Riccitelli Milano manufactures jersey and t-shirts in Italy for fashion brands: tees, long sleeves, tanks, sweatshirts, hoodies and cut and sew jersey pieces. The t-shirt is the garment every brand thinks is easy and the one where the difference between a good producer and a poor one is most obvious, because there is nothing to hide behind.
We are a fashion production agency in Milan. A brand hires us and we produce the collection, answering for the result at every stage.
Why a good t-shirt is hard
The knit moves. Jersey stretches and relaxes on the cutting table, so a piece cut immediately after the roll is opened comes out a different size from one cut an hour later. Cloth has to be relaxed before cutting, and skipping that step is why a production run comes back with inconsistent sizing.
Twisting. A tee that spirals on the body after the first wash is not a sewing fault, it is the yarn torque in a tubular knit. It is fixed by choosing the right construction and by testing after laundering, not by pressing.
The neckline. A rib collar that stretches out or waves is the fastest way to make a garment look cheap. The rib has to be cut to the right ratio against the neckline, applied under even tension and taped at the shoulder to stop it growing.
Shrinkage. Cotton jersey shrinks, and the customer washes the garment. The pattern has to be built for the fabric after washing, which means testing a washed sample rather than a fresh one.
What we produce
T-shirts, from fine single jersey to heavy weight. Long sleeves, tanks and bodies. Sweatshirts and hoodies in loopback, French terry and brushed fleece. Polos and cut and sew jersey pieces. Dresses and separates in jersey through dress manufacturing. Printed and embroidered pieces, with hand and machine embellishment through our embroidery specialists.
Produced under your own label through private label production, with labels, tags and packaging made alongside.
Cloth
Jersey is specified by weight in grams per square metre, by yarn and by knit construction, and those three decide everything. Combed and compact cottons give a cleaner surface with less pilling. Long staple cottons give the hand that a luxury tee is judged on. Heavier weights hold a shape, lighter weights drape. Garment dyeing and washing give the finish many brands want and change the shrinkage behaviour entirely, so they have to be planned rather than added.
Shrinkage, pilling, torque and colour fastness are all tested before booking. See fabric sourcing in Italy.
How a jersey project runs
Flats drawn with the neckline, the rib ratio and the seam types specified. First patterns drafted against the specific fabric and its post wash behaviour. The sample is made, washed and then judged, because a jersey garment approved dry will not be the garment the customer receives. Corrections go into the pattern, the size set proves the grading, and the approved sample becomes the production reference, with cloth relaxed before every cut. See pattern making and sampling.
Quantities
Minimums follow the fabric, because jersey is knitted and dyed in lots. See low minimum order production and capsule collections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do t-shirts twist after washing?
Because of yarn torque in a tubular knit, not because of sewing. The fix is in the fabric construction and in testing a washed sample before production, not in pressing the garment flat at the end.
Why must jersey be relaxed before cutting?
Because a knit stretches on the roll and recovers slowly once opened. Cutting straight off the roll gives pieces that shrink back to a different size, which is why a run comes back with inconsistent measurements. Relaxing the cloth first is a step, not a courtesy.
What weight should a luxury t-shirt be?
It depends on the intent rather than a number. Lighter single jersey drapes and reads elegant; heavier weights hold their shape and read substantial. What matters more is the yarn: combed and compact long staple cottons give the clean surface and the hand that a luxury tee is judged on.
Why does a rib collar wave or stretch out?
Because the rib was cut at the wrong ratio to the neckline or applied unevenly. It has to be measured against the neckline, applied under even tension and taped at the shoulder so it cannot grow with wear.
Do you judge samples washed or unwashed?
Washed. Cotton jersey shrinks and the customer launders the garment, so a sample approved fresh is not the garment that gets worn. The pattern is built for the fabric after washing.
Can you garment dye or wash the pieces?
Yes, and it has to be planned from the start because it changes the shrinkage behaviour and therefore the pattern. Added late, it undoes the fit that was signed off.
Can you produce jersey in small quantities?
Yes, though the minimum follows the fabric rather than the garment, since jersey is knitted and dyed in lots. Tell us the styles and colourways and we tell you what is workable.
Produce your jersey collection in Italy
Send a reference garment, a fabric or a finished tech pack and we tell you what it takes to build it. Contact our Milan studio, or see all fashion production services.
Start your production with Riccitelli Milano
Tell us about the collection you would like to create. Our team will get back to you to begin your production in Italy.