Comfort Colors vs Gildan: Which Garment Dyed T-Shirt Is Right for Your Business?
When it comes to garment dyed t-shirts, two brands dominate the wholesale market: Comfort Colors and Gildan. Both offer that sought-after vintage, lived-in look that customers love, but they take very different approaches to achieving it. Whether you’re a screen printer, DTF transfer shop, embroiderer, or custom apparel brand, choosing the right garment dyed blank can make or break your product line.
In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll break down the differences between Comfort Colors and Gildan garment dyed t-shirts across every factor that matters: fabric quality, fit, color selection, pricing, printability, and customer satisfaction. By the end, you’ll know exactly which brand fits your business needs.
What Is Garment Dyeing? A Quick Primer
Before we dive into the comparison, let’s clarify what garment dyeing actually means. Unlike piece dyeing (where fabric is colored before being cut and sewn), garment dyeing colors the finished shirt after it’s been constructed. This process creates several distinctive characteristics:
- Soft, broken-in feel from the very first wear
- Unique color variations with a slightly washed, vintage aesthetic
- Natural fading over time that many customers prefer
- Relaxed fit due to slight shrinkage during the dyeing process
Both Comfort Colors and Gildan offer garment dyed options, but their approaches, price points, and target markets differ significantly. Let’s break it down.
Brand Overview: Comfort Colors vs Gildan
Comfort Colors
Comfort Colors has been the gold standard in garment dyed apparel since 1975. Originally founded in Georgia, the brand built its reputation on premium ringspun cotton tees with an unmatched soft hand feel. In 2015, Gildan Brands acquired Comfort Colors, but the product line has maintained its distinct identity and quality standards.
The flagship product, the Comfort Colors 1717, remains one of the most popular wholesale blank t-shirts in the industry. It’s the go-to choice for sororities, fraternities, vacation destinations, and premium retail brands.
Gildan Garment Dyed Line
Gildan’s garment dyed offerings, particularly the Gildan Hammer series and select styles from their core line, represent a more budget-friendly approach to the garment dyed market. While Gildan is better known for their standard blanks like the Gildan 64000 Softstyle, their garment dyed options have been gaining traction with price-conscious decorators.
Fabric Quality and Feel
Comfort Colors
This is where Comfort Colors truly shines. The 1717 uses 100% ringspun cotton at a substantial 6.1 oz/yd² weight. The fabric feels thick yet incredibly soft, with a texture that improves with every wash. The ringspun construction creates a smoother, more refined surface compared to open-end yarn alternatives.
Key fabric characteristics:
- Ringspun cotton for superior softness
- Heavyweight (6.1 oz) for a premium, substantial feel
- Pre-shrunk through the garment dye process
- Gets softer with each wash cycle
- Minimal pilling over time
Gildan Garment Dyed
Gildan’s garment dyed shirts typically use 100% cotton but often rely on open-end yarn construction rather than ringspun. The weight varies by style but generally falls in the 5.3-6.0 oz range. The feel is noticeably different from Comfort Colors. It’s still soft thanks to the garment dye process, but lacks that buttery, broken-in quality that makes Comfort Colors feel like a shirt you’ve owned for years.
Key fabric characteristics:
- Open-end or semi-combed cotton (varies by style)
- Mid to heavyweight options available
- Decent softness from garment dye process
- Adequate for most decoration methods
- Some pilling may occur with heavier use
Verdict: Comfort Colors wins on fabric quality. The ringspun cotton and heavier weight create a noticeably premium product. If hand feel is your priority, Comfort Colors is the clear choice.
Fit and Sizing
Comfort Colors
Comfort Colors runs with a relaxed, boxy fit that’s become part of its identity. The garment dyeing process causes slight shrinkage, resulting in a lived-in silhouette that’s looser through the body and shorter in the sleeves. This fit is intentional and aligns with current oversized/vintage trends.
Sizing considerations:
- Runs slightly smaller than labeled due to garment dyeing
- Many decorators recommend sizing up
- Boxy, relaxed cut (not fitted)
- Shorter sleeves compared to standard blanks
- Available in S-4XL (extended sizes vary by color)
Gildan Garment Dyed
Gildan garment dyed shirts tend to follow more standard sizing conventions with a slightly more tailored fit compared to Comfort Colors. They’re less boxy, which appeals to customers who prefer a more conventional t-shirt silhouette.
Sizing considerations:
- More true-to-size compared to Comfort Colors
- Slightly more fitted through the body
- Standard sleeve length
- Available in S-3XL (fewer extended size options)
Verdict: This comes down to preference. The Comfort Colors oversized vintage fit is trendy and has a dedicated fan base. Gildan’s more standard fit works better for customers who want a garment dyed look without the boxy cut. Know your target customer.
Color Selection
Comfort Colors
One of Comfort Colors’ biggest advantages is its extensive color palette. The 1717 alone comes in 60+ colors, ranging from classic neutrals to vibrant seasonal shades. Their color names have become iconic in the industry: Pepper, Chalky Mint, Blue Jean, Crimson, Island Reef, and Yam are just a few favorites.
The brand regularly introduces new colors aligned with trending apparel colors, keeping their palette fresh and relevant. This extensive selection makes Comfort Colors particularly popular with brands that need specific color matching.
Gildan Garment Dyed
Gildan’s garment dyed color selection is significantly more limited, typically offering 15-25 colors depending on the style. They cover the basics well (black, white, navy, charcoal, several earth tones) but lack the specialty and seasonal colors that set Comfort Colors apart.
Verdict: Comfort Colors wins decisively on color selection. If your business depends on offering a wide range of color options or matching specific brand colors, Comfort Colors is the only real choice.
Pricing and Wholesale Value
Comfort Colors
Comfort Colors commands a premium price point in the wholesale market. Depending on your distributor and volume, expect to pay roughly $4.50-$7.00 per unit for the 1717 in standard sizes. Extended sizes and specialty colors push the price higher. This is significantly more expensive than standard blanks, but the premium positioning allows for higher retail markups.
Gildan Garment Dyed
Gildan’s garment dyed options come in at a notably lower price point, typically $3.00-$5.00 per unit wholesale. This price advantage is Gildan’s strongest selling point for the garment dyed segment. For high-volume orders or price-sensitive markets, the savings per unit add up quickly.
Verdict: Gildan wins on price. If you’re operating on thin margins or serving price-sensitive customers, Gildan garment dyed shirts offer garment dyed aesthetics at a more accessible price point. However, the Comfort Colors premium is justified by superior quality, and most businesses can pass the cost difference to the end customer.
Printability: Screen Print, DTF, and Embroidery
Screen Printing
Both brands work well for screen printing, but there are differences. Comfort Colors’ ringspun surface provides a smoother print area, resulting in sharper detail and more vibrant colors. The heavier weight also means less ink bleed-through. Gildan garment dyed shirts print adequately but may show slightly less crisp detail due to the open-end yarn texture.
DTF Transfers
For DTF transfer printing, both brands perform well since the transfer adheres to the surface rather than absorbing into the fibers. The garment dye process on both brands creates a slightly textured surface that can actually improve transfer adhesion. Comfort Colors’ smoother ringspun surface may give a marginally better result for fine detail work.
Embroidery
For embroidery applications, Comfort Colors’ heavier weight provides a more stable base that resists puckering. Both brands require proper stabilizer backing, but Comfort Colors’ denser fabric tends to handle needle penetration better without distortion.
Verdict: Comfort Colors has a slight edge across all decoration methods, but both brands are perfectly serviceable for commercial printing. The difference is more noticeable in fine detail work than in standard designs.
Durability and Longevity
Comfort Colors
Thanks to the heavier weight and ringspun construction, Comfort Colors shirts hold up exceptionally well over time. The garment dye process means colors will continue to fade gradually (which many customers actually prefer), but the fabric itself maintains its integrity through dozens of wash cycles. Seam construction is solid, and collar stretching is minimal.
Gildan Garment Dyed
Gildan garment dyed shirts are durable enough for everyday wear but may show wear signs sooner than Comfort Colors. The lighter weight and open-end construction make them slightly more prone to thinning in high-friction areas over extended use. Color fading tends to be less consistent than Comfort Colors, sometimes resulting in uneven washing patterns.
Verdict: Comfort Colors wins on durability. The premium construction translates to a longer-lasting product, which matters for customer satisfaction and brand reputation.
Who Should Choose Comfort Colors?
Comfort Colors is the right choice if:
- You’re targeting a premium market (boutiques, resort shops, Greek life, lifestyle brands)
- Color variety is critical to your product line
- Your customers value hand feel and quality above price
- You need extensive size runs including extended sizes
- You’re building a brand reputation around quality
- Your decoration method demands a smooth, premium print surface
Browse our full Comfort Colors 1717 wholesale guide for pricing and availability.
Who Should Choose Gildan Garment Dyed?
Gildan garment dyed is the right choice if:
- You’re serving a price-sensitive market
- You need high-volume orders where per-unit cost matters
- Your customers want the garment dyed look without the premium price
- You’re doing event merchandise, promotional items, or uniforms
- A more fitted silhouette better suits your customer base
- Your basic color needs are covered by 15-25 standard options
The Smart Play: Use Both
Many successful custom apparel businesses stock both brands strategically. Offer Comfort Colors as your premium tier and Gildan garment dyed as your value tier. This gives customers options at different price points while maximizing your margin on premium orders. When starting a custom apparel business, having tiered product options from day one sets you apart from single-brand competitors.
Where to Buy Wholesale
At Beytees, we carry both Comfort Colors and Gildan garment dyed t-shirts at competitive wholesale prices with fast shipping from Texas. Whether you need 24 units or 24,000, we offer volume pricing that scales with your business. Our inventory management best practices guide can help you plan your stock levels across both brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Comfort Colors owned by Gildan?
Yes. Gildan Brands acquired Comfort Colors in 2015. However, Comfort Colors continues to operate as a distinct brand with its own product line, quality standards, and color palette. The two product lines are manufactured differently and serve different market segments.
Are Comfort Colors shirts worth the extra cost?
For most custom apparel businesses, yes. The superior fabric quality, extensive color range, and strong brand recognition allow you to charge higher retail prices. The per-unit cost difference ($1-$2) is easily offset by the premium you can charge end customers.
Do garment dyed shirts shrink?
Garment dyed shirts are pre-shrunk during the dyeing process, so additional shrinkage is minimal (typically less than 3-5% with proper care). However, both Comfort Colors and Gildan garment dyed shirts may shrink slightly more in hot dryer settings. Recommend cold wash and tumble dry low to your customers.
Which is better for sublimation printing?
Neither garment dyed brand is ideal for sublimation, as sublimation requires high polyester content for vibrant results. For sublimation, check our wholesale polyester blanks instead.
Can I mix Comfort Colors and Gildan garment dyed in the same order?
Absolutely. At Beytees, we make it easy to mix brands in a single wholesale order. This is actually a smart strategy for testing which brand your customers prefer before committing to larger volumes.
Which garment dyed shirt is best for DTF transfers?
Both work well for DTF transfers. The garment dye texture can actually improve adhesion. For detailed guidance, read our DTF printing on Comfort Colors guide.
Final Verdict
If quality is your top priority, Comfort Colors is the clear winner. Superior fabric, unmatched color selection, better print results, and stronger brand cachet make it the preferred choice for premium custom apparel. But don’t sleep on Gildan garment dyed for your value-tier offerings. The smart play is stocking both and letting your customers choose.
Ready to order? Browse our wholesale garment dyed collection and get competitive pricing on both Comfort Colors and Gildan with fast shipping from our Texas warehouse.
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