Why is my white t-shirt see-through?

Almost always because the jersey is under about 150 GSM. White and pale colours show it most because less dye means less opacity. A 180–200 GSM white tee in the same cotton will be opaque. This is the clearest everyday example of why weight matters.

Is high GSM a sign of better quality?

No. It is a sign of a heavier fabric, which may be entirely wrong for the garment. Quality comes from fibre, yarn, weave and construction. A fine high-quality voile is deliberately low GSM; a cheap heavy polyester can be high GSM and still feel unpleasant.

How do I find GSM if the brand does not list it?

Use proxies: words like lightweight or flowy suggest low GSM, structured or crisp suggest high. Check whether the garment is lined, and look at photographs taken in bright light, where thin fabric glows at the edges. You can also weigh a garment you own to build a reference point.

27 September 2026

What GSM and Fabric Weight Actually Mean

GSM stands for grams per square metre. It is simply how much one square metre of a fabric weighs. A 120 GSM cotton is light; a 300 GSM cotton is heavy. That is the whole concept — but knowing the ranges tells you how a garment will drape, whether it will be see-through, and whether it will be bearable in an Indian summer.

Why the number matters

Two dresses can both say "100% cotton" and behave completely differently. One is a crisp poplin shirt dress that holds its shape. The other is a thin voile that clings and shows everything underneath. The fibre is identical. The weight is not.

GSM tells you three things at once:

Opacity. Lighter fabric is more likely to be see-through.
Drape. Heavier fabric holds structure; lighter fabric falls and moves.
Warmth. Higher GSM traps more air and is warmer.

Rough ranges worth knowing

These are approximate and vary by weave, but they are a usable mental map.

GSM	Feel	Typical use
60–100	Very light, often sheer	Voile, chiffon, georgette, linings, dupattas
100–150	Light	Summer shirts, light kurtas, floaty dresses
150–200	Medium	T-shirts, everyday dresses, poplin shirts
200–250	Medium-heavy	Structured dresses, trousers, co-ord sets
250–350	Heavy	Denim, twill, winter trousers, jackets
350+	Very heavy	Outerwear, upholstery-weight

For most Indian conditions, the useful band for daily wear is roughly 110–200 GSM. Below that you are usually looking at something that needs lining. Above 250 and you will feel it in May.

Knits are measured differently in practice

For jersey and knitted fabrics, GSM matters just as much but the comfortable ranges shift down slightly:

120–160 GSM jersey — light t-shirt weight, drapes well, can be slightly sheer in pale colours
160–200 GSM jersey — the standard good t-shirt weight, opaque, holds shape
200–250 GSM — heavy jersey, sweatshirt territory

If you have ever bought a white t-shirt that turned out transparent, it was almost certainly under 150 GSM.

What it means for Indian weather

Delhi and north India summer. You want low GSM and a breathable fibre. A 110–140 GSM cotton or linen moves air. A 200 GSM polyester does not, regardless of how light it feels in the hand.

Monsoon. Lighter fabrics dry faster, which matters more than it sounds. Heavy cotton stays damp for hours.

Winter. Higher GSM genuinely helps, and layering two medium weights usually beats one heavy one.

The fibre and the weave matter alongside the number. A loosely woven 150 GSM linen breathes better than a tightly woven 150 GSM polyester, because airflow depends on the gaps between threads as well as the mass.

When a brand does not publish GSM

Most Indian fashion brands do not list it, which is frustrating but workable. Proxies:

"Lightweight", "flowy", "sheer", "summer" — low GSM, probably needs lining
"Structured", "crisp", "holds shape" — higher GSM
Whether it is lined — a lined dress in thin fabric is fine; an unlined one is a risk
Photographs in bright light — thin fabric glows at the edges and shows the leg line through a skirt

If you buy a lot online, it is worth weighing a garment you own on a kitchen scale and measuring its area. Divide grams by square metres and you have its GSM, and a reference point for everything you buy afterwards.

What not to over-think

Higher GSM is not better. It is heavier. A heavy dress in Indian summer is a bad dress no matter how well made. The right weight is the one suited to the season and the shape — a fluid 120 GSM georgette maxi and a structured 220 GSM cotton shirt dress are both correct, for different jobs.

Our tops and dresses list fabric and whether a piece is lined on every product page, and anything that is not right can be exchanged within 7 days.

The short version

GSM is just weight per square metre. Under 150 usually needs lining. 150–200 is the everyday band. Over 250 is a winter proposition. And weave and fibre still matter alongside the number.

Shop Tops →Shop Dresses →Shop Co-ord Sets →

Common Questions

Roughly 110–150 GSM in a breathable fibre like cotton, linen or a cotton blend. The weave matters as much as the number: a loosely woven linen at 150 GSM will feel cooler than a tightly woven polyester at the same weight, because airflow depends on the gaps between threads.