Side-Seamed Construction

Side-seamed construction cuts the front and back of a shirt as separate panels from flat-knit yardage, then sews them together with a seam running down each side from the underarm to the hem. Because the panels start as flat fabric, a cutter can shape that side seam, tapering it in at the waist and flaring slightly at the hip, to build a three-dimensional silhouette instead of a straight cylinder. Most retail-fit tees run this construction on 30-singles or finer combed cotton jersey.

Brands like Bella+Canvas (3001) and Next Level (3600) build their bestselling tees this way, and it's the reason those shirts sit close to the body instead of boxing out at the hem. We've had buyers request a size up on a side-seamed style simply because they were used to the extra room a tubular Gildan G500 gives through the torso; the two aren't cut from the same pattern logic.

Spec side-seamed construction for fashion-forward retail programs, fitted event tees, and women's cuts, where the tapered shape is part of the sell. For oversized full-front prints, check that the design won't cross the side seam awkwardly, since the seam adds a slight ridge under a heat-applied transfer.

Buyers assume any premium blank is side-seamed and any bargain blank is tubular, but the split runs by brand and style number, not price alone. Some heavyweight side-seamed tees cost less than lightweight tubular ones, so check the spec sheet rather than guessing from the price tag.