Slub Fabric 101: A Complete Guide to Slub Shirts for POD Sellers

Key Takeaways

Cotton t-shirts are available in every color, design, and model. You have a problem if you work with print-on-demand products, and the customer doesn't even look at the product before leaving. That's when slub fabric becomes your secret weapon.

It is a soft, textured cotton with a natural bumpy surface that looks handmade and feels premium, and the customers will notice the difference as soon as they touch the fabric.

Here, we are going through the definition of slub fabric, the slub fabric making process, the reasons why slub shirts are getting popular, the slub products that have the most sales potential, and the technique of printing on a textured fabric without harming your design. We will show you how to introduce slub clothing to a store and what the best way is to set its price.

What Is Slub Fabric and How Is It Made?

The term "slub" refers to a fabric that features small, irregular, thick sections in the yarn that occur naturally at random. The fabric acquires a sort of rugged surface which looks and feels much like a coarse fabric that has got a lot of use, rather than the smooth, flat look which is the trademark of a machine-made fabric.

Retailers sell the fabric in different categories like informal dressing, living room items, and even accessories, and the users are often impressed by the comfort of the slub cotton, which has been worn from day one for just a few hours, as it really feels soft and has been lived on.

Definition of Slub Fabric and Its Characteristics

A few features of this fabric clearly distinguish it from the others. Aesthetically, the bumps in the texture are a form of art in themselves.

A plain t-shirt appears flat and featureless under the light, whereas a garment made of a texture with such details creates a sense of a handmade, one-of-a-kind product, as the light casts shadow on the areas where the fibers are raised.

• Tactile and visually striking surface
• A plain, monotonous clothing item is given a little bit of life or depth through this.
• A product looking premium and handmade straight out of the store

As one might imagine, the feel of the fabric is another factor which people find appealing.

Slub fabric generally feels lighter than cotton fabric, and it is ideal for the summer season and pieces that need to be layered.

Besides, the fabric structure with uneven yarn has tiny holes that allow air to pass through the cloth.

• Soft touch on skin
• Easier drying after a wash
• A light, weightless feeling
• Cooler wearing in the summer period

There's another aspect of the dyeing stage that shows us just how complex the fabric manufacturing process is.

Thicker and thinner strands of slub cotton yarn have a different affinity for the color dye. Therefore, the thicker parts appear more colored, and the thinner parts are lighter, and so the final result is a richer, darker shade of the fabric with a sort of soft, faded look.

• Use cold water for washing.
• Avoid the use of a fabric softener
• Before drying, turn the garment inside out

How Is Slub Fabric Made

A major step in the manufacturing chain is the stage of spinning. The mills manufacture such a yarn that is intentionally of an odd diameter (i.e., the yarn has a thinner and thicker part alternatively) in order to give rise to the raised bumps on the cloth after the finishing processes of weaving or knitting.

An additional factor making slub fabric different from regular fabrics is that there is no set pattern here; it is a deliberate variation. Therefore, it is impossible to predict exactly how a slub fabric will look after each weaving process since no two batches will be alike. This characteristic is actually quite the advantage, as in every fashion piece, one will see a tiny difference in the fabric that is very appealing in general.

From Manufacturing Imperfection to Design Feature

Slub yarn was originally regarded as a defect in old methods of spinning. As early mills focused on spinning thread as smooth and even as possible, consistency of yarn became the standard of craftsmanship and quality. In those days, a piece of thread with unevenness was considered an inferior product; millers tried to do everything to prevent such a product.

The change in this opinion occurred with the emergence of fashion, as designers who had come to appreciate the variations realized they had been overlooked because fabric with a flat texture could not produce such visual qualities as those of variations.

Therefore, every piece of a slub garment may differ slightly, but none will look identical, so that such a small discrepancy is considered an authentic feature rather than an imperfection as far as the shoppers of today are concerned. The natural texture will also reduce the need for lively prints or complicated patterns because, even without a design, the textile will look so fascinating; the texture is able to do that,

Why Is Slub Fabric Trending in Custom Apparel?

Slub fabric is very suitable for print-on-demand and provides an efficient way for you to have a beautiful and vintage-looking product style without requiring extra design work or advanced print processes.

Helps Basic Apparel Stand Out

We would say that a simple cotton shirt without any design has to struggle against thousands of other simple cotton shirts in your POD market. By using slub fabric, you will be able to differentiate them. The material itself transforms a plain shirt into a premium-looking one, and so the photos of your product will differ in the case where you will see hundreds of flat, smooth clothing items on the same search page.

Buyers associate the texture with quality, and so this perception allows you to raise your price level as much as you like without adding a new design element. It is a significant gain for those sellers who are running only lean catalogs because the choice fabric of one material may influence and raise the value perception of an entire product line,

Fits Popular Fashion Aesthetics

One fabric style has been slub, and that is the reason that you can have the freedom to operate in different niches without altering your fabric supplier or material provider.

• One can think of retro style, since the fading color effect has a way of imitating so many years of use.
• A fashion that is simple with a few touches and subtle fabric texture will make the outfit much more than one with an overwhelming graphic.
• One who desires an unstructured, comfortable dress which is suitable for everyday
• Buyers who prefer fabrics that feel grown instead of the ones that have been made

Offers comfort for everyday wear

Appealing looks aside, another big reason shoppers keep coming back to the same brand is the comfort they get when they wear the garment. The lightness and softness make it perfect for lines such as summer or casual, and the breathable weave guarantees the fabric will not feel heavy or sticky when used in warm weather. Customers who want relaxed, casual wear over anything stiff or structured tend to buy slub items once trying one, thus making return customers and repeat purchases in your store easier to achieve.

Different Types of Slub Fabric

Slub fabric can be made of different materials, and each one has its own set of uses and best conditions for wear.

Cotton Slub Fabric

Cotton slub, by far, is the choice for most of your clothing, as it remains soft and breathable, a very comfortable wearing material for all seasons. It accepts dyes and retains its shape after several washes, and can be used on garments of different cuts.

Typical applications:

• Tshirts
• Casual button-up
• Bralette / Tank-top
• Loungewear
• Tote bags

Linen Slub Fabric

Compared to cotton, linen slub has a lighter weight and a rougher, more natural texture. Due to the nature of the fiber, the spinning results in some imperfections; thus, linen slub exhibits a more pronounced variation in its surface and texture than cotton slub. It goes well with heat as it keeps you cool, and it is a natural matching partner with breezy, laid-back summer style outfits built for high temperatures.

Common uses include:

• Wear in summer
• Dresses that drift on you
• Beach cover-ups
• Place linen and napkins

Other Types of Slub Fabric

There are also slub types of other fabrics besides cotton and linen.

By fabric：

• rayon slub fabric: very soft and silky, drapes well
• polyester slub fabric: resistant to wear and wrinkles
• wool slub fabric: adds more warmth along with its beautiful texture; often seen in sweaters, winter scarves, etc., where a heavier fabric is preferred
• silk slub fabric: retains its silky smoothness while offering a rough surface, so it becomes a common material used in high-quality scarves and blouses

It is not only fabric choice that affects the fabric's properties. The fabric weaving style or weave plays an equally big role.

By weave:

• slub knit fabric: very good for movement because of its stretchiness, and hence, ideal to make tees and tops;
• jersey slub fabric: soft with a little extra drape to it;
• slub woven fabric: holds a firmer structure; therefore, it is suitable for shirts and light jackets that require more shape/support;

Best Slub Fabric Products for POD Sellers to Sell

Naturally, some fabrics are more in demand than others in the market, and you can focus on them first.

Slub T-shirts

The number one spot on most lists for a really good reason, slub T-shirts are the most desired ones.

Reasons to sell them：

• Graphic designers can go simpler as the texture makes its own statement
• From the city-wear graphics style to even the classic plain vintage tees, slub T shirts are very versatile
• Cost of producing them is not as high compared to most of the other slubs
• Your store will experience constant demand throughout all the seasons since slub T-shirts sell all year round

Slub Hoodies and Sweatshirts

While their popularity rises during winters, you can rest assured that these pieces of clothing remain in demand year-round as layering pieces.

Rationale to sell:

• It costs more than tees, thus the seller gains more profit per sale
• Either bold graphics or minimal logo designs go well with them
• It is the perfect item for streetwear and casual fashion buyers, a huge potential consumer category
• Not being a winter-only item, these pieces keep selling throughout the year

Slub Linen Apparel

In this era of eco-ethical consciousness, natural fibers like slub linen appeal well, and it is in demand by the environmentally conscious shoppers who like to know their clothes come from eco-friendly sources.

Why are you supposed to offer them?

• Most of their sales take place in line with the summer and spring collections.
• Brightens the market full of basic cotton products
• Covers a buyer base looking for a laid-back, beachy style
• Helps you achieve higher price points for dresses and lighter shirts

Slub Baby and Kids Clothing

Purchasing from the baby and children's department has more potential than many retailers think.

Why sell：

• The fabric is very soft and suitable for sensitive skin, a consideration that greatly affects the shopping behavior of parents who buy for their children.
• Many parents often actively hunt for clothes that are comfy, not too heavy, and made of breathable fabric.
• Slub prints with little drawings will give a homely, small shop look that large stores don't normally offer so easily.
• Compared to fashion for adults, children's clothes have a lot less competition, which means smaller shops have a better chance of developing their customer base.

Printing Methods and Design Tips for Slub Apparel

The appropriate printing method ensures both the design and the texture underneath it remain undisturbed. Choosing the right printing process is all the more important in the case of slub fabrics than in plain cotton.

Best Printing Methods for Slub Fabric

Direct-to-garment printing:

• A preferred option for cotton slub T-shirts
• Accurately reproduces detailed artwork with strong color retention
• Preserves the tactile softness of fabric

Screen printing:

• Good for straight, simple graphics or text
• A popular choice for bulk orders with the same design repeated

Embroidery:

• A great option if a look is wanted to be very expensive, high-end
• Very suitable to complement minimalist and neat designs rather than complicated artwork

Designs That Work Well on Slub Apparel

Fabric texture gives a nice depth by itself. Therefore, simple designs can look much richer and complete when they are on the slub fabric than on plain fabric. The slubs are the surface imperfections that are part of the fabric structure and are the result of irregular thickness of yarn running into it.

• Very little text
• Vintage artwork
• Manual illustrations
• Nature art

Even only one word, a little insignia, or perhaps some light sketch lines have more impact when on the surface of a slubby garment than a complicated graphic.

Designs to Avoid

• Very detailed photo-realistic prints
• Patterns that are far too intricate

Since it's a texture that raises, the fine lines might be softened, and sharpness of tiny details may be reduced. So the effect of a hyper-realistic portrait may be lost once it is placed over a rough surface. Therefore, it is preferable to keep the designs simple and strong and even let the textile carry the visual appeal partially instead of the print being the only element that does so.

Slub Fabric vs Regular Cotton: Which Is Better for POD?

From the table above, a few useful patterns for sellers to expand their product lines have been identified:

• Apply slub fabric on products for which texture and style are more important than the fabric itself, such as graphic tees, hoodies, and linen pieces
• Use regular cotton fabrics for large quantities of common basics where the cost per piece is more important than the surface texture.
• Mark up the prices of slub products a bit, because the customers already perceive the texture as a quality indicator.
• Experiment with the use of two different fabrics in the same niche to determine which one would be preferred by your customers
• Incorporate slub fabric into clean, simple designs so that the fabric texture and the graphic are in harmony rather than in clash

Final Thoughts

Opting for slub fabric is a way for your POD store to be different from all the other plain cotton stores in the market. Not only does the fabric texture visually differentiate the product from the norm, but it also gives you, as sellers, time to focus on your designs without feeling pressured to come up with more complex or innovative artwork.

A little tweak of your fabric can completely alter customers' perception of your catalog; your collection can suddenly shift from being viewed as basic to boutique without having you design a single new garment.

Aren't you excited to launch slub products in your store yet? Go through Inkedjoy's line of slub fabrics and have a go at listing your first slub shirt already.

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