Pique Knit
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A knit with a raised, waffle-like texture created by combining knit and tuck stitches, and the standard fabric for polo shirts. The texture traps air, so pique breathes better than flat jersey and hides wrinkles and light staining. That same texture is the decorating problem: a screen print on pique sits on the high points and skips the low ones, giving a broken, uneven fill. Embroidery is the usual answer on pique, which is why polos are the classic embroidered garment; if you must print, a heavier deposit or a smoother baby pique performs better.
Knit and tuck stitches together
Pique alternates ordinary knit stitches with tuck stitches, where a loop is held on the needle rather than cast off. The held loops pull the fabric into a raised, waffled or honeycombed surface.
The result is a fabric with real three-dimensional structure rather than a flat face — which is the whole reason a polo shirt looks and feels different from a t-shirt made of the same cotton.
Different combinations produce different textures, which is why a birdseye, a honeycomb and a standard pique all sit under the same word.
Why polos are made of it
The raised texture holds the fabric slightly off the skin, so air moves through it and sweat evaporates instead of sitting against the body. That is why pique became the tennis and golf fabric before it became the corporate one.
The same texture hides creases and light staining, which is exactly what a garment worn all day in a workplace needs.
It is also more robust than jersey of the same weight, because the structure distributes strain rather than concentrating it on a single plane of loops.
The decorating problem
A screen print sits on the peaks of the texture and skips the valleys, so a solid area can come out looking speckled and fine lines can break up altogether.
This is why almost every corporate polo carries embroidery rather than a print. Stitches sit into the structure rather than on top of it.
If a print is required, a heavier deposit, a coarser design and a test on the actual fabric are the way through. Do not approve fine type on pique without seeing it printed.
Common questions
- What is pique knit?
- A knit that alternates knit and tuck stitches to create a raised, waffle-like texture. It is the standard fabric for polo shirts.
- Why are polo shirts made of pique?
- The raised texture holds the fabric off the skin so air moves through it, and it hides creases and light staining. Both matter in a garment worn all day.
- Is pique better than jersey?
- For breathability, crease resistance and durability at the same weight, yes. For a smooth print surface and a softer drape, jersey wins. They are different fabrics for different jobs.
- Can you screen print on a pique polo?
- You can, but the ink sits on the peaks of the texture and skips the valleys, so solid areas look speckled and fine lines break up. Embroidery is the standard choice on pique for exactly this reason.
Where this comes up
See also
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