The Cloth: French Terry and Combed Cotton, Explained

Quality is the first decision we make, long before a print or a cut. Every House of VEYR piece starts with the cloth.

We are often asked why our oversized tees feel different the moment you pick one up. The answer is two words you will see on every tee we make: French terry and combed cotton. Here is what each one means, and why we chose them.

What is French terry?

French terry is a knitted cloth, the same family as the jersey of a classic tee, but built with an extra layer. The face is smooth and flat, so prints sit crisply and the surface stays clean. The reverse is made of soft, tiny loops of yarn that rest against your skin.

Those loops do the quiet work. They trap a little air, so the cloth feels substantial without being hot. They draw moisture away from the body, so it breathes through a warm Auckland afternoon. And they give the tee real body, so it hangs straight from a square shoulder instead of clinging.

Our tees are cut from 240 GSM French terry. GSM means grams per square metre: the higher the number, the denser the cloth. At 240 GSM the tee holds its shape, keeps its drape and stays opaque, even in white.

What is combed cotton?

Raw cotton arrives as a tangle of long and short fibres. In ordinary yarn, the short fibres are spun in with the rest. They are the ones that work loose over time, which is where pilling, fuzz and rough patches come from.

Combed cotton goes through an extra step. Before spinning, the fibres are passed through fine combs that pull out the short fibres and leftover impurities, leaving only the long, straight fibres lying in the same direction. Our tees use super combed cotton, combed more finely again.

The yarn that results is:

• Softer, because there are fewer loose ends against the skin.
• Stronger, because long fibres twist together more tightly.
• Smoother, so it resists pilling and keeps a clean surface wash after wash.
• Richer in colour, because an even yarn takes dye evenly, which keeps blacks deep and blues true.

Why the two belong together

French terry decides how the cloth is built. Combed cotton decides what it is built from. Put them together and you get a tee that is 100% combed cotton French terry: dense enough to hold a boxy, dropped-shoulder cut, soft enough to wear all day, and made to last well beyond a season.

Prime cloth first. Everything else follows.

And our vests?

Our reversible vests follow the same rule, using a different cloth. Each one is handcrafted in Jaipur, pairing an artisan cotton face with either a pure silk face or a second cotton face, with both sides fully finished to be worn. Read more in Two looks, one piece.

Looking after French terry

• Machine wash cold, inside out, with similar colours.
• Tumble dry low.
• Iron low, and never directly onto the print.
• Do not bleach or dry clean.

Full details are in our Care Guide. When you are ready, explore the oversized tees.

— The House of VEYR, Auckland