Sustainable T-shirts made from 100% organic cotton
T-Shirt Guide - Find your perfect fit
A good T-shirt is more than just a basic. It's the garment you wear most often – in everyday life, at the office, on the go. In our T-shirt guide, we show you which sustainable T-shirt is right for you: from regular to oversized fits, from lightweight single jersey to shape-retaining heavy jersey. All styles are made from 100% Fairtrade organic cotton , are GOTS-certified, and completely free of polyester .
Which sustainable T-shirt suits you?
Not all basic T-shirts are created equal. Differences in cut, fabric weight, and material affect how they feel to wear, how they drape, and their suitability for everyday use.
This guide will help you decide:
- Regular or relaxed fit?
- Light or heavy fabric?
- Classic round neck or V-neck?
Here's how to find an organic cotton T-shirt that truly suits you – and lasts a long time.
WOMEN
KHIRA
- 160 GSM Single Jersey
- High round neckline
- Wide collar
- Regular fit
- Straight cut
DESNA
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- round neck
- Finely ribbed collar
- Shortened, oversized fit
TANIKA
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- round neck
- Slightly longer sleeves
- Loose fit
- Straight cut
MADHU
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- High round neckline
- batwing sleeves
- side slits
- Loose fit
- Straight cut
LANISHA
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- round neck
- Narrow collar
- Slightly shorter sleeves
- Regular fit
- Slightly fitted
Bhamini
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- round neck
- Finely ribbed collar
- batwing sleeves
- side slits
- Shorter, looser fit
Explanation of fabric type and GSM
What are Single Jersey and Heavy Jersey?
If you're looking for a sustainable T-shirt, you'll quickly come across terms like single jersey , heavy jersey , or GSM . But what do they actually mean?
Jersey refers to a specific type of knit fabric. Unlike woven fabrics, jersey is more elastic, softer, and particularly comfortable against the skin. This is why jersey is frequently used for T-shirts. At MELA, both single jersey and heavy jersey are made from 100% Fairtrade organic cotton – without polyester or synthetic blends.*
Single Jersey
Single jersey is a finely knitted, lighter fabric quality.
It feels soft and flexible and lies comfortably against the skin. Our single jersey T-shirts typically have a fabric weight of approximately 160 GSM (grams per square meter) .
That means:
- lightweight, breathable fabric
- especially pleasant in summer
- soft fall
- ideal as a layering piece
If you're looking for a lightweight organic cotton T-shirt that's airy to wear and versatile enough to combine with other pieces, single jersey is a good choice.
Heavy Jersey
Heavy jersey is also knitted, but has a higher fabric weight.
This makes the fabric feel firmer and more structured. Our heavy jersey T-shirts have a higher GSM than our single jersey models (up to 260 GSM, depending on the style).
This causes:
- greater shape stability
- a straighter, clearer case
- a higher quality, more compact feel
- additional durability
If you're looking for a sustainable T-shirt with more substance, a slightly bolder look, and one that retains its shape particularly well, then Heavy Jersey is the right choice.
Men
AVAN
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- High round neckline
- Wide collar
- Regular fit
- Straight cut
SADHIL
- 160GSM Single Jersey
- round neck
- Slightly longer sleeves
- Relaxed fit
- Straight cut
PRAVIN
- 260GSM Heavy Jersey
- round neck
- Slightly longer sleeves
- Relaxed fit
- Straight cut
BHAJAN
- 260GSM Heavy Jersey
- round neck
- Dropped shoulders
- Longer sleeves
- Oversized fit
- Straight cut
Proper care of cotton
Care Guide*From a textile engineering perspective, both the lighter and heavier versions of our T-shirts are made of single jersey . The difference lies not in the knitting technique, but in the fabric weight (GSM – grams per square meter) .