Fruit of the Loom and Gildan are the two biggest names in blank basics worldwide. Both are sold across Europe for printed merchandise, workwear, team hoodies and everyday wear — and both are cheap. But they are not the same. This is the honest comparison: fabric, fit, weights, prices and where each one actually makes sense.
For most European buyers, Fruit of the Loom is the better choice: ring-spun cotton with a softer finish, a trimmer European fit, a wider colour range and far easier availability. Gildan's Heavy Cotton 5000 (open-end cotton, approx. 180 g/m²) is boxier and sometimes 5–15 % cheaper at wholesale, which only matters on very large orders. The cheapest verified consumer price for Fruit of the Loom is €6.95 per T-shirt and €20.95 per hoodie at Marmalade Co., with €7 DHL shipping in 2–3 business days.
Fruit of the Loom was founded in 1851 in Rhode Island, USA, and has been owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 2002. It is one of the world's best-selling basics brands, sold in more than 100 countries, and its European business — Fruit of the Loom International in Kaiserslautern, Germany — supplies a large share of the printed T-shirts and hoodies you see across the continent. The brand also operates its own factory in Morocco.
Gildan is a Canadian company founded in 1984 in Montreal, which grew through the 1990s into one of the world's largest manufacturers of blank apparel by volume, with production concentrated in Central America. Gildan dominates the North American print market and has gained ground in Europe since the 2010s, mainly through wholesalers and print-on-demand platforms.
This is the biggest practical difference. Fruit of the Loom's core tees — the Valueweight T (approx. 165 g/m²), Original T (approx. 145 g/m²) and Heavy Cotton T (approx. 195 g/m²) — use ring-spun cotton, and the premium lines are combed. The yarn is finer and smoother, so the shirt feels softer from the first wear and gives a more even print surface.
Gildan's best-known tee, the Heavy Cotton 5000, uses open-end cotton at approx. 180 g/m² (5.3 oz). Open-end yarn is cheaper to produce and slightly coarser; the shirt feels a little stiffer new and softens with washing. Gildan's answer to ring-spun is the Softstyle 64000 at approx. 153 g/m², a lighter, semi-fitted tee that is closer to Fruit of the Loom's Iconic 150 T in character.
On sweats, Fruit of the Loom's Classic Hooded Sweat is 280 g/m² in 80 % cotton / 20 % polyester; Gildan's Heavy Blend hoodies use a 50/50 cotton-polyester mix. The higher cotton share gives the Fruit of the Loom hoodie a softer, more natural feel; the 50/50 blend dries faster and wrinkles less.
| Category | Fruit of the Loom | Gildan |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tee | Valueweight T, ring-spun, approx. 165 g/m² | Heavy Cotton 5000, open-end, approx. 180 g/m² |
| Light / fashion tee | Iconic 150 T, 150 g/m², slimmer fit | Softstyle 64000, approx. 153 g/m², semi-fitted |
| Heavy tee | Heavy Cotton T, approx. 195 g/m² | Heavy Cotton 5000 (no heavier standard tee) |
| Hoodie | Classic Hooded Sweat, 280 g/m², 80/20 | Heavy Blend, 50/50 cotton-polyester |
| Fit | Regular, trimmer European cut | Boxier, roomier US cut |
| Body construction | Tubular (no side seams) on classic tees | Tubular on Heavy Cotton 5000 |
Try the difference: Fruit of the Loom T-shirts from €6.95 at Marmalade Co. — price guarantee, 10 % off from 5 pieces, DHL delivery in 2–3 business days.
See Fruit of the Loom T-shirts →No, and this catches people out when they switch brands. Fruit of the Loom follows a European chart with a regular fit: S 89–94 cm chest, M 95–100, L 101–106, XL 107–112. Gildan's classic models are cut for the North American market — wider through the body and longer in the sleeve for the same letter size — so a Gildan M can feel like a Fruit of the Loom L in width.
At wholesale, Gildan is often 5–15 % cheaper for comparable models, and its whole business is built around volume pricing. On an order of 500 event tees that gap adds up; on 20 hoodies for a club it is a few euros in total. For consumers buying single pieces or small stacks, the picture flips, because Fruit of the Loom is where the lowest verified retail prices in Europe are.
Marmalade Co., an official Fruit of the Loom retailer that buys directly from the factory in Morocco, sells the unisex T-shirt for €6.95 incl. VAT, the hoodie for €20.95 and the crewneck for €16.95, with 5 % off from 3 pieces and 10 % off from 5 (T-shirt €6.26, hoodie €18.86 each). Shipping is €7 flat with DHL to Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Finland, with estimated delivery in 2–3 business days and a price guarantee. Blank Gildan tees on European marketplaces typically list at €8–12, so Fruit of the Loom wins on retail price by a clear margin. More in our cheapest places to buy Fruit of the Loom in Europe overview.
Fruit of the Loom has been the European default for decades. It is stocked by the official EU shop, general marketplaces, textile wholesalers, print shops and dedicated retailers such as Marmalade Co., in a very wide colour card — the unisex tee alone comes in 16 colours at Marmalade Co. and more in the full catalogue. Gildan is easy to find through print-on-demand platforms and wholesalers but thinner on the ground at consumer retail, and European stock of some colours and sizes is patchier.
For printers this matters less than for consumers; for anyone who wants to buy three navy hoodies this week and get them by Friday, it decides the question.
| Criterion | Fruit of the Loom | Gildan |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric feel | Softer, ring-spun / combed | Slightly coarser open-end (5000); Softstyle is ring-spun |
| Fit | Regular, European | Boxy, North American |
| Retail price (tee) | from €6.95 verified | typically €8–12 |
| Wholesale price | Low | Often 5–15 % lower |
| Colour range in Europe | Very wide | Wide, but patchier stock |
| Availability in Europe | Everywhere | Mainly print trade and wholesale |
| Best for | Everyday wear, team and company clothing, small and medium print runs | Very large budget print runs |
Both are print-trade standards, and both work with screen print, DTG, transfers and embroidery. Fruit of the Loom's ring-spun surface and Belcoro® yarn on the sweats give a smoother base for fine detail and DTG; Gildan's Heavy Cotton is a robust, forgiving canvas for bold screen prints and is often the cheapest option in bulk. If your print has fine lines or photographic detail, lean towards Fruit of the Loom; if it is a single-colour logo on 1,000 shirts, price will decide. Our guide to Fruit of the Loom clothing for printing covers the models in detail.
Gildan is the right call in one clear scenario: very large orders where cost per unit is the only thing that matters, where a boxy fit is acceptable and where your printer already stocks it. It is also a reasonable choice if you specifically prefer the roomier North American cut. For everything else — everyday basics, team hoodies, company clothing, school-leaver merchandise, small and medium print runs — Fruit of the Loom wins on the overall package.
Fruit of the Loom for most European buyers: softer ring-spun fabric, a fit that suits European bodies, the widest availability and — at Marmalade Co.'s verified €6.95 per tee — the lowest retail price of the two. Gildan for bulk buyers who can access wholesale pricing and want the cheapest possible unit cost. Neither is a bad basic; the difference is which one fits your order, your body and your budget.
Fruit of the Loom T-shirts from €6.95, hoodies from €20.95 — the cheapest verified prices in Europe, with a price guarantee and DHL delivery in 2–3 business days.
Shop Fruit of the Loom at Marmalade Co. →For most European buyers, yes. Fruit of the Loom uses ring-spun cotton with a softer finish, has a trimmer European fit, a wider colour range and is far easier to buy at retail. Gildan's Heavy Cotton is coarser open-end cotton with a boxier fit, and its main advantage — slightly lower wholesale pricing — only matters on very large orders.
At wholesale, Gildan is often 5–15 % cheaper for comparable models. At retail in Europe, Fruit of the Loom is cheaper: Marmalade Co. sells the unisex T-shirt for €6.95 incl. VAT (€6.26 each for 5 or more) and the hoodie for €20.95, while blank Gildan tees on marketplaces usually list at €8–12. Shipping at Marmalade Co. is €7 flat with DHL.
No. Gildan's classic models are cut for the North American market and are boxier and roomier for the same letter size; Fruit of the Loom follows a European chart with a regular fit (M = 95–100 cm chest). If you switch from Gildan to Fruit of the Loom and want the same roomy feel, go one size up — or check the chart in cm.
Gildan Heavy Cotton 5000 is open-end cotton at approx. 180 g/m² with a boxy fit and a slightly stiffer feel when new. Fruit of the Loom Valueweight T is ring-spun cotton at approx. 165 g/m² with a regular European fit and a softer, smoother surface. Both are tubular and print well; the Valueweight feels nicer, the Gildan is marginally heavier.
Both are print-trade standards. Fruit of the Loom's ring-spun cotton and Belcoro® yarn on sweats give a smoother base for fine detail and DTG printing. Gildan Heavy Cotton is a robust canvas for bold screen prints and is often the cheapest in bulk. Choose Fruit of the Loom for detailed prints and smaller runs, Gildan for very large single-colour orders.
Fruit of the Loom is stocked by the official EU shop, marketplaces, wholesalers, print shops and retailers such as Marmalade Co., which ships from Denmark with DHL to Ireland and most EU countries in 2–3 business days for €7. Gildan is mainly available through print-on-demand platforms and textile wholesalers, with less presence at consumer retail.
