Fabric Blend Ratio Guide: T/C vs CVC vs Cotton-Nylon

Fabric blend comparison swatches in a textile lab

A fabric blend ratio gives the weight share of each fiber in a fabric or yarn. T/C 65/35 is 65% polyester and 35% cotton. CVC 60/40 is 60% cotton and 40% polyester. C/N 88/12 is 88% cotton and 12% nylon, and workwear makers usually buy it as a flame-resistant (FR) treated fabric.

Across these blends the pattern holds. More polyester makes a fabric stronger, quicker to dry and less likely to shrink. More cotton makes it softer and better at absorbing sweat. A small amount of nylon lets cotton wear longer while keeping most of its feel.

VI-TEX supplies polyester/cotton and other blended yarns for knitting and weaving, so this guide looks at each blend from the yarn side: what the ratio changes in the finished fabric, and what to check before you order.

Fabric Blend Ratio Comparison Table

We calculated the moisture regain column from standard values for each fiber: cotton 8.5%, nylon 4.5% and polyester 0.4%. It shows how much water a blend holds under standard conditions. Low figures mean a fabric that dries fast but feels less absorbent and builds up more static.

Blend	Fiber content	Moisture regain (calculated)	Strengths	Watch for	Typical uses
T/C 65/35	65% polyester, 35% cotton	about 3.2%	High strength, low shrinkage, holds a pressed look	Warmer in hot weather; pills stay on the surface	Workwear, uniforms, shirting
T/C 80/20	80% polyester, 20% cotton	about 2.0%	Very stable and crisp, dries fast	Little sweat absorption, static	Pocketing, linings
50/50	50% polyester, 50% cotton	about 4.5%	Even balance of easy care and comfort	No single property stands out	T-shirts, socks, casual knits
CVC 60/40	60% cotton, 40% polyester	about 5.3%	Cotton-like hand with less shrinkage	More pilling than 100% cotton	T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, socks
CVC 80/20	80% cotton, 20% polyester	about 6.9%	Soft and close to cotton	Shrinks and creases more	Fleece hoodies, sweatshirts
C/N 88/12	88% cotton, 12% nylon	about 8.0%	Cotton comfort with better abrasion and tear strength	Not flame resistant until treated	FR workwear after FR finishing
C/N 90/10	90% cotton, 10% nylon	about 8.1%	Near-cotton feel, modest extra wear	Smaller durability gain	Casual trousers, light workwear

How to Read a Fabric Blend Ratio

The numbers in a fabric blend ratio refer to weight. In the US and the EU, labels must list fibers in descending order of weight, so on a compliant label the first fiber named is the main one. Trade abbreviations also follow this order.

T/C comes from Terylene/Cotton. Terylene was an early British trade name for polyester, and the letters stuck. A T/C fabric has at least as much polyester as cotton, most often 65/35 or 80/20.
CVC stands for Chief Value Cotton. It is used when cotton is the larger share. 60/40 is the version quoted most often, though 55/45 and 80/20 are also common.
C/N or NYCO refers to cotton and nylon. C/N 88/12 is mostly cotton, while NYCO usually means an even 50/50 split.

A declared ratio may drift slightly from the lab result. Many markets, including the EU and the US, allow about 3 percentage points of manufacturing tolerance, so yarn sold as 65/35 could test at 63/37 and still be correctly labeled. If the exact number matters, put the tolerance in the contract and ask for a composition test on the actual lot, for example to the ISO 1833 series. Our blended yarn buying guide covers the other checks we make before bulk production.

Polyester-Cotton Ratios: T/C 65/35 to CVC 80/20

Polyester and cotton pair well because their weak points sit on opposite sides. Cotton absorbs water but creases and shrinks. Polyester hardly absorbs water, keeps its shape and resists abrasion. Shifting the blend ratio moves the fabric between those two ends.

T/C 65/35

This is the default ratio for workwear and uniforms, especially garments that go through industrial laundering. It comes out of repeated washing with little shrinkage and keeps a pressed look, and the 35% cotton makes it comfortable enough for a full shift. In hot, humid work it still feels warmer than a cotton-rich fabric.

Two problems come up more than others with T/C. Pills form and stay on the surface, because the strong polyester fibers anchor them instead of letting them break away. Dyeing needs two dye classes: disperse dyes for the polyester and reactive or vat dyes for the cotton, applied in one bath or two. If either side is poorly controlled, the shade looks uneven or slightly heathered.

For knit and woven development we supply a 65/35 polyester/cotton yarn in Ne 32/1, conventional ring spun, for jersey, pique and shirting.

T/C 80/20

At 80% polyester the fabric behaves almost like a synthetic. It is crisp, stable and quick to dry. Its calculated regain is only about 2%, though, so it absorbs very little sweat and is rarely worn against the skin all day. Pocketing is the classic use, because the cloth stays hidden and has to stand up to constant rubbing from hands, keys and phones.

50/50 Polyester-Cotton

The even split is common in T-shirts and socks. It shrinks less than a CVC blend and feels softer than T/C 65/35, so it works as a middle option. Because no single property stands out, 50/50 makes a useful reference when a brief has no clear priority. Sample it next to the ratio you are leaning toward, then see what you gain or lose.

CVC 60/40

Choose CVC 60/40 when hand feel comes first but pure cotton shrinks or wears out too quickly. Typical products are polos, T-shirts, sweatshirts and socks. Its calculated regain of about 5.3% compares with 3.2% for T/C 65/35, which is why it handles sweat better and feels closer to cotton. The trade-off is more creasing and somewhat lower abrasion resistance than T/C.

Our 32S 60/40 cotton/polyester yarn is ring spun and mainly used for socks and other knitted fabrics.

CVC 80/20

With 80% cotton, the polyester is there mostly to limit shrinkage and help the garment keep its shape. The best-known example is 80/20 fleece for hoodies and sweatshirts. Shrinkage is still higher than in any polyester-rich blend, so measure dimensional change after washing before you fix pattern sizes. The usual method is a set wash and dry program to ISO 6330, with the change measured to ISO 5077.

Cotton-Nylon Ratios: C/N 88/12, 90/10 and NYCO

Nylon has the best abrasion resistance of the common textile fibers, so even a small share changes how long a cotton fabric lasts. Cotton-nylon costs more than polyester-cotton, and buyers choose it for two quite different jobs: flame-resistant workwear and hard-wearing uniforms.

C/N 88/12 in Flame-Resistant Workwear

88/12 is the standard base fabric for FR cotton workwear, yet the fabric itself is not flame resistant. It becomes FR only after a durable flame-retardant finish that reacts with the cellulose in the cotton, which is why the cotton share has to stay high. Nylon is thermoplastic and melts, so fabric makers keep it to around 12%. That share adds the abrasion and tear strength that 100% FR cotton lacks and is still small enough for the treated fabric to meet FR requirements.

Finished fabrics and garments are tested to standards such as NFPA 2112 in the US, EN ISO 11612 in Europe and GB 8965.1-2020 in China. Certification applies to the finished fabric or garment, not to the yarn or the ratio on its own.

Firefighter turnout gear, on the other hand, is a separate category. It is built from inherently flame-resistant materials, mostly aramid fibers and their blends, rather than treated cotton.

C/N 90/10 and NYCO 50/50

Outside FR work, the ratio moves in both directions. C/N 90/10 keeps nearly all of the cotton hand and adds a modest gain in wear, which suits casual trousers and light workwear. At the other end, 50/50 nylon/cotton (NYCO) has long been used for military combat uniforms, often in a ripstop weave, because it gives much higher tear and abrasion strength at some cost in comfort.

So the common advice to keep nylon under 20% really applies to FR fabrics and to products where a cotton hand is the main goal. The nylon in these blends is usually PA6 or PA66 staple, and our guide to nylon types explains how the two differ.

How to Choose a Fabric Blend Ratio by End Use

Start with how people wear and wash the product, then pick the ratio.

Workwear and uniforms that go through industrial laundering: T/C 65/35.
FR workwear: FR-treated C/N 88/12, or inherently FR fibers where the hazard is higher.
T-shirts, polos and socks where comfort leads: CVC 60/40 or 50/50.
Hoodies and fleece: CVC 80/20.
Pocketing: T/C 80/20.
Uniforms that need high tear strength: NYCO 50/50.
Activewear and quick-dry layers: usually a polyester or nylon knit, not a cotton blend.

When you sample two or more ratios, keep the yarn count and fabric construction the same. Otherwise, a trial that changes ratio and construction together cannot tell you which change made the difference.

What a Fabric Blend Ratio Does Not Tell You

A fabric blend ratio is only one line of the specification. Two fabrics with identical content can feel and wear very differently, because yarn count, spinning method, twist, fabric construction and finishing all shape the result. Spinning method, for example, changes the surface: compact yarn has less hairiness and a cleaner surface than conventional ring yarn, while open-end yarn is bulkier and less regular. There is more on this in our article on why fabrics with the same composition feel different.

You also cannot check the label by touch. Hand feel and a burn test can show that polyester is present, since it melts into a hard bead, but neither can tell you how much is there. For the actual ratio, ask for a quantitative composition test instead.

Common Mistakes When Reading Blend Labels

Treating polyester-cotton as the cheap option. Price is rarely the main reason T/C is chosen. Rental workwear and corporate uniforms use it because it lasts through repeated industrial washing.

Assuming more cotton is always better. More cotton gives a softer, more absorbent fabric, and also more shrinkage and creasing. For a garment washed hot every week, that trade can go the wrong way.

Mixing up T/C and CVC. T/C 65/35 and CVC 60/40 look similar on a spec sheet, yet the polyester share drops from 65% to 40%. So always check which fiber the first number belongs to.

Reading flame resistance into a ratio. An 88/12 ratio on a spec sheet says nothing about FR performance. Ask instead for the name of the FR finish and a test report on the finished fabric.

Sampling Blended Yarn With VI-TEX

Our current listings include 65/35 polyester/cotton in Ne 32/1 and 60/40 cotton/polyester in 32S, both ring spun, plus a 50/50 cotton/polyester open-end yarn in 30S. Count, composition, color and function can be discussed for your product, while feasibility, sampling, minimum quantities and timing are confirmed against the exact specification. When you contact us, send the fabric type, end use, target count and the ratios you want to compare.

Fabric Blend Ratio FAQ

What does T/C 65/35 mean?

It means 65% polyester and 35% cotton by weight. T/C comes from Terylene/Cotton, Terylene being an early trade name for polyester. It is also the standard ratio for workwear and uniforms.

What is the difference between CVC and T/C fabric?

CVC (Chief Value Cotton) has more cotton than polyester, most often 60/40. T/C has more polyester, usually 65/35 or 80/20. CVC is softer and more absorbent, while T/C is stronger and shrinks and creases less.

Is 88/12 cotton-nylon fabric flame resistant?

Not by itself. It becomes flame resistant only after a durable FR treatment, and the finished fabric has to be tested to the standard your market requires, such as NFPA 2112 or EN ISO 11612.

How should we choose the fiber blend ratio for a new fabric?

Start from the properties the fabric must deliver. In polyester/cotton, a higher polyester share adds strength, wrinkle resistance and faster drying, while more cotton improves softness and moisture absorption. In cotton/nylon, nylon adds abrasion resistance and strength. Shortlist two or three ratios, such as 65/35 and 50/50, and compare them in the same construction for hand, strength, pilling, shrinkage and comfort.