What the weight on a spec sheet actually tells you

GSM — grams per square metre — is how cloth weight is measured. It is not the only thing that makes a garment good, but it is the fastest way to tell a serious one from a costume, and it is the one number a brand cannot fudge.

A supermarket tee is around 150gsm. It feels fine on the hanger and goes translucent at the shoulder by March. Our Classic Tee is 170 to 180gsm, which is the honest floor for a cotton tee you will actually keep. The Heavyweight Tee is 207gsm and garment-dyed, which means the colour goes into the cloth rather than sitting on top of it, so it softens rather than fades.

Layers are where the numbers get interesting. The Core Hoodie is 280gsm cotton-rich. The Oversized Hoodie is 339gsm, which is the weight where a hood hangs instead of floats. You can feel a hundred grams in your hand without being told.

The activewear is a different measure again: the legging cloth is 225 to 230gsm four-way stretch, cut and sewn to order rather than bought as a blank.

Every one of these numbers is on the product page, taken from the mill, not from us. If a brand will not tell you the weight, there is usually a reason.