*This is a collaborative post.
There are hundreds of terms that are thrown around in the world of fashion nowadays. While it often doesn’t really matter if we understand them fully or not, in some cases – like when you’re buying clothing in bulk – it does start to become a bit more important.
Today we decided to hone in on one term in particular: heavyweight clothing. We explore what makes an item of clothing ‘heavyweight’, where it might be useful to wear these kinds of items, and some of the drawbacks you should also be aware of.
Fabric Weight
One of the most important factors relevant to heavyweight clothing is the weight of the fabric these garments use. Quite literally, heavyweight clothing uses fabrics that weigh a higher number of grams per square metre (or GSM) than ‘normal’ clothing.
Bulk clothing suppliers like Screen Textiles often list the weight of the fabrics of garments they sell, so that you can decide if it’ll be tough enough for your intended usage.
It’s worth taking a look at industry recommendations when making your decision of which weight to buy, so that you can get something that’s definitely going to be up to the task at hand.
Typical Heavyweight Materials
There is a range of different materials that are typically used to make heavyweight garments. These include thicker kinds of cotton, denim, canvas, and for cases where waterproofness is critical, PVC.
Each of these fabrics comes with a range of benefits, that will be more or less suited to various use cases. It’s generally worth doing a bit of extra research before committing to one or another option, so that you can keep these benefits in mind.
Potential Use Cases
In many cases, heavy-weight clothing is used in work environments where normal clothing would not last long at all. Whether on construction sites or commercial fishing boats, thicker fabrics stand up to abrasive tasks for much longer, keeping the wearer warm when it matters.
While this is where companies such as Carhartt and Dickies originated, heavyweight clothing has by now made its way into mainstream fashion.
People don’t only wear thick hoodies and trousers for manual labour roles now; these kinds of items are a fashion staple, and can be worn in a wide variety of other contexts.
Drawbacks
While heavyweight clothing tends to be durable and warm, it can also be unnecessarily restrictive and sweaty in some cases. For example, these kinds of items can be over the top during summer, and you definitely wouldn’t want to wear them while doing most kinds of sporting activities.
It’s important to be aware of the limitations of heavier fabrics, as well as their benefits. If you intend to wear heavyweight attire day in and day out, such as for work uniforms, these considerations become even more critical.
Hopefully, you’ll have a better overview of the definition and benefits of heavyweight clothing. Whether you run a landscaping business or you want to explore developing a new line of casualwear items, heavy fabrics can definitely play a central role in the garments you come up with.
