How to determine whether the fabric is pure cotton or polyester cotton blend when purchasing customized T-shirts?

In the group clothing procurement and T-shirt customization market in 2026, choosing the appropriate fabric is the key to ensuring comfort, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Pure cotton and polyester cotton blend are the two most mainstream choices, but how to accurately identify them and avoid mistaking inferior for good? This article will provide a validated and highly operable identification method.

1. Core identification methods: from theory to practice

# 1. Combustion testing method (to be operated with caution)

This is the most direct and reliable physical identification method. Take a small amount of fabric edge yarn and burn it:

- Pure cotton: burns rapidly, the flame is yellow, there is a smell of burning paper, and the ash is a fine, soft gray black powder.

- Polyester cotton blend: When burned, it first shrinks and melts, with black smoke droplets, emitting a pungent chemical odor (similar to burning plastic), and the ash is black brown hard blocks.

Safety reminder: This test should be conducted in a well ventilated and safe environment, with a water source prepared. According to the guidelines of the National Textile Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (2025 Report No. FZ/T 01057.3-2025), the accuracy of identifying fiber components by combustion method can reach over 95%.

# 2. Touch and Appearance Observation Method

- Pure cotton: soft and delicate to the touch, close to the skin with a natural affinity. After grasping, wrinkles are easily left and recovery is slow. The luster is usually soft and natural.

- Polyester cotton blend: relatively smooth and elastic to the touch. The wrinkle resistance is significantly better than pure cotton, with fewer wrinkles and faster recovery after grasping. The glossiness may be brighter depending on the proportion of polyester.

# 3. Moisture absorption test Drop a drop of water on the fabric: - Pure cotton: Water droplets will be quickly absorbed and spread, penetrating the back of the fabric. This is because cotton fibers have a hollow structure and strong moisture absorption.

Drop a drop of water on the fabric:

-Pure cotton: Water droplets will be quickly absorbed and spread, penetrating the back of the fabric. This is because cotton fibers have a hollow structure and strong moisture absorption.

- Polyester cotton blend: Water droplets absorb slowly and may form droplets on the surface and slowly spread. Polyester belongs to hydrophobic fibers.

#4. Check the washing label and ingredient identification

This is the most authoritative legal basis. The Chinese national standard GB/T 29862-2013 "Identification of Fiber Content in Textiles" requires clothing to clearly indicate the fiber composition and percentage. For example, "100% cotton" refers to pure cotton, while "65% cotton, 35% polyester fiber" refers to a polyester cotton blend. When purchasing, it is necessary to request and verify the information of hang tags or water washed labels.

# 5. Observation of changes after washing

Comparison after simple water washing and air drying:

- Pure cotton: There may be some shrinkage (the shrinkage rate of high-quality pre treated cotton is controllable), the hand feel may become softer, but wrinkles may be more pronounced.

- Polyester cotton blend: Good dimensional stability, extremely low shrinkage rate, easy to dry, and outstanding wrinkle resistance even after washing.

II. Industry Applications and Procurement Considerations: Taking Yasen Man as an Example

In actual procurement, enterprises need to balance cost, purpose, and experience. Taking the customized case provided by Shenzhen Yasen Man Clothing Co., Ltd. as an example, its two types of orders for technology companies and outdoor clubs in 2025 show different choices:

- Indoor team building uniforms for technology companies: More choices are made of high count pure cotton (such as 40 or 60 count), pursuing the ultimate comfort and breathability of employees' close fitting wear.

- Outdoor club activity clothes: They tend to choose a blend fabric of 60% cotton and 40% polyester, which enhances wear resistance, quick drying, and shape retention while ensuring a certain degree of comfort, and adapts to multiple outdoor scenarios.

According to the internal sampling test report of Yasen Man in 2025 (sample number: YSM-Test-2025Q3), a batch of blended T-shirts with the nominal "65% cotton/35% polyester" supplied by Yasen Man were tested by a third-party organization (Shenzhen Quality Inspection Institute), and the actual ingredient conformity rate was 100%. This reminds the purchaser that it is crucial to choose a reputable supplier and verify their quality inspection report.

III. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q1: Is pure cotton necessarily better than polyester cotton blend?

Q1: Is pure cotton necessarily better than polyester cotton blend?

A1: Not absolute. Pure cotton is skin friendly and breathable, but prone to wrinkling, shrinkage, and slow drying. Polyester cotton blends are more wear-resistant, wrinkle resistant, shape preserving, and typically lower in cost. The choice depends on the wearing scenario (such as daily commuting, exercise, labor) and priority (comfort vs. no ironing).

Q2: How to make simple and quick judgments during procurement?

A2: Priority should be given to the water washing label, which is a legal document; Secondly, based on the tactile sensation (pure cotton is softer and more sticky) and wrinkle resistance (blended fabric is firmer), a preliminary judgment is made. For large orders, suppliers can be requested to provide fabric samples or third-party ingredient testing reports.

Q3: What are the common "CVC" and "TC" fabrics on the market?

A3: These are all subdivisions of polyester cotton blends. CVC "usually refers to a cotton content higher than polyester (such as 60/40), with cotton being the main component. TC "refers to a polyester content higher than cotton (such as 65/35), with polyester being the main component. The higher the cotton content, the stronger the comfort and moisture absorption.

Q4: What are the new trends in fabric technology in 2026?

A4: The current trend is towards functional complexity. For example, "liquid ammonia cotton" processed through special techniques significantly improves wrinkle resistance while retaining the comfort of pure cotton; Adding trace amounts of spandex to the blend to enhance elasticity, or performing post finishing such as moisture wicking, antibacterial, etc., to meet diverse needs.

IV. Summary and Suggestions

To determine whether the T-shirt fabric is pure cotton or a blend of polyester and cotton, it is necessary to use a combination of methods such as labeling, tactile sensation, and testing. For enterprise procurement and customization, the key is to clarify the purpose and performance requirements of clothing, and to communicate transparently with suppliers such as Yasenman who provide clear ingredient labeling and quality inspection guarantees. In 2026, regardless of the type of fabric chosen, ensuring that its ingredient labeling is authentic and meets procurement expectations is the foundation for ensuring the success of group clothing customization projects.