough for cool mornings.

Light enough not to overheat indoors.

Clean enough to print and sell across seasons.

If you only stock one hoodie fabric, this is it.

Cold-weather and cozy collections:

Brushed-back fleece, 320-450 GSM.

When the selling point is “wrap yourself in warmth,” the nap delivers it instantly.

Autumn and winter drops, loungewear, and comfort-first lines.

Premium heavyweight streetwear:

Heavy French terry, 400-500 GSM.

This is the trending move in 2026.

Weight signals quality the second a customer lifts the garment.

The loopback structure adds density without turning rigid, so the hoodie sculpts the shoulders, and the hood stands right.

Brushed fleece can go heavy too.

But for the structured, premium, “quiet luxury” silhouette, heavy loopback is the streetwear default.

A worked example:

Say you’re a streetwear label launching a 12-piece capsule for a mild climate.

You want one hero hoodie that sells from March through October.

You print a small chest logo and embroider a sleeve mark.

The call is easy now. Midweight French terry, 300 GSM, combed cotton.

It breathes for the warm months. It holds a clean drape for the cool ones.

The flat face takes your chest print crisp, and the dense knit keeps the sleeve embroidery sharp.

Swap in heavy brushed fleece, and you’d cook your customers half the year, blur the small print, and pay more to ship the extra weight.

Same hoodie shape. Wrong structure.

Quick mental model:

Breathable and structured → French terry/loopback.

Warm and cozy → brushed fleece.

Heavy and premium → heavy loopback.

Match that to your climate, price point, and brand before you spec a single number.

Chapter 08

How Each Takes Print and Embroidery:

This is where the wrong fabric quietly wrecks a good design.

Decoration behavior is a real decision input.

The face is what you print on:

All three structures share a smooth outer face.

That’s the surface your print or embroidery lands on.

The interior difference still matters, though, because it changes how stable and dense that face is.

Screen printing and DTG:

French terry and loopback print crisp. The flat, uniform face takes ink cleanly.

Lines stay sharp. Even at high GSM, the ink lays bold without sinking into the knit.

The intact loops on the back also give the face a stable foundation against the platen.

Brushed fleece depends on how hard it’s brushed.

Lightly brushed fleece prints almost as cleanly as terry.

Heavily napped fleece can blur fine detail because ink settles between the raised fibers and edges soften.

The rule: test each style.

See our full breakdown of screen print vs DTG vs DTF vs embroidery. Don’t assume all fleece or all terry prints the same.

Puff print and DTF:

The smooth terry face takes puff print and DTF transfers reliably.

Transfers adhere strongly to a flat surface.

On heavy terry, DTF is often more predictable than DTG, which needs careful pretreatment on cotton-rich knits.

Embroidery:

This is where the two structures genuinely split.

Brushed fleece is excellent for dense, bold embroidery.

Its loft and thickness give the stitches a stable bed and hide show-through.

Great for chunky logos and patches.

French terry and loopback shine on fine, intricate text.

The flatter, denser surface keeps small stitches crisp, stops the surface puckering, and holds outlines clean.

It’s why premium brands lean on terry for sharp embroidered hoodies.

The stabilizer point:

Both embroider cleanly with the right backing.

That’s the variable that matters most, more than the interior itself.

On Terry, a medium cutaway backing is standard.

On heavyweight fleece, the pile can shift under the needle, so embroiderers step up to a heavier cutaway to stop registration drift.

Always request a sew test before committing to a production run.

One sample protects the whole order.

Matching design to fabric:

If your identity is bold chest prints and big embroidery, brushed fleece flatters it.

If your identity is minimal, with sharp small logos and a premium hand, French terry or loopback is the smarter base.

Specify the fabric to the decoration, not the other way around.

Chapter 09

What Each Costs, and Why?

Cost isn’t a single number. It’s a set of levers.

Understand the levers, and you can predict the quote.

If you want to decode a supplier’s numbers, read how to read a manufacturing quote.

Why do French terry and loopback often cost more?

Two reasons.

First, the knitting. Making loops is slower and uses more yarn than a plain knit. More yarn and more machine time mean more cost.

Second, the fabric. Quality loopback is often built from combed, ring-spun cotton, a higher grade than the carded cotton common in budget fleece. Better fabric, higher price.

That’s why a premium 100% cotton loopback sits at the expensive end.

Why can budget fleece come in cheaper?

Brushing adds a finishing step, which adds cost on its own.

But mass-market fleece often uses cheaper carded cotton or polyester, knit and finished at scale for bulk promotional and casualwear programs.

That pushes the per-unit price down.

So “brushed” doesn’t automatically mean “pricier.” The fiber grade and order scale usually decide it.

The GSM multiplier:

Heavier fabric costs more, two ways.

More fabric per square meter means more material cost. And a heavier finished garment means a higher shipping cost.

A 500 GSM hoodie isn’t just warmer than a 300 GSM one.

It’s meaningfully more expensive to make and to move.

Why do exact per-meter numbers mislead?

A single quoted price tells you almost nothing on its own.

Fabric cost swings on fiber blend, cotton grade, GSM, dye method, certifications, order size, and region.

A by-the-yard retail price and a bulk mill price live in different worlds.

So don’t anchor on one number you saw online.

Anchor on the levers: structure, fiber grade, GSM, and volume. Then get quotes against a precise spec.

Positioning logic:

Premium combed-cotton loopback → top of the range, premium brand.

Heavy 100% cotton French terry → expensive, but that is the streetwear weight customers pay for.

Cotton-poly brushed fleece → the value workhorse for warmth at scale.

Your fabric choice is a margin decision as much as a feel decision.

Chapter 10

Five Sourcing Mistakes That Ruin a Hoodie Order:

Most failed orders trace back to the same handful of errors.

Avoid these, and you skip most rerolls.

01: Writing “fleece” and nothing else

The word means brushed cotton, poly blend, or polar fleece, depending on who reads it.

A vague brief invites a wrong quote. Always name the construction.

02: Trusting GSM as the whole spec

GSM is one number on a fabric with many variables.

Same weight, different loop height, different fiber, different garment.

Pair the number with structure, fiber, and finish every time.

03: Forgetting the pre-brush vs. post-brush question

On brushed fleece, brushing shifts the finished weight.

If you don’t confirm whether the quoted GSM is before or after brushing, your sample lands heavier or lighter than planned.

04: Skipping the pre-shrink spec

Cotton-rich knits can shrink 3-8%.

Skip the pre-shrink treatment and shrinkage test, and your sized garments will drift out of spec after the first wash.

That’s a returns problem waiting to happen.

05: Approving a fabric without a decoration test

A fabric can feel perfect and still print or embroider badly.

Heavy nap blurs fine print. The light stabilizer lets the fleece pile shift.

Always run a print or sew test on the real fabric before bulk.

The pattern:

Every one is a vagueness problem. The fix is precision. Spell out the structure, lock the finish, and test before you commit.

Chapter 11

How to Spec the Fabric Structure in Your Tech Pack:

This is the action step.

Get this right, and your sample comes back correct.

Get it vague, and you reroll.

Stop specifying GSM alone:

GSM is necessary but nowhere near sufficient.

Two fabrics at the same GSM can be completely different garments.

Spell out the structure. Here’s the checklist.

Construction:

State it plainly. Loopback / French terry (loops intact), or brushed-back fleece.

Don’t write “fleece” and hope.

If brushed, specify the brush intensity: light, medium, or heavy.

The interior texture and final weight ride on this.

The pre-brush vs. post-brush trap:

If you spec a brushed fabric, confirm whether the target GSM is measured before or after brushing.

Write it into the purchase order.

This single line prevents one of the most common sampling errors.

Fabric blend:

Give exact percentages. 100% cotton. 80/20 cotton-poly.

95/5 cotton-elastane.

Note the cotton grade if it matters to you: combed and ring-spun for premium hand.

This drives feel, shrinkage, pilling, and certification eligibility.

Loop height and density:

For loopback and French terry, request the loop height spec from the mill.

Agree to any tolerance range in writing before bulk.

Uneven loop density makes the interior feel different from panel to panel.

Catch it at sample approval, not after lab testing.

Shrinkage control:

Cotton terry and cotton fleece can shrink 3-8% if untreated.

Poly blends shrink under 2%.

Specify a pre-shrink or compacting treatment, with a target shrinkage percentage.

For anything heavy or cotton-rich, make it explicit in the order.

Request shrinkage testing to a recognized standard such as AATCC TM135 before bulk.

Our guide to hoodie shrinkage and prevention covers the testing in full.

Pilling grade:

Set a minimum. A common benchmark is ASTM D3512 (Martindale) Grade 4 or above.

This matters most for brushed fleece and for any blend with polyester, where pilling risk is higher.

Decoration sign-off:

If the hoodie carries print or embroidery, request a lab dip and a sew or print test on the actual fabric before bulk.

Stitch density and backing choice affect the result more than the interior construction.

Prove it on a sample first.

A clean spec line, as an example:

Here’s how the structure section of a tech pack might read:

Body fabric: 100% combed ring-spun cotton, loopback/French terry, loops intact (unbrushed), 320 GSM finished (post-finishing), loop height per approved sample, compacted, max shrinkage 5% per AATCC TM135, pilling Grade 4+ per ASTM D3512.

That leaves nothing to guesswork.

Chapter 12

The Bottom Line:

Here’s the whole guide in five lines.

  • “Fleece” is a category, not a fabric. Name the structure.
  • French terry and loopback are the same uncut-loop knit, with minor differences in loop size, fiber grade, and regional naming.
  • Brushed fleece is that same knit with the loops brushed open. Warmer, cozier, less breathable, and more prone to pilling.
  • Breathable and structured → terry or loopback. Warm and cozy → brushed fleece. Heavy and premium → heavy loopback.
  • The spec wins or loses at the tech pack. Construction, brush intensity, fiber, loop height, shrinkage, and pilling not GSM alone.

Decode the names, specify the structure, and the sample comes back right.

Common launch questions

Yes. They’re two names for the same uncut-loop construction.

Smooth face, looped back. “Loopback” is more common in the UK and Europe, “French terry” in the US.

Brushed fleece. The brushed nap traps air, so it insulates better.

French terry breathes more and feels lighter, which suits milder weather and active use.

Yes, if you go heavy. A 450-500 GSM French terry has the density for real warmth.

For arctic cold, position it as a layering piece rather than a standalone.

French terry and loopback print crisps, thanks to the flat, stable face.

Lightly brushed fleece prints almost as well. Heavily napped fleece can blur fine detail.

It depends on the design. Brushed fleece supports dense, bold embroidery and hides show-through.

French terry holds fine, intricate text more sharply because the surface is flatter.

The loops use more yarn and slower knitting, and quality terry often uses higher-grade combed cotton.

Budget fleece can use cheaper fiber at scale, which offsets the cost of brushing.

For most everyday hoodies, 280-320 GSM is the reliable midweight range.

Drop to 220-280 for lightweight and layering.

Climb to 400-500 for premium heavyweight streetwear.

From the HOODIE manual

This is one chapter of The Complete Hoodie Manufacturing Guides

These chapters cover taking a hoodie brand from idea to shipped units, costing, sourcing, tech packs, QC, freight, and launch comparisons. All written from the Sialkot factory floor of Gibben Clothing.

Open The Full Hoodie Guides

On the floor · Sialkot

Written by

Faizan Ahmad

Chief Apparel Technologist & Head of Manufacturing, Gibben Clothing · Sialkot, Pakistan

Faizan leads production at Gibben Clothing, a cut-and-sew streetwear manufacturer in Sialkot, with 8+ years turning raw yarn into retail-ready hoodies, tees, bottoms, jackets, tracksuits, and headwear. He doesn’t just write about clothing; he works the floor, so every guide here is grounded in real fabric behavior, QC standards, and production data from live runs.