Heavyweight streetwear
350–450 GSM three-thread brushed fleece with a tight cotton face for screen printing and DTG clarity.
Managed brushed-textile sourcing
Fleece Fabric Sourcing & Custom Textile Engineering
Fleece is built by knitting a face, tie-in, and loop system, then napping and shearing the reverse into controlled thermal loft.
Fenalt manages yarn composition, custom knitting, reactive dyeing, anti-pilling finishing, and dimensional control through one supply workflow.
Direct answer
Choose fleece by warmth, recovery, and surface use
A reliable fleece fabric supplier must control yarn composition, loop height, brushing, shearing, and finishing together. Otherwise a sample can show the right weight while the final fabric pills, torques, shrinks, or loses print clarity.
Fenalt coordinates the mill brief from fiber selection through export-ready garment production so the face, back pile, thermal behavior, and points of measure remain connected.
Applications
Match the fleece formation to the garment
Athletic bottoms
280–320 GSM cotton-poly or elastane-blended fleece for recovery and dimensional stability in high-stress zones.
Technical mid-layers
180–250 GSM polyester micro-fleece or polar fleece with anti-pilling finishes for outdoor activewear.
Lounge and oversized tops
240–280 GSM fleece using combed compact ring-spun yarn for breathable, fluid drape.
Weight planning
GSM sets thermal retention and drape
Lightweight
200–250 GSM
Spring/summer tops, lightweight joggers, thermal base layers
Midweight
280–340 GSM
Core retail hoodies and athletic sweatpants
Heavyweight
360–420 GSM
Boxy streetwear silhouettes, deep brushed pile
Super-heavyweight
450–500+ GSM
Ultra-dense loop structures and winter programs
Yarn and finishing
Build the pile without losing control
The face yarn protects printability; the back loop creates warmth; finishing determines whether the fabric remains stable in production.
Fiber options
100% combed compact ring-spun cotton uses 30s/1 or 32s/1 face yarn and 10s/1 or 12s/1 back loop. 80/20 and 60/40 cotton-poly blends reduce weight and shrinkage, while GOTS organic cotton and GRS recycled polyester support sustainability programs.
Napping and shearing
Wire-covered cylinders open the grey back-loop yarns into a soft pile. High-speed blades shear the pile uniformly, limiting loose lint and uneven texture.
Stability and pilling
Cellulase biopolishing can target ISO 12945-2 Grade 4 or higher. Stenter framing and mechanical compacting realign courses and wales and limit residual shrinkage.
| Formation | GSM | Printability | Shrinkage | End use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-thread brushed fleece | 220–280 GSM | Moderate printability | 3–5% shrinkage | Spring loungewear |
| 3-thread brushed fleece | 300–500 GSM | High printability from separate cotton face | Below 3% after compacting | Heavywear hoodies and streetwear |
| Polar / micro-fleece | 180–300 GSM | Usually requires sublimation | Below 2% | Outdoor performance layers |
Supply-chain governance
Sampling, production, and release
- 01
Brief and swatches
Set fiber composition, yarn counts, target GSM, hand-feel, color, and intended garment.
- 02
Strike-offs and lab dips
Develop the pre-production strike-off and shade approvals; the source specifies 10–15 days for production plus 3–5 days shipping.
- 03
Bulk knitting and finishing
Coordinate knitting, scouring, reactive dyeing, napping, shearing, compacting, and garment assembly.
- 04
Inspection and export
Apply ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 Level II with an AQL 2.5 threshold, then dispatch DAP for small batches or FOB for bulk freight.
Questions and answers
Fleece sourcing FAQs
What is the difference between two-thread and three-thread fleece?
Two-thread fleece uses a face yarn and back loop, while three-thread fleece adds a tie-in yarn that improves structural stability and supports heavier weights.
How is fleece made warmer?
Mechanical napping opens the back-loop yarns into a soft insulating pile. Precision shearing then sets an even pile height and limits loose lint.
How does Fenalt control fleece pilling?
Low-twist face yarns, compact ring-spun construction, biopolishing, and an ISO 12945-2 target of Grade 4 or higher help suppress pilling.
What are the standard production terms?
The source specifies 50 pieces per style, 10–15 days for sampling plus 3–5 days shipping, and 15–20 days from pre-production approval to export dispatch. Delivery can be DAP for small batches or FOB for bulk sea freight.
Develop a dependable fleece program
Choose the surface your garment needs
Send your target GSM, fiber blend, pile, color, and end use for a managed fleece sourcing plan.