Why We Only Use the Comfort Colors 1717

Every piece of clothing starts somewhere. Before the graphic, before the dye, before the drop announcement — there is the blank. And the blank is everything.

We chose the Comfort Colors 1717 before we chose anything else about this brand. Not because it was trendy. Not because a supplier pushed it. Because after testing a dozen options across different weights, constructions, and wash processes, nothing else came close.

What Makes the 1717 Different

The 1717 is a 6.1 oz ring-spun cotton tee. Ring-spun means the cotton fibers are twisted and thinned during spinning, which makes the yarn stronger and the fabric softer than open-end spun alternatives. That extra step costs more. Most brands skip it.

The weight matters too. Fast fashion runs at 4 to 4.5 oz — light enough to feel disposable because it is. At 6.1 oz you have something with actual body. It drapes differently. It holds its shape after fifty washes instead of slowly becoming translucent.

The real differentiator is the garment-dyeing process. Most manufacturers dye the fabric first, then cut and sew. Comfort Colors dyes the finished garment — after construction. This creates the slight variations in color distribution, the soft worn-in feel straight out of the bag, and the slight dimensional shrinkage that gives the fit its relaxed quality. The dye bonds to the cotton at a molecular level. It does not peel, crack, or fade the way a surface treatment does.

What It Does For Our Designs

When you print or embroider on a garment-dyed blank, the design becomes part of the fabric rather than sitting on top of it. The slight texture of the cotton adds depth to screen prints. The color of the blank interacts with the ink rather than just acting as a neutral substrate.

This is why our pieces look like they have been around for a while even when they are brand new. The blank has character before we touch it. We build on top of that.

The Spec Sheet

• Weight: 6.1 oz per square yard
• Construction: 100% ring-spun cotton
• Process: Garment-dyed after construction
• Fit: Unisex relaxed — oversized without being shapeless
• Shrinkage: Approximately 5% pre-shrunk during dyeing process
• Origin: Manufactured in Honduras, dyed in the USA

Why We Will Not Switch

Every few months a supplier emails us about a new blank that is “comparable” to the 1717 at a lower price point. We have tested most of them. The weight is usually right but the hand feel is not. Or the garment dyeing is inconsistent across a run. Or it holds up for six months and then the seams start going.

The 1717 has been produced since 1980. It is not a trend product. It is not going to be discontinued next season. Building on it means building on something with forty years of refinement behind it.

That is the foundation. Everything else — the graphics, the colorways, the drops — comes after.