The Numbers
Under 150 GSM is lightweight: promotional tees, summer basics, anything sold in a three-pack. 150–200 GSM is the standard high-street range. 200–250 GSM is midweight. Above 250 GSM you are into heavyweight territory, and 280 GSM — where BAAG builds — is close to the upper limit for a wearable single-layer tee.
Doubling GSM does not double the cost of a garment, but it does raise it meaningfully. That is why the number disappears from most product pages.
What Changes: Drape
Light cotton clings. It follows the body, picks up every ridge of what is underneath, and makes an oversized cut look accidental rather than designed.
Heavy cotton falls. It hangs off the shoulder in a straight line, holds a boxy hem, and gives the silhouette the architectural quality that makes streetwear read expensive. If you have ever wondered why a designer tee looks different from a cheap one in the same colour, this is most of the answer.
What Changes: Durability
The two failure points of a cheap tee are the neckline and the side seam. Loose, low-GSM knits stretch at the collar within a dozen washes and twist at the side because they are often tubular rather than side-seamed.
Dense combed cotton with a taped shoulder and a stitched side seam resists both. A well-made 280 GSM tee is a multi-year garment, which changes the maths on price per wear entirely.
What Changes: Print
Ink needs a flat, dense surface. On a loose weave the print sinks into the texture, edges soften, and fine linework breaks up after a few washes.
On heavyweight combed cotton the ink sits on top and stays legible. This is why detailed artwork — a hand-drawn lion mane, an exact Khanda — is only worth attempting on a heavy blank.
When Regular Is the Right Choice
Heavyweight is not universally better. In peak Indian summer a 280 GSM tee is warmer than a 160 GSM one, and for layering under a fitted shirt it is simply too bulky.
Our honest recommendation: heavyweight for anything worn as the outer layer, lighter cotton for base layers and hot-weather basics.
How to Buy
Ask for three numbers before you buy: GSM, fibre content, and whether the fabric is pre-shrunk. A brand that knows its supply chain will answer all three instantly.
Every BAAG tee is 280 GSM, 100% combed ring-spun cotton, bio-washed and pre-shrunk, cut S to XXL.
Frequently Asked
- Is 280 GSM good for a t-shirt?
- Yes — 280 GSM is a true heavyweight. It drapes rather than clings, holds an oversized shape, resists neckline stretch and carries print cleanly.
- Is a heavyweight t-shirt too hot for Indian summers?
- It is warmer than a 160 GSM tee, but 100% combed cotton still breathes. Most people wear heavyweight year-round as an outer layer and switch to lighter cotton only for base layers.
- Does higher GSM mean the t-shirt shrinks less?
- Not on its own — shrinkage depends on pre-shrinking. BAAG cloth is bio-washed and pre-shrunk before cutting, so the size chart holds after washing.