Piqué or jersey for polo shirts?

Main answer

Piqué has a textured, structured surface that breathes and hides sweat marks, while jersey is smooth, soft and drapey. Choose piqué for a classic, structured polo and jersey for a soft, modern, casual look, and compare both at similar gsm with wash-tested samples. The collar can matter more than the body fabric.

What the fabrics are

Piqué is a knit with a raised, small-pattern texture, often a waffle or honeycomb look, made with a special knit structure. Jersey is the plain knit used in T-shirts, smooth on the face. Both can be made from cotton, blends or synthetics, in different weights and finishes.

Look and feel

Piqué gives a classic polo look, with some structure and body, and a textured surface that sits off the skin a little. Jersey is smoother and softer, drapes closer to the body and looks casual. The choice depends on your brand’s style and your customer’s preference.

Performance

The texture of piqué lets air move and can hide sweat marks and wrinkles better. It can snag more easily on rough surfaces. Jersey is lighter, may cling and show body shape more, and tends to curl at the edges unless well finished. Both depend on yarn quality, finishing and weight.

Collar and placket

In a polo, the collar knit, usually a rib or a flat knit, and the placket matter as much as the body fabric. Ask for the collar fabric spec, its stretch and its shrinkage, because a collar that curls or waves ruins the look even when the body is good.

Cost and comparison

Cost depends on the structure, yarn and weight. Compare at the same gsm, since ASTM D3776 describes the standard way mass per unit area is measured, and see samples after washing. Check collar and placket stability, since they matter more in polos than in tees. See T-shirt and polo manufacturing and seamless polos.