For women's underwear the shortlist is short: combed cotton jersey with 5-8% elastane for everyday, modal or micro-modal for softness and drape, and power mesh for support panels. What separates a good underwear fabric from a merely soft one is moisture behaviour, seam stability and how the fabric survives 60 washes.
How do the fabrics compare?
| Fabric | Weight | Strength | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combed cotton jersey + elastane | 160-200 g/m² | Breathable, absorbent, skin-friendly | Dries slowly |
| Modal / micro-modal | 140-180 g/m² | Very soft, excellent drape, low pilling | Needs elastane for recovery |
| Interlock | 140-180 g/m² | Opaque, smooth both sides | Heavier than jersey at the same feel |
| Power mesh | 90-140 g/m² | High stretch, holds shape | Not a skin-contact fabric on its own |
| Polyamide microfibre | 110-160 g/m² | Smooth under clothing, fast drying | Less breathable than cotton |
What is the gusset rule?
Whatever the outer fabric is, the gusset should be 100% cotton or a cotton-rich knit. This is not a marketing preference — it is the single specification most quality standards and dermatologists agree on, and buyers in the EU will ask for it.
Why does certification matter most for underwear?
Underwear is a permanent skin-contact product. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests the finished fabric for harmful substances, and Class I — the strictest class, written for baby articles — is the level worth insisting on. If organic content is claimed on the label, it needs GOTS transaction certificates behind it, not just a supplier's word.
What ruins underwear fabric?
Elastane degrades from heat and from chlorine, not from wear. Washing at 30-40 °C, no hot tumble drying and no fabric softener on elastane blends will roughly double the useful life of the garment. Recommend it on the care label and you reduce returns.
How do you order?
Underwear ranges sell as colour assortments, so plan the colour count first and the metreage second. Minimum is 50 kg per colour; stock colours ship in 2-5 working days, custom Pantone or RAL shades take 10-15 working days.
Altunkaya Tekstil supplies combed cotton jersey, lycra jersey and interlock for the underwear and sleepwear trade — min. 50 kg per colour, GOTS, BCI and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class I. WhatsApp: +90 536 304 67 29