French Terry vs Fleece: Hoodie Fabric Guide

How French terry and brushed fleece are made, how they compare on warmth, weight, shrinkage and pilling, how they differ from towel terry and polar fleece, and how to specify either for hoodies and sweatshirts.

The Short Answer

French terry and fleece are the two fabrics behind almost every hoodie, sweatshirt and jogger. Both are knitted fabrics with a smooth jersey face and loops of yarn on the back. The difference is what happens to those loops. On French terry the loops are left intact, so the inside of the garment shows small, flat loops. On fleece, often called brushed fleece or sweatshirt fleece, the loops are brushed until they break and lift into a soft, fuzzy nap.

That one finishing step changes most of what a buyer cares about. Fleece is warmer, softer on the inside and usually heavier. French terry is lighter, breathes better, drapes more and shows less pilling inside. Neither is the better fabric in general; they suit different products, seasons and price points.

This guide explains how each fabric is made, how they compare on warmth, weight, shrinkage, pilling and printing, how French terry differs from towel terry and from polar fleece, and how to specify either one so the bulk order matches the sample. It is written for private label, streetwear and DTC brands developing hoodies, sweatshirts and joggers with a factory directly or through a sourcing partner.

How French Terry Is Made

French terry is a weft-knitted fabric made on circular knitting machines. It is usually knitted with three yarns: a face yarn that forms the smooth jersey outside, a loop yarn that forms the loops on the back, and a binding or tie-in yarn that locks the two together. The loops are not cut or brushed. In streetwear and among some manufacturers the same fabric is called loopback or loopback French terry, which describes the inside surface.

Because the loops stay intact, French terry:

has a textured, looped inside that feels smooth and dry against the skin,

lets air move through the loop structure, so it breathes better than brushed fleece of a similar weight,

drapes and recovers well, which suits relaxed and structured silhouettes alike,

is commonly specified at roughly 250 to 350 GSM for hoodies and sweatshirts, with lighter versions used for summer sweatshirts, shorts and loungewear.

Our guide to what GSM means in fabric explains how weight is measured and why the same GSM can feel different in different constructions.

How Fleece Is Made

Sweatshirt fleece starts as essentially the same looped fabric. After knitting, the fabric goes through a raising or brushing machine, where rollers covered in fine wire pull at the loops on the back until they break and lift into a soft nap. Some fleece is brushed lightly, some heavily; some is also sheared to even out the pile.

You will see a few names in factory and mill specifications:

Brushed fleece or brushed-back fleece: the general term for looped fabric brushed on the inside.

3-end fleece (three-end or three-thread fleece): knitted with the three yarns described above, then brushed. This is the common construction for mid- and heavyweight hoodies.

2-end fleece (two-thread fleece): knitted with two yarns, usually lighter and less stable than 3-end.

Unbrushed fleece: sometimes used by mills to mean looped fabric that has not been brushed, which is in practice French terry. Ask which one is meant.

Brushing traps air in the nap, so fleece is warmer than French terry at the same weight and feels softer and fuller in the hand. It is usually specified heavier, roughly 280 to 400 GSM, and heavyweight streetwear hoodies are often specified at the top of this range or beyond it.

French Terry vs Fleece: Side by Side

Inside surface: French terry has flat, intact loops; brushed fleece has a soft, raised nap.

Warmth: French terry is moderately warm; fleece is warmer at the same weight.

Breathability: French terry breathes better; fleece traps more air and heat.

Typical hoodie weight: French terry roughly 250 to 350 GSM; fleece roughly 280 to 400 GSM and above.

Season: French terry for year-round wear, spring, autumn and warm climates; fleece for autumn, winter and cold climates.

Inside pilling and shedding: lower on French terry; higher on fleece, especially in the first washes.

Typical products: French terry for lighter hoodies, crewnecks, shorts, joggers and loungewear; fleece for heavier hoodies, sweatpants and winter sweatshirts.

After garment washing: French terry loops stay visible inside; a fleece nap can flatten or mat if the wash is aggressive.

Both fabrics take the same trims, ribs and print methods on the outside face, because the face is jersey in both cases. The decision is mainly about the inside surface, the weight and the season.

Which Fabric Suits Which Product

A few practical rules most product developers work to:

Year-round or warm-market hoodies and crewnecks: French terry. It works for layering, for climates where a brushed hoodie is too warm, and for brands that want a cleaner, drier inside feel.

Winter hoodies and sweatpants: brushed fleece. Customers expect warmth and a soft inside.

Heavyweight streetwear hoodies: both are used. Heavy French terry gives a structured, boxy hand with a visible loop inside; heavy brushed fleece gives a denser, warmer, softer garment. Many streetwear brands offer both and label them clearly.

Shorts and summer sweats: lightweight French terry.

Joggers: either, depending on season. French terry joggers tend to hold their shape and pill less on the inside of the thighs.

Kidswear and loungewear: both, with softness, wash durability and fibre content usually deciding.

If a brand sells into several climates, French terry for the core range and brushed fleece for a winter capsule is a common split.

Fibre Content and Yarn

Both fabrics come in a range of compositions:

100% cotton: the most natural hand and the best breathability, but more shrinkage and more wrinkling after washing.

Cotton-rich blends with polyester, for example 80% cotton and 20% polyester, often called CVC: better shape retention and less shrinkage than 100% cotton, with a cotton face.

50/50 cotton and polyester: lower cost, more stable, but pilling tends to stay on the surface because polyester fibres are stronger and hold the pills in place.

Recycled polyester or organic cotton versions, which need certification evidence if they are claimed on the label. Our guide to GOTS certification covers what a valid organic claim requires.

On many fabrics the face yarn and the loop yarn differ. A common construction uses a finer cotton yarn on the face, where it is seen and printed, and a cheaper or polyester-containing yarn on the back. That is legitimate, but the composition label must reflect the total fibre content, and the specification should state both yarns. Our guide to ring-spun vs combed cotton explains the face-yarn terms that change hand feel and print quality.

French Terry vs Towel Terry

French terry is not the same as the terry used for towels and bathrobes, although they share the word.

Towel terry is usually a woven fabric with an extra set of warp yarns forming uncut loops on one or both faces. It is built for absorbency.

French terry is a knitted fabric with loops on the back only and a smooth jersey face. It is built for apparel.

If a brief says only "terry", ask which one is meant. Our guide to private label towel manufacturing in Turkey covers towel terry, and our guide to knit vs woven fabric explains the two construction families.

Sweatshirt Fleece vs Polar Fleece

Searches for "fleece fabric" often mean polar fleece, a different product from the fleece used in hoodies.

Sweatshirt fleece has a jersey face and a brushed back, and is usually cotton-rich.

Polar fleece is usually 100% polyester, brushed and often sheared on both sides, and is used for jackets, blankets and outdoor mid-layers.

Polar fleece is warm for its weight and dries quickly, but it does not breathe or feel like cotton. For a cotton hoodie or sweatshirt, the relevant comparison is sweatshirt fleece against French terry.

What Changes in Production: Shrinkage, Pilling, Torque and Colour

Shrinkage

Cotton-rich French terry and fleece both shrink, in length and in width. The amount depends on composition, knitting tension, whether the fabric was compacted at the finishing stage, and whether the garment is washed after sewing. Our guide to pre-shrunk cotton explains compacting and how to write a shrinkage limit into the specification. Approve measurements on a washed sample, not only on an unwashed one.

Pilling and shedding

Brushed fleece sheds loose fibres in its first washes and tends to pill on the inside more than French terry, especially in areas of friction such as the inner arms and thighs. Polyester blends pill less easily but hold the pills that do form. An enzyme or bio wash can reduce surface fuzz; our guide to enzyme wash and garment washing explains the options.

Spirality and torque

Circular-knitted fabrics can twist, which shows up as side seams that rotate towards the front after washing. Fabric quality and finishing control most of this, and cutting with the grain helps. Check side-seam position after home laundering on the approved sample.

Colour

Hoodies use a body fabric and a rib for cuffs, hem and sometimes the hood edge. The rib is often knitted and dyed separately, so body and rib can differ in shade if the colour approval does not cover both. Our guide to garment dyed vs piece dyed vs yarn dyed explains lab dips, dye lots and shade control. Heavily brushed fleece can also look slightly lighter on the inside than the face, which is normal.

Printing and Decoration

Because the outside face is smooth jersey on both fabrics, screen printing, embroidery, appliqué and heat transfer all work on French terry and fleece. A few points to check on the sample:

Heavy prints on lighter French terry can stiffen the panel and make the fabric curl at the edges of large prints.

Embroidery on heavy fleece needs suitable backing to avoid puckering, and the brushed inside should not show through the stitches.

Garment-washed or garment-dyed hoodies need the print and the wash approved together, because the wash affects ink, thread and the nap.

How to Specify French Terry or Fleece

A specification that factories and mills can quote and produce against includes:

Construction: "French terry, loop back, unbrushed" or "3-end fleece, brushed back". Do not write only "fleece" or "terry".

Composition: total fibre content, and the face and back yarns where they differ.

Yarn: for example combed ring-spun cotton on the face.

Finished GSM: after finishing, with an accepted tolerance.

Brushing: level of brushing, and whether the pile is sheared.

Rib: construction (for example 1x1 or 2x2 rib), composition including any elastane, and colour matched to body.

Shrinkage: maximum length and width change after the agreed home-laundering method, for example AATCC 135 or ISO 6330 with ISO 5077 measurement.

Colourfastness: to washing and rubbing, for example AATCC 61 or ISO 105-C06, and ISO 105-X12 or AATCC 8.

Pilling: the test and the minimum rating you accept, for example ASTM D3512 or ISO 12945-2.

Wash: any garment wash, approved on the sample.

Measurements: the points of measure and tolerances, checked after washing.

All of this belongs in the tech pack. Our guide to what a tech pack is shows where each item goes, and our guide to AQL sampling explains how the bulk order is inspected against it.

MOQ and Cost Factors

Fabric choice affects both minimums and cost:

Developed fabric versus stock fabric. A custom composition, weight or colour is knitted and dyed for the order and carries the mill's minimum per colour. Using a mill's existing quality and colour range usually allows smaller runs.

Weight. A heavier fabric uses more yarn per garment and adds freight weight, so a 400 GSM hoodie costs more in fabric and shipping than a 300 GSM one.

Brushing and finishing. Brushing, shearing and anti-pilling finishes are extra processes on the fabric.

Rib and trims. Colour-matched rib, custom drawcords, metal eyelets and branded trims add development and minimums of their own.

Rather than assuming a minimum, ask the factory to quote the fabric minimum per colour separately from the garment minimum.

Sourcing French Terry and Fleece Garments in Turkey

Turkey has a large knitting, dyeing and finishing base serving apparel brands, and French terry and brushed fleece hoodies, sweatshirts and joggers are standard products for its garment manufacturers. Which compositions, weights and colours a factory can source from stock, which it develops with a partner mill, and what the minimum is per colour vary by factory, so they should be confirmed at the quote stage.

SourceBridge responds to a textile brief within 24 hours with options from 2–3 pre-vetted Turkish factories. The published starting point for textiles is 300 units per style. Samples typically take 7–14 days, plus 5–7 days for international courier, and production typically runs 4–8 weeks depending on product complexity, with a pre-shipment inspection against the approved sample before goods leave the factory. Our guides on how to find a clothing manufacturer and clothing manufacturers for startups cover the steps before and after the specification.

FAQ: French Terry and Fleece

What is French terry?

French terry is a knitted fabric with a smooth jersey face and small, intact loops of yarn on the back. It is used for hoodies, sweatshirts, joggers, shorts and loungewear, and is lighter and more breathable than brushed fleece of a similar weight.

What is the difference between French terry and fleece?

Both start as a looped knitted fabric. French terry keeps the loops on the back intact, while fleece has them brushed into a soft, raised nap. Fleece is warmer and softer inside; French terry is lighter, breathes better and pills less on the inside.

Is French terry warm?

French terry is moderately warm. It is warmer than a T-shirt jersey but less warm than brushed fleece of the same weight, because the unbrushed loops trap less air. It suits year-round wear, layering and milder climates.

What is loopback French terry?

Loopback is another name for French terry, used especially in streetwear. It describes the inside of the fabric, where the loops are left visible and unbrushed.

What is 3-end fleece?

3-end fleece is a fleece knitted with three yarns: a face yarn, a loop yarn and a binding yarn that ties them together. The loops are then brushed. It is the common construction for mid- and heavyweight hoodies and is more stable than 2-end fleece.

What is the difference between terry and French terry?

Towel terry is usually a woven fabric with uncut loops on one or both faces, made for absorbency in towels and bathrobes. French terry is a knitted apparel fabric with loops on the back only and a smooth face.

What GSM should a hoodie be?

French terry hoodies are commonly specified at roughly 250 to 350 GSM and brushed fleece hoodies at roughly 280 to 400 GSM. Heavyweight streetwear hoodies are often specified at the top of the fleece range or beyond it. Choose by season, fit and price point, and approve the weight on a sample.

Does French terry shrink more than fleece?

It depends more on composition and finishing than on whether the loops are brushed. 100% cotton versions of both shrink more than cotton-polyester blends, and compacted or garment-washed fabric shrinks less after purchase. Set a maximum shrinkage in the specification and check it on a washed sample.

French Terry vs Fleece: A Hoodie and Sweatshirt Fabric Guide