It is one of the most common assumptions we see customers make when evaluating the quality of a shirt. They use the weight of the material as the sole measuring stick. The assumption is, “The heavier the material, the better the quality.”
That assumption is very easy to understand. In our society, we percieve anything that is “lighter” has been compromised in order to achieve a lighter weight. And the compromise made to get to the lighter weight is quality.
Light beer is a great example. Many people assume a light beer doesn’t taste as good as a regular beer because it has been compromised to achieve the “light beer” label.
In the descriptions of each shirt on our website (wdfacustomtees.com) we list the material weight used in the construction of the shirt. Most golf shirts are between 3.5 and 7.0 ounces. Don’t assume for a minute the 7.0 oz shirt is a better quality than the 3.5 oz shirt.
That is like trying to compare apples to oranges.
The only thing the weight of the material represents is the weight of the material, nothing more.
A 7.0 oz shirt is heavier than a 5.0 oz shirt. That’s it.
So how do customers judge quality if they cannot look at the shirt up close, feel the material and evaluate the construction and features? Good question.
The best way to judge quality is by price. The old saying, “You get what you pay for” is especially true in the embroidered logo apparel market.
Quality shirts use better material, more solid construction and have more features built into them. Those characteristics equate to more time and effort to manufacture and that means more cost.
If you are comparing two 7.0 oz pique golf shirts and one is priced at $14 and the other is priced at $18, it is a good bet that the $18 shirt is of a higher quality.
The bottom line is, you can get a 7.0 oz (heavyweight) golf shirt that is made of substandard material and construction. But the best way to judge quality in a shirt is not by weight but by price.