GSM stands for grams per square metre. What does that convey to you?
The weight or the density of the fabric.
Why does it matter?
Because everyone is talking about it!
What are they saying?
The more the GSM, the better the tee.
That is both right and wrong.
Right, because GSM does tell you about the heft of the tee. The more the GSM, the heavier or thicker the tee is going to be.
Wrong. GSM in itself doesn't tell much about the quality of the tee. Other factors, such as the fabric, knitting, treatment of the fabric, fit, stitch, rib fabric, rib size, woven label material, embroidery thread, and ten others, decide the quality of the tee.
Then, it also depends on the use case of the tee.
If you buy your tee for everyday use in Chennai, you won't dare buy a 240 GSM Tee (unless the tee is from the House of Satire - I can't help my Saul Goodman urge to sell, and it's a hard sell from him!). For everyday use, a 150 GSM, max 180 GSM should work.
But if you are considering going on a date, you would prefer something a bit heavier, maybe 220 GSM or 240 GSM, which will fit your body perfectly and enchant your crush into having babies with you.
You might have understood by now how your use of the tee defines what GSM to choose and not the other way around. Don't be a slave to your tee!
But we know the world works on FOMO, so what can we do? (Try to use FOMO to our advantage - Saul again)
Let me just write it down for the ones who need extra attention in classes:
1. If you want tees for everyday use, and you stay in a hot and humid place, choose lightweight (180 GSM or less) cotton tees (preferably Supima cuz it's extra cool)
2. If you are the one who likes to keep it moderate and likes the best of both worlds, choose medium-weight tees (180-220 GSM). These are premium tees that you can wear if you are going out with friends, but you wouldn't necessarily choose them if you weren't to binge-watch the Lord of the Rings series on a Saturday afternoon munching popcorn.
3. Choose a heavy-weight (220 GSM and above) tee if you want to use it in situations where you want to make a statement look elegant without being concerned about sweating the f out (especially 240 GSM and above)