Every hoodie looks like a hoodie. The fabric inside is where the difference lives.
Three constructions cover most of the market: French Terry, fleece, and single jersey. Most brands do not explain them. Most buyers do not know to ask. Here is what each one actually is - and why it matters for what you spend your money on.
French Terry
French Terry is a looped knit - smooth on the outside, with small intact loops on the inside. The loops are not visible when wearing it. They sit against your skin and create insulation by trapping air within the fabric's structure.
Key characteristics:
- Smooth exterior resists pilling and holds colour wash after wash
- Looped interior provides natural warmth without a brushed finish
- Mid-to-high stretch recovery - bounces back to shape after wear
- Gets softer with repeated washing, not harsher
- Structure improves with age
Just Sweatshirts' durability comparison summarises it well: French Terry "wears in, not out" - unlike fleece, which degrades over time, 100% cotton French Terry softens with age while maintaining structural integrity.
At 300-400 GSM, French Terry is the standard construction for quality hoodies. The combination of weight and loop structure creates warmth without bulk, and durability without stiffness.
Fleece
Fleece begins as a similar knit fabric but goes through an additional mechanical process where the surface is brushed to break and raise the fibres - creating the soft, fuzzy texture most people associate with "hoodie lining."
Key characteristics:
- Extremely soft on first touch - the brushed surface reads as premium
- Pills aggressively where friction occurs: collar, bag straps, seat belts
- Traps warmth well through its raised fibre structure
- Loses softness and structure within 20-30 washes
- Often blended with polyester to stabilise the brushed fibres and reduce cost
brand-stuff.com's 2026 streetwear fabric breakdown is direct: fleece suits budget winter pieces, while French Terry suits premium everyday streetwear - specifically because of long-term performance differences.
The polyester blending is worth flagging. Fleece is cheaper to produce because polyester is cheaper than 100% cotton. It photographs identically to French Terry in product images. The difference shows at wash 15, not wash 1.
Single Jersey
Single jersey is the standard knit for t-shirts. Thin, breathable, stretchy. Excellent for exactly what it is designed for: layering under other pieces and everyday warm-weather wear.
Some lightweight hoodies are single jersey. They are essentially thick tees with hoods. Fine for air-conditioned offices and mild evenings. Not insulating enough for genuine cold weather, and not structured enough to hold an oversized silhouette cleanly.
Side by Side
| French Terry | Fleece | Single Jersey | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warmth | High | High | Low |
| First touch softness | Medium-high | Very high | Medium |
| After 50 washes | Better | Noticeably worse | Unchanged |
| Pill resistance | High | Low | High |
| GSM range | 220-400 | 280-360 | 120-220 |
| Best for | Year-round hoodies, premium streetwear | Budget winter pieces | Tees, light layers |
The India-Specific Factor
98 Degree North's French Terry guide for India notes that French Terry suits Indian wear specifically because of its breathability - it insulates in the cold without overheating in transitional weather. India's winters range from mild to sharp depending on region. Fabric that regulates temperature rather than simply trapping it performs better across that range than pure fleece.
Worth noting: according to massindia.in's manufacturing breakdown, experienced knitwear manufacturers in Tiruppur treat French Terry and fleece as entirely separate production programs, not interchangeable options. The construction paths diverge before finishing - which is why quality varies so much between factories that claim to produce the same fabric.
What to Look For When Buying
- Check for GSM - any brand not publishing it is hiding it
- Look at the interior - French Terry has intact loops, fleece has fuzzy brushed fibres, jersey is smooth both sides
- Check cotton percentage - 100% cotton French Terry outlasts cotton-polyester blends significantly
- Stretch and recover - pull gently and release. Clean snap-back indicates solid construction.
What QUIETHUE Uses
QUIETHUE (Quiet Hue) WINTER '26 hoodies: 350 GSM French Terry. 100% cotton. Smooth exterior, looped interior, structured weight.
QUIETHUE tees: 180 GSM single jersey cotton. The correct fabric for what a tee is.
No fleece in the range. That is a deliberate choice.