American Apparel BB401W - Unisex Poly-Cotton Short-Sleeve Crewneck - Black

The American Apparel BB401W is a 3.7 oz unisex crewneck built on a 50/50 combed ring-spun cotton/polyester blend at 36 singles, side-seamed with shoulder-to-shoulder taping, a 7/8-inch seamed collar, blind-stitch sleeve hems, and a double-needle bottom hem. Made in the USA. The balanced poly-cotton at fine 36 singles produces a light, soft-handed jersey with a subtle drape that positions this blank above a standard value tee, making it the default choice for boutique merch programs, fashion brand drops, and music-tour tee runs where the end customer expects a softer hand than a heavy cotton blank delivers.

The 50/50 composition sets the decoration rules clearly. DTF is the most consistent single method across the full BB401W colour card: it bonds cleanly to both solids and heathers at standard transfer temps without adjusting underbase or cure per colour, and is the practical route when one artwork file has to cover the whole range. For screen printing, white and light grounds need no underbase; dark grounds and heathers need a white underbase with low-bleed inks at a moderate cure temperature, since the 50% polyester migrates when cured hot. The 3.7 oz face wants controlled squeegee pressure to avoid stiffening the soft hand with a heavy ink deposit. DTG prints at reasonable vibrancy on the 50% cotton content; light solid colours give the clearest results, while heathers produce a muted tonal character that suits vintage or washed-look artwork. For embroidery, use a cut-away backing at moderate stitch density on the lightweight jersey to prevent puckering. Vinyl and HTV bond at moderate time and temperature for names, numbers, and simple placements. Discharge is not viable: the 50% poly limits it to a muted faded result. Sublimation does not apply; the 50% cotton prevents dye transfer and the heathered shades are not a white-poly substrate.

• Brand: American Apparel
• Style: BB401W (also listed as American Apparel BB401)
• Weight: 3.7 oz/yd2
• Fabric: 50% polyester / 50% combed ring-spun cotton, 36 singles; heather colours share the same 50/50 blend
• Construction: USA-made. Side-seamed. Shoulder-to-shoulder taping. 7/8-inch seamed collar. Blind-stitch sleeve hems. Double-needle bottom hem. Tear-away label.
• Fit: Unisex relaxed fashion fit
• Sizes: XS to 2XL
• Colors available: 30+ shades including solids (Black, Navy, Red, Evergreen, Gold, Kelly Green, Creme, New Silver) and a deep heathered range (Heather Black, Heather Red, Heather Lake Blue, Heather Forest, Neon Heather Blue, Neon Heather Pink, and more); check current availability on the product page
• Ordering: available by the piece or by the case (typically 72 units per carton); confirm current case packing for your colour before a volume order
• Care: Machine wash cold, inside out. Tumble dry low. Do not iron over decoration.

The BB401W holds consistent sizing and construction across USA production runs, which matters on a merch program that reorders the same shade across multiple drops. The reorder note specific to this style: the heather colourways carry the same 50/50 blend as the solids, but heathers want a heavier underbase on dark prints to control migration. Confirm your colourway type before a repeat run. The domestic-made, combed-cotton story supports a higher retail ticket than an import value blank, and the 36-singles fineness of the yarn is where the soft hand comes from, not the poly content alone. TheClothingSpace stocks the BB401W at wholesale pricing with bulk discounts that increase as case and unit quantities rise, among the lowest prices online for this style, with fast US shipping on stocked colours.

Comparing poly-cotton blanks for your next run? Browse all wholesale blank t-shirts at TheClothingSpace.