What Is Piqué Fabric? Polo Shirt Fabric Guide

What piqué fabric is, how it is knitted, single vs double piqué, piqué vs jersey and interlock for polo shirts, fibre and GSM choices, and how to specify a piqué polo for a factory.

The Short Answer

Piqué (also written pique) is a knitted cotton or cotton-blend fabric with a small, raised, textured pattern on its face, usually a fine honeycomb or diamond grid. It is the classic polo shirt fabric. The texture comes from the way the yarn is knitted, not from printing or embossing, so it stays in the fabric through washing.

For a brand, three questions decide most of a polo programme: which piqué construction to use, which fibre and yarn, and what finished weight. Each one changes the look, the hand feel, how the shirt holds its shape and what the factory and its fabric mill have to do. This guide covers those choices, how piqué compares with jersey and interlock, and how to write a polo specification a factory can quote against.

How Piqué Fabric Is Made

Piqué is a weft knit, made on a circular knitting machine like jersey. The difference is in the stitch pattern. Instead of knitting every needle the same way on every course, the machine combines normal knit stitches with tuck stitches, where a loop is held on the needle for one or more courses before being knitted in. The tucks pull the surface into small raised cells and leave tiny openings between them.

Because of this, piqué has:

A textured face with a regular pattern of cells, often called honeycomb, waffle-like or birdseye.

A different back. The reverse of most piqué looks closer to plain jersey, which is why some polos are worn with the smooth side out.

More air space than plain jersey of the same weight, which helps breathability.

More stability than single jersey. Piqué curls less at the cut edge and holds a collar and placket better.

The word comes from the French for "quilted" or "pricked", and woven piqué also exists: a woven cotton with raised cords or a waffle effect, used for shirting, dress collars and bibs. In apparel sourcing today, "piqué" almost always means the knitted polo fabric. If you mean the woven version, say so in the brief.

Types of Piqué

Mills use several names, and they are not always used consistently, so confirm the construction on a fabric swatch rather than relying on the name alone.

Single piqué (sometimes called "Lacoste piqué" in the trade): one tuck in the repeat, giving a fine, regular honeycomb texture. The standard choice for classic cotton polos.

Double piqué: two tucks in the repeat, giving a more pronounced, open texture and a slightly heavier, firmer fabric. Common on heavier and more traditional polos.

Pique mesh or open piqué: a more open structure with larger cells, used for breathable sports and golf polos, often in polyester.

Birdseye piqué: a very fine, small-cell texture that reads almost smooth from a distance. Common in performance and corporate polos.

Stretch piqué: any of the above with elastane added for recovery and a closer fit.

When comparing fabric offers, ask the mill to describe the knit structure and supply a swatch with its finished weight. Two fabrics both called "piqué" can look and behave quite differently.

Piqué vs Jersey vs Interlock for Polo Shirts

Polo shirts are mainly made from three knit fabrics. The knit vs woven guide explains how each construction is formed; this is how they compare for a polo.

Piqué. Textured face, more structure, holds the collar and placket well, breathable, hides minor creasing. The traditional choice for casual, golf, uniform and workwear polos.

Single jersey. Smooth and soft, with more drape and stretch. Looks closer to a T-shirt with a collar, so it suits relaxed and fashion polos. Thinner jersey shows creases and curls at the edges more than piqué.

Interlock. A double knit that is smooth on both faces. Heavier and more stable than single jersey, with a clean surface and good opacity, so it suits polished, smooth-faced polos and printing.

There is no single best fabric. Piqué suits a structured look and warm-weather wear; jersey suits a soft, casual look; interlock suits a smooth, more dressy finish. Brands with a polo range sometimes use more than one.

Fibre and Yarn Choices

The knit gives piqué its texture; the fibre and yarn decide how it feels, how it takes colour and how it ages.

100% cotton. The classic polo fabric. Breathable and soft, but shrinks more and loses shape more readily than blends. Yarn quality matters: our guide to ring-spun vs combed cotton explains why combed, ring-spun yarn gives a cleaner, smoother piqué than carded or open-end yarn.

Mercerized cotton. Mercerized cotton piqué has a subtle sheen, deeper colour and a crisper surface. It is a long-established choice for higher-priced polos; see what is mercerized cotton.

Cotton-polyester blends (including CVC, where cotton is the majority): more shape retention and less shrinkage than 100% cotton, at some cost to hand feel. Common in uniform and corporate polos.

100% polyester or recycled polyester. Used for sports, golf and performance polos, often in mesh or birdseye piqué, sometimes with moisture-management finishes.

Elastane. A small percentage adds stretch and recovery for slimmer fits.

State the full composition with percentages, the yarn type and any certification you need, such as OEKO-TEX or GOTS. Our GOTS certification guide explains what is needed for an organic claim.

Fabric Weight (GSM) for Polo Shirts

Piqué polos are commonly specified at roughly 180 to 240 GSM. Lighter fabrics suit hot climates and performance polos; heavier fabrics give a more substantial, structured shirt and are common in classic and workwear polos. Because piqué has a textured, more open structure, it can feel lighter and more breathable than jersey of the same weight.

Specify the finished weight with a tolerance, not a single number, and approve it on a sample. Our guide to what GSM means in fabric explains how weight is measured and why construction changes how a given GSM feels.

Anatomy of a Polo Shirt: What Else to Specify

The body fabric is only part of a polo. The trims and details are where most quality differences show, and they need their own specification.

Collar. Usually a flat-knit (flat-bed knitted) collar made to shape, sometimes with tipping stripes. Alternatives are a self-fabric collar cut from piqué, or a woven collar for a shirt-like look. Specify the collar type, height, construction and colour match to body.

Cuffs. Flat-knit rib cuffs, rib cuffs or simply hemmed sleeves. Flat-knit cuffs usually match the collar.

Placket. The opening at the neck: length, width, number of buttons and whether it is a standard placket, a hidden placket or a zip. Interlining in the placket keeps it flat.

Buttons. Material (for example polyester, corozo, shell or metal), size in ligne, number of holes and colour.

Hem and vents. Straight or longer back hem ("tennis tail"), with or without side vents, and how the vents are reinforced.

Taping. Neck tape covers the collar seam inside and is a common place to add a brand detail.

Branding. Embroidered or printed logo, its position and size, and the main label, size label and care label.

Each of these is a separate component with its own sourcing. Colour-matched flat-knit collars, for example, are knitted separately from the body fabric and dyed to match, so they add development time and minimums of their own.

What Changes in Production

Several issues are specific to piqué polos and are worth agreeing before bulk.

Shrinkage. Cotton piqué can shrink in length and width, and the collar and body may shrink differently if they are made from different yarns or knits. Set a maximum shrinkage and check it on a washed sample. Our guide to pre-shrunk cotton explains how factories control it.

Collar curl and shape. A collar that curls, flares or loses shape after washing is one of the most common polo complaints. Ask how the collar is made and finished and approve it after a wash test.

Placket puckering. The placket is the most technical part of a polo. Puckering, uneven length or a twisted placket are common defects to define in the inspection criteria.

Shade matching. The body, collar, cuffs and any self-fabric parts must match in colour. Because collars and body fabric are often dyed in separate lots, shade approval should cover all parts together. Our guide to garment dyed vs piece dyed explains lab dips and dye lots.

Pilling. Blends and softer, brushed finishes can pill more. Set a test method and minimum rating.

Spirality. Like jersey, piqué can twist after washing so that side seams move forward. Ask how the fabric is finished to control it.

Decoration on Piqué

The textured surface affects how logos and prints look.

Embroidery is the most common polo decoration and sits well on piqué. Fine detail and very small text can be lost in the texture, so check the logo on a strike-off.

Screen printing on textured piqué can look uneven because the ink sits on the raised cells. Small prints are usually fine; large prints are better suited to jersey or interlock.

Heat transfers work on piqué but need the right pressure and temperature for the texture and fibre.

Woven badges and labels are an option for a cleaner look.

How to Specify a Piqué Polo

A factory can only quote accurately against a clear specification. For a piqué polo, the essentials are:

Body fabric: knit structure (for example single piqué, double piqué or birdseye), composition with percentages, yarn type, finished GSM with tolerance and any finish.

Collar and cuffs: type (flat-knit, rib or self-fabric), dimensions, tipping and colour match to body.

Placket and buttons: placket type, length and width, button count, material and size.

Construction details: hem, side vents, neck tape, sleeve finish and stitch types.

Colours: shade references and lab dip approval for body and trims together.

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 AATCC 8 or ISO 105-X12.

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

Decoration: method, position, size and artwork for each logo.

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 and trim choices affect both minimums and cost:

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

Collars and cuffs. Custom flat-knit collars with tipping are made to order and add their own minimums and lead time. Self-fabric collars avoid this but give a different look.

Yarn. Combed, compact or mercerized yarns cost more than carded yarns.

Buttons and trims. Custom-branded buttons and woven labels add development and minimums.

Decoration. Embroidery cost depends on stitch count and the number of positions.

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

Sourcing Piqué Polo Shirts in Turkey

Turkey has a large knitting, dyeing and finishing base serving apparel brands, and piqué polo shirts are a standard knitwear product for its garment manufacturers. Which piqué qualities, compositions and colours a factory can source from stock, which it develops with a partner mill, and how it sources flat-knit collars 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: Piqué Fabric and Polo Shirts

What is piqué fabric?

Piqué is a knitted fabric, usually cotton or a cotton blend, with a small raised pattern such as a honeycomb or diamond grid on its face. The texture is created by combining knit and tuck stitches. It is the traditional fabric for polo shirts.

What is the difference between piqué and jersey?

Both are weft knits. Jersey is knitted with plain stitches and has a smooth face, more drape and more stretch. Piqué adds tuck stitches that create a textured surface, giving more structure, better breathability and less edge curl.

What is the difference between single piqué and double piqué?

Single piqué has one tuck in its repeat and a fine, regular texture. Double piqué has two, giving a more pronounced texture and a slightly heavier, firmer fabric. Naming varies between mills, so confirm on a swatch.

Is piqué fabric good for hot weather?

Piqué is generally breathable because its textured structure leaves small openings and air spaces. Comfort in heat also depends on fibre and weight: a lighter cotton or a performance polyester piqué suits hot weather better than a heavy double piqué.

Does piqué fabric shrink?

Cotton piqué can shrink, especially if it is not compacted or pre-shrunk. Blends with polyester shrink less. Set a maximum shrinkage in the specification and check it on a washed sample.

What GSM is a good polo shirt?

Piqué polos are commonly specified at roughly 180 to 240 GSM. Lighter weights suit performance and hot-weather polos; heavier weights give a more structured, classic shirt. Choose by product and price point, and approve the weight on a sample.

Is piqué the same as waffle knit?

They are related but not the same. Both have a textured, cellular surface, but waffle knit usually has larger, deeper square cells and is used for thermals and loungewear. Piqué has a finer texture and is mainly used for polos.

What is the right side of piqué fabric?

The textured side is usually the face, but some polos are made with the smoother reverse side out for a cleaner look. State which side is the face in the specification.

What Is Piqué Fabric? A Polo Shirt Fabric Guide