The difference between a sweater and a sweatshirt is how the fabric is made. A sweater is knitted from yarn, panel by panel or as a whole garment, while a sweatshirt is cut and sewn from a ready-made knit fabric such as brushed fleece or French terry. A hoodie is simply a sweatshirt with a hood, usually with a kangaroo pocket.
That is the short answer to sweater vs sweatshirt. If you are about to put either into production, the details matter more than the names: the fabric is specified differently, the factories are different, and so are the trims and decoration options. Here is how we explain it to founders.
Sweater vs sweatshirt: construction is the real difference
Forget the neckline, the sleeve length or the colour. The thing that separates the two is whether the garment was knitted into shape or cut out of a roll of fabric.
- Sweater (jumper, pullover, knit): yarn goes onto a flat or circular knitting machine and comes off as shaped panels, which are then linked together. Some machines knit the whole garment in one piece.
- Sweatshirt: a mill knits fleece or French terry on a circular machine, it is dyed and finished, and a cut-and-sew factory cuts pattern pieces from it and sews them together with overlock and coverstitch seams.
In the UK most people say “jumper” for a knitted sweater. In the US, “sweater” means knitwear and “sweatshirt” means the cotton fleece garment. When you brief a factory, use the construction words, not the shop words.
What makes a sweater a sweater
A sweater is knitwear. It is defined by three things: the yarn, the gauge and the stitch.
Yarn and fibres
Typical fibres are wool, merino, lambswool, cashmere, cotton, and blends with nylon or acrylic for price and durability. Yarn thickness is given as a yarn count, for example 2/28Nm is a common fine merino yarn.
Gauge, not GSM
Knitwear is not usually specified in GSM. It is specified by gauge (gg): the number of needles per inch on the knitting machine. Roughly:
- 3gg to 5gg: chunky, visible-stitch winter knits.
- 7gg: mid-weight everyday jumpers.
- 12gg and finer: fine merino and cotton knits that can be worn under a jacket.
Alongside gauge, a knitwear spec lists the stitch (jersey, rib, cable, waffle), the yarn count and a target finished garment weight.
Trims and finishing
Sweaters rarely have pockets or hoods. Cuffs and hems are knitted rib, seams are linked rather than overlocked, and patterns or logos are usually knitted in (jacquard or intarsia) rather than printed.
What makes a sweatshirt a sweatshirt
A sweatshirt is a cut-and-sew garment made from one of two fabrics:
- Brushed fleece: a knit with a smooth face and loops on the back that have been brushed to raise a soft, warm nap.
- French terry: the same loopback construction, left unbrushed, so it is lighter, cooler and drier to the touch.
Common compositions are 100% cotton, 80/20 or 60/40 cotton/polyester, and organic cotton. Cuffs, hem and neckband are made from 1×1 or 2×2 rib, often with a little elastane so they hold their shape.
Composition is a trade-off. 100% cotton feels the most premium and breathes best. A polyester blend holds its shape, shrinks less and usually costs less, but it can feel more synthetic and is more prone to pilling over time.
Because the face of the fabric is smooth, sweatshirts take screen print, puff print, DTG and embroidery well. That is a big part of why they are the backbone of so many small brands.
Hoodie vs sweatshirt: is a hoodie a sweatshirt?
Yes. A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. Same fabrics, same factory, same rib trims. The extra decisions are:
- Hood: single layer or self-lined (double layer), two-panel or three-panel, with or without drawcords, and what the eyelets and cord tips are made of.
- Pocket: kangaroo pocket on a pullover, split pockets on a zip-up, or none.
- Opening: pullover or full zip. On zip-ups we use YKK zips as standard.
So the hoodie vs sweatshirt question is really about features, not fabric. A 400gsm brushed fleece crewneck and a 400gsm brushed fleece hoodie are made from the same roll.
Crewneck vs sweatshirt: a neckline, not a garment
“Crewneck” describes a round, close-fitting neckline. A crewneck sweatshirt is a sweatshirt with a rib neckband. A crewneck sweater is a knitted jumper with the same shape of neck.
So crewneck vs sweatshirt is not really a comparison. In streetwear, though, “crewneck” or “crew” has become shorthand for a crewneck sweatshirt, which is why the terms get mixed up. In a tech pack, write both: “crewneck sweatshirt, 2×2 rib neckband, 380gsm brushed fleece”.
Sweater vs sweatshirt vs hoodie: side-by-side comparison
| Sweater | Sweatshirt (crewneck) | Hoodie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | Knitted from yarn into panels or a whole garment, then linked | Cut and sewn from brushed fleece or French terry | Cut and sewn from brushed fleece or French terry |
| Typical fibres | Wool, merino, cashmere, cotton, acrylic and nylon blends | Cotton, cotton/polyester, organic cotton | Cotton, cotton/polyester, organic cotton |
| How weight is specified | Gauge (3gg chunky to 12gg+ fine) plus yarn count | GSM, roughly 240 to 480gsm | GSM, roughly 240 to 480gsm |
| Hood / pocket | Rarely | No hood, usually no pocket | Hood; kangaroo or split pockets common |
| Cuffs and hem | Knitted-in rib | Sewn-on rib | Sewn-on rib |
| Logo options | Jacquard, intarsia, embroidery | Screen print, puff, DTG, embroidery, patches | Screen print, puff, DTG, embroidery, patches |
| Best for | Knitwear and premium seasonal ranges | Clean, versatile basics and graphic drops | Streetwear, merch and core everyday pieces |
Fabric weights explained: GSM and oz
For sweatshirts and hoodies, weight is the spec that changes everything: drape, warmth, structure and cost. GSM means grams per square metre. US mills often quote ounces per square yard; 1 oz/yd² is about 34gsm.
- 240 to 300gsm (about 7 to 9oz): lightweight, usually French terry. Good for spring, layering and warmer markets.
- 300 to 380gsm (about 9 to 11oz): mid-weight. The typical retail hoodie or crewneck.
- 380 to 480gsm (about 11 to 14oz): heavyweight. Structured, boxy, premium streetwear territory.
Our hoodie fabrics run from 240gsm French terry up to 480gsm loopback fleece, and most premium streetwear hoodies we make sit between 380 and 450gsm. Heavier is not automatically better: above about 450gsm the garment gets stiff and warm, which suits some brands and not others.
If a mill only gives you a weight, ask whether it is before or after washing, and agree a maximum shrinkage in your tech pack. Cotton-rich fleece that has not been pre-shrunk can move noticeably on the first wash.
Which should your brand make first?
For most first collections, we recommend starting with a hoodie or crewneck sweatshirt rather than a knitted sweater. The reasons are practical:
- Simpler development. One fabric, one rib and a standard block get you to a good sample faster.
- Easier branding. You can print, embroider or patch a sweatshirt. Branding a sweater usually means knitting it in.
- Lower minimums. Cut-and-sew fleece can be produced in small runs. Knitwear often brings yarn minimums for custom colours.
- Wider customer appeal. A good heavyweight hoodie sells across seasons and markets.
If knitwear is central to your brand, go for it, but brief a specialist knit factory and expect more sampling rounds on handfeel and gauge. Our knitwear page covers what a knit spec needs.
Whichever you choose, the specs above belong in a proper tech pack: fabric composition and weight (or gauge and yarn), rib details, measurements, trims and decoration placement.
How Fabrickly can help
We develop tech packs and manufacture hoodies and sweatshirts for small brands from 50 pieces per style, with fabrics from 240gsm French terry to 480gsm loopback fleece. See our hoodie manufacturer page for fabrics, trims and decoration options. Send your tech pack or a sketch for an itemised quote within one business day via our quote request form.
Frequently asked
Q: Is a hoodie a sweatshirt?
Yes. A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood, made from the same brushed fleece or French terry and the same rib trims. Most hoodies also have a kangaroo pocket or, on zip-ups, split pockets.
Q: Is a crewneck a sweater or a sweatshirt?
It can be either. Crewneck describes the round neckline, so a crewneck sweater is knitted and a crewneck sweatshirt is cut and sewn from fleece. In streetwear, “crewneck” on its own usually means a crewneck sweatshirt.
Q: What is the difference between a jumper and a sweater?
There is no difference in construction. Jumper is the usual British word and sweater the usual American word for a knitted top worn over other clothes.
Q: Which is warmer, a sweater or a sweatshirt?
It depends on the fibre and weight. A chunky wool sweater generally insulates better, especially in damp cold, while a heavyweight brushed fleece sweatshirt is very warm in still, dry conditions.
Q: What GSM is a good hoodie?
Around 300 to 380gsm is a typical mid-weight retail hoodie. Premium streetwear hoodies usually sit between 380 and 450gsm, and lightweight French terry hoodies start at about 240gsm.
Q: Do sweatshirts shrink?
Cotton-rich sweatshirts can shrink on the first wash if the fabric was not pre-shrunk. Ask for pre-shrunk fabric, set a maximum shrinkage in your tech pack and wash-test your pre-production sample.
— Hasebul, Fabrickly