What Is Pique Fabric? Pique vs Jersey Polos

Key Takeaways

• Pique is a knitted fabric whose tuck stitches raise a grid of tiny cells on the surface.
• Say it pee-KAY or pih-KAY; Lacoste put cotton pique on tennis courts in 1933.
• Pique names the stitch, not the fiber: our pique polos are polyester or polyester-faced.
• In cotton, pique passes more air than jersey, but jersey traps less heat.

Pique fabric is a knit covered in tiny raised cells, the texture you feel on the front of a classic polo shirt. The word is said pee-KAY, and it names the way the yarn is knitted. It says nothing about the fiber, so a pique polo can be cotton, polyester, or a blend. Pique started as a cotton fabric, yet every pique polo we carry for work and golf is polyester or polyester-faced.

Table of Contents

• How Is Pique Fabric Made?
• How Do You Pronounce Pique, and Where Did It Come From?
• Is Pique Cotton or Polyester?
• How Is Pique Different From Jersey, Interlock, and Mesh?
• Is a Pique Polo Better Than a Regular Polo?
• Which Logo Methods Work on a Pique Polo?
• Ordering Pique Polos With Your Logo
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Choosing a Pique Polo for Your Logo

How Is Pique Fabric Made?

Pique on a polo is knitted, and its texture comes from tuck stitches. In a plain knit, every stitch pulls a fresh loop through the one below it. A tuck stitch holds the yarn over a loop for a row instead, so the yarn bunches at that point and lifts the surface. Repeat that across the fabric and you get the small, honeycomb-like cells a polo is known for.

Cotton Incorporated describes pique as a cotton knit whose "cross-tuck knit construction creates a cellular effect." It also notes that the same word names a woven cloth with a quilted look. The two are easy to confuse, and the pique on a polo is the knit.

A 2021 study in the journal Fashion and Textiles compared plain jersey with several tuck-stitch knits, all in 100% cotton. Every knit with tuck stitches came out heavier than plain jersey, because yarn piles up at each tuck. The study knitted both common types, single and double pique. Double pique doubles up its tuck loops, which made it the heavier of the two.

Our pique polos' spec sheets name the knit but not whether it is single or double pique. Compare fabric weights instead; they tell you more about how substantial a polo will feel.

How Do You Pronounce Pique, and Where Did It Come From?

Pique is pronounced pee-KAY or pih-KAY, with the stress on the second syllable. The American Heritage Dictionary lists both. The one-syllable word "pique," said like "peek," means irritation or interest, as in "piqued my curiosity," and is a different word.

The fabric name comes from French. Dictionary.com traces it to the past participle of piquer, meaning to quilt or prick, first recorded in English between 1830 and 1840. That meaning fits the quilted look of the old woven cloth.

Pique's place on the polo goes back to tennis. In 1933, according to Lacoste's corporate history, René Lacoste brought a light, flexible polo in "petit piqué" cotton onto the courts. Players there had been expected to wear regular shirts. The same history says Lacoste was the first brand to put a logo on its clothing.

A small chest logo on a knit polo is still the classic staff look; browse the polo shirt collection to preview yours on one.

Is Pique Cotton or Polyester?

Pique can be cotton, polyester, or a blend, because the word only describes the knit. Cotton pique is the original: the same tuck-stitch knit in cotton yarn, which Cotton Incorporated calls a durable fabric. Polyester pique came later. Every polyester pique polo we carry lists moisture wicking or moisture management on its spec sheet, which suits work and sport.

As of October 2026, seven of the polos we carry name pique on their spec sheets, and none of them is a cotton pique:

• Core 365 Origin Performance Piqué Polo, men's and women's: 4.1 oz, 100% polyester pique.
• Nike Dri-FIT Micro Pique 2.0 Polo, men's and women's: 4.3 oz, 100% polyester in a stretchable micro pique.
• OGIO Caliber2.0 Polo: 5 oz, 100% polyester pique.
• Port Authority Dry Zone UV Micro-Mesh Polo: 4.6 oz, 100% polyester double knit pique.
• Devon & Jones CrownLux Performance Plaited Polo: 5 oz, a polyester mesh pique face over a cotton-blend back, 61% polyester overall.

If your team wants the feel of cotton, a 50/50 cotton and polyester jersey polo is the closest option we carry. Our polyester vs cotton shirts guide covers which fiber suits which job.

How Is Pique Different From Jersey, Interlock, and Mesh?

Pique has a textured face of small raised cells, while jersey is smooth like a t-shirt. Interlock is smooth on both faces, and mesh is open to let air through. The table sorts the polos we carry by how each one looks and feels, so a pique sold as mesh sits with mesh.

Breathability is where pique and jersey trade places. In the 2021 Fashion and Textiles study of cotton knits, single pique let the most air through, and plain jersey let the least. Jersey still won on two other counts: it trapped the least heat, and it let the most water vapor through. The researchers suggest jersey for hard activity in hot weather and tuck-stitch knits like pique for warm days with less exertion.

The study tested cotton only. Our pique polos are polyester or polyester-faced, and our jersey polos are half cotton. So the study compares knits within one fiber, not the polos on this page against each other.

The polo's name and its fabric can disagree, so read the fabric line before you choose. The Port Authority Dry Zone is sold as micro-mesh, yet its spec sheet calls the fabric a double knit pique and lists snag resistance. The Devon & Jones CrownLux is sold as a plaited polo, yet its spec sheet calls the fabric a mesh pique knit.

Is a Pique Polo Better Than a Regular Polo?

A pique polo is a polo shirt knitted in pique, the knit with small raised cells. It is the better pick when you want that classic look and a more structured shirt. A "regular" polo usually means a smooth jersey polo, which feels closer to a t-shirt.

Our jersey polos, the Port & Co Core Blend and the Jerzees Dri-Power, are 50/50 cotton and polyester at 5.4 to 5.5 oz. Our pique polos are 100% polyester, or polyester-faced in the CrownLux's case, and lighter at 4.1 to 5 oz. So the choice is mostly fiber and feel:

• Choose pique for front-of-house staff, golf events, and crews who want a light, wicking shirt with a structured look.
• Choose jersey for office and counter staff who want a soft shirt with some cotton in it.

For golf, our guide to a golf shirt vs a regular polo compares collars, sleeve ends, stretch, and length across six polos we carry.

Which Logo Methods Work on a Pique Polo?

Every polo we carry, pique or not, offers the same three methods: Print, Embroidery, and Patch. Print is full color for any artwork, and a patch is a separate piece, hand-stitched on. Embroidery is thread stitched into the fabric, in standard flat, 3D puff, or 3D puff chain stitch.

The left chest is the classic spot, and on a polo it holds a design up to 4 by 4 inches in any method. For a chest logo on a polo, we recommend standard flat embroidery. 3D puff is available too, but it is not our pick for a polo.

The texture of pique does not raise the bar for lettering. Text needs the same minimum height on pique and mesh polos as on any other shirt we embroider. That is about 0.2 inch in a bold sans-serif, about 0.4 inch in other typefaces, and half an inch for outlined lettering.

On a polo, watch the shirt's weight and the logo's density. A large, dense, fully filled logo can pucker or ripple a thin performance polo, such as the 3.5 oz Team 365 Zone. A lighter, more open design sits flatter, and if yours looks too dense for the polo you picked, we flag it on your proof.

Ordering Pique Polos With Your Logo

There is no minimum order on any polo, whether you need one shirt or a whole staff. Pieces that share one design count together across products, colors, and sizes, and the price per piece falls as that total grows. That lets you put one logo on men's and women's cuts, or on pique and jersey polos, in the same order. There is no setup fee.

To feel pique against jersey before a staff order, start with samples. What the trade calls a blank is a polo with no logo. A blank sample is available on request for a small fee plus shipping. To check a finished custom piece, order one Core 365 Origin and one Port & Co Core Blend with your logo.

We email you a design proof within 1 to 2 business days of your order, and revisions are unlimited. Nothing is made until you approve it. Custom orders that match your approved proof can't be returned or refunded. Apparel ships in 1 to 2 weeks after approval.

Have a question before you order? Contact us, and we'll get back to you within 24 hours on weekdays.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is pique good for hot weather?

On warm days without hard exertion, yes. In a 2021 study of cotton knits, single pique let more air through than jersey, which helps sweat evaporate. Jersey trapped less heat and suited hard activity in heat. That study tested cotton only; our pique polos are polyester or polyester-faced, with moisture wicking or moisture management on their spec sheets.

How can you tell pique from jersey?

Look closely at the front of the shirt. Pique shows a grid of small raised cells, like a fine honeycomb, and feels textured under your fingers. Jersey has a smooth face with fine vertical lines of loops, like a t-shirt. Turn a jersey polo inside out and the back looks rougher than the face; pique has texture on the outside.

What is micro pique?

Micro pique is pique knitted with smaller cells, so the texture looks finer than on a standard pique polo. The Nike Dri-FIT Micro Pique 2.0 Polo is one example we carry. Nike describes its 4.3 oz polyester micro pique as soft and stretchable.

Does pique wrinkle?

Cotton pique tends not to. Cotton Incorporated says cotton piqué does not tend to wrinkle because of its knit structure. Taking it out of the dryer promptly can be enough to skip ironing. The spec sheets for our polyester pique polos make no wrinkle claim either way.

Can I get a 100% cotton pique polo with my logo?

Not from our catalog, since none of the pique polos we carry is cotton. Sourcing a style we don't list is available on request. Tell us the polo you want before you order, and we confirm whether we can get it. If a cotton blend is enough, our 50/50 jersey polos are ready to customize now.

Choosing a Pique Polo for Your Logo

Pique fabric is a knit, and the fiber is a separate choice, so read both lines on a spec sheet before you pick a polo. A polyester pique suits crews who move and sweat, and a jersey blend suits staff who want softness. For the lightest shirt, look at interlock, such as the 3.5 oz Team 365 Zone. Whichever knit you pick, keep the chest logo open and flat-stitched so it sits cleanly.

Browse Custom Polo Shirts to compare pique, jersey, interlock, and mesh polos, and add your logo to the one that fits your team. It takes a few minutes to see it on the shirt.