Gildan is known worldwide for the slightly heavier, wider-cut T-shirts, which were very popular in band merch, for example. Gildan Heavy Cotton or Gildan Ultra Cotton are still classics today and are requested as blanks for screen printing. With the Gildan Softstyle line, there are now also models that are adapted to European cuts and wearing habits.
Gildan Activewear is a Canadian manufacturer of promotional textiles and one of the largest in the world. In the North American market, Gildan sells the most 100% cotton T-shirts.
The company was founded in 1984 and today has more than 40,000 employees worldwide. Production is mainly in Central America. All Gildan manufacturing facilities are subject to a strict code of conduct. Compliance with local and international legal regulations for the protection of employees is ensured through membership in WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) and the FLA (Fair Labor Association).
With the T-shirts: the models in the extra soft Softstyle quality, above all the classic Gildan Softstyle T-Shirt 64000 at an excellent price-performance ratio available in more than 50 colors, a color range that is rarely found and which also offers unexpected possibilities for groups and clubs.
As a soft style (extra soft), there are also women’s and children’s shirts, a slightly heavier t-shirt model in premium quality, different t-shirt cuts (long-sleeved, tank top, V-neck) and polo shirts. The smooth surface of the Softstyle products is an ideal base for screen printing and direct digital printing.
The (hooded) sweat shirts are from the Heavy Blend series, made from fleece fabric in 270 g/m² made from a 50% cotton/50% polyester blend.
The Gildan Heavy Blend Hooded Sweat 18500 is available in more than 30 colors, some colors up to size 5XL, and as a hooded jacket with a zip, the Full Zip Hooded Sweat 18600 is available in slightly fewer colors.
The market leader in sweat shirts is the Gildan G18000 Heavy Blend 50/50 sweatshirt, which is also available in more than 30 colors.
Gildan® Ultra Cotton™ – 203 g/m² 100% preshrunk cotton on t-shirts; 214 g/m² 100% pre-shrunk cotton in sport shirts.
Gildan® Heavy Cotton™ – 180 g/m² 100% preshrunk cotton offered as T-shirts.
Gildan Softstyle® – 153 g/m² 100% preshrunk cotton ring-spun jersey sold in t-shirts. 177 gsm 100% pre-shrunk ring-spun cotton for polos.
Gildan Performance® – for sports, 170 g/m² 100% polyester for t-shirts and 186 g/m² for shorts; 190 g/m² 100% polyester, for polos; 237 g/m² 100% polyester for sweat fabric. Fast-drying functional material (Aquafx™) • Antibacterial (Freshcare®)
DryBlend® – 186 g/m² 50% cotton/50% polyester preshrunk jersey on t-shirts; 203 g/m² 50% cotton/50% polyester and 65% polyester/35% cotton, ring spun on polos; 305 g/m² 50% cotton /50% polyester for fleece. All products with DryBlend®: moisture-wicking properties.
Gildan® Heavy Blend™ – 10 oz. 50% cotton/50% polyester preshrunk yarn Sweat fabrics only.
Gildan Premium Cotton® – 223 g/m² 100% cotton, combed ring spun on polos; 305 g/m² 75% cotton, combed ring spun/25% polyester preshrunk on sweats.
Almost all Gildan products are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified.
Gildan is a member of the FLA (Fair Labor Association) initiative and operates biological treatment plants for production facilities in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
The textiles are cut rather “normally” by European standards. Since textile sizes are not standardized, there is a size table for each product on the Gildan website with the exact details in cm, as an example here for the Gildan Softstyle T-shirt.
Due to efficient production structures, the Gildan brand is able to offer the best quality at a reasonable price.
Gildan impresses with its large selection of colours, e.g. the Gildan Ultra T-shirt is available in almost 60 colours.
