Jersey
Also searched as: single jersey, plain knit, stockinette, stocking stitch, jersey knit, T-shirt knit, double jersey, interlock
Jersey, or single jersey, is the basic weft-knitted fabric made on one set of needles, with V-shaped loop legs on the technical face and loop heads on the technical back.
In detail
In weft knitting a single yarn feeds across the width, forming a row of loops (a course) that is pulled through the previous row. Vertical columns of loops are wales. In single jersey all loops are drawn through to the same side, so the technical face shows smooth columns of V shapes and the technical back shows rows of semicircular loop heads. This imbalance makes edges curl and gives the fabric more stretch across the width than along its length.
The science and numbers
Key parameters are stitch or loop length, courses and wales per unit length, yarn linear density and tightness factor, commonly the square root of yarn tex divided by loop length. Relaxed dimensions settle toward values governed mainly by loop length, which is why shrinkage control in knits focuses on relaxation and compaction. Single jersey spirality arises when residual yarn torque rotates loops, so ply, twist balance and relaxation treatments are used to reduce it. Studies holding machine settings constant report that both fiber type and structure, comparing plain single jersey with lacoste (pique) variants, influence bursting strength, pilling, abrasion and wicking. Comfort trials also report differences between single jersey and mesh knits in microclimate humidity during exercise.
A practical example
Turn a plain T-shirt inside out and look closely. The outside shows neat vertical V columns; the inside shows horizontal bumps. Cut a strip across the body and it curls toward the face along the cut edges. Pull a snagged yarn and a run can travel down a wale. Measuring courses and wales per centimeter on both samples lets a student compare their knitting density.
What to distinguish
Jersey names a structure, not a fiber, and does not imply elastane. Its stretch comes from loop geometry. Jersey knits are prone to curling, laddering, and spirality, where wales skew after washing, often from twist-lively yarn. Double jersey fabrics such as interlock use two needle beds and behave differently. Fabric weight and loop length matter as much as the structure name.
Origins and history
The fabric name is conventionally associated with the Channel Island of Jersey and its knitted goods; this edition did not verify a dated first use. Mechanized weft knitting later made single jersey a staple of underwear and T-shirt production on circular machines, where it is produced as a tube at high speed. Handknitters know the same structure as stockinette or stocking stitch.
Related terms
Sources & further reading
- CottonWorks: Knitting
- Heliyon: Fiber types and fabric structures influence on weft knitted fabrics (Hoque et al., 2022)
- Scientific Reports: Effect of different garments, including Tencel single jersey, on athletes' comfort (Ozkan et al., 2023)
Technical references reviewed 2026-09-22. Examples are illustrative. Industry organizations and manufacturers describe their own fields; their references are not independent product endorsements. Figures are approximate and depend on the stated test conditions.