GSM, Width and MOQ Explained for Fabric Buyers
What GSM, fabric width, composition and MOQ mean when you buy fabric, how to estimate garments from metres, and what to check on a sample.
Written by the Angel Sourcing team · Updated October 2026
GSM: grams per square metre
GSM is the weight of one square metre of fabric. A higher GSM means heavier fabric. It is the quickest way to compare fabrics: a 120 GSM poplin and a 200 GSM twill feel very different even if both are 100% cotton.
Width
Width is the usable width of the fabric, usually in inches (for example 54" or 56") or centimetres (1 inch = 2.54 cm). Width changes how many garments you can cut from one metre. So compare the price per metre together with the width, or compare the price per garment.
Composition
Composition tells you what the fabric is made of, in percentages. For example: Cotton 60% and Polyester 40%. It decides how the fabric feels, how to care for it, how much it shrinks and its price. A small amount of spandex (2 to 5%) adds stretch.
MOQ: minimum order quantity
MOQ is the smallest amount a supplier will sell. At Angel Sourcing it is 100 metres per colour. That is roughly 40 to 50 finished garments for most styles. The minimum is for each colour, so one colour at 100 metres is a normal order.
What to check on a sample
Compare the sample with your details: GSM, width, composition, feel, colour in daylight and shrinkage after a wash. Keep the approved sample. The full order is checked against it.