Northgrove United Kingdom: Lightweight Hoodie Built on Cotton/Spandex French Terry
Northgrove, based in United Kingdom, needed a lightweight hoodie that delivered a soft brushed hand without moving away from a clean, commercial silhouette. The finished fabric was Cotton/Spandex French Terry.
Project brief and fabric selection
The fabric selected combines French Terry (looped back construction) with combed cotton with elastane, giving natural hand with shape retention. Construction is looped back construction at 240-300 GSM. The brief also asked for plus a soft loop length. Each lot was checked against handle panel assessment before cutting began.
Construction and fit decisions
Pattern and construction were adjusted around the chosen fabric: seam placement moved away from high-friction areas, stitch density was matched to the elastane content, and the fit block was revised once the first wear trial showed the panel tension distribution. The development brief set the outcome as panel scoring improved by two grades against the previous fabric.
Dyeing and finishing approach
Finishing was limited to processes that support a soft brushed hand. Soft handle came from construction rather than heavy softening, which keeps performance stable through repeated washing. Consistency between repeat lots mattered more to Northgrove than an isolated best result.
Measured results
Measured outcome: panel scoring improved by two grades against the previous fabric, verified by handle panel assessment. Size sets were checked after five home washes to confirm that dimensional change stayed inside the agreed tolerance before bulk release. Fabric Cotton/Spandex French Terry supplied the base behaviour for a soft brushed hand.
Repeat order performance
The style moved to repeat orders after two seasons. Bulk fabric is now booked against a fixed recipe, with test reports issued per lot, and the French Terry construction is used for additional colourways in the same programme. The United Kingdom market requires documentation, so reports shipped with every lot.
