The yarn count directly affects the characteristics of the fabric such as its hand feel, thickness, and comfort level. Generally speaking, the higher the yarn count, the lighter, thinner, and more delicate the fabric will be, and the softer it feels. However, it also means higher costs and prices.
This is because short-staple yarns mainly made of natural fibers cannot be made as fine as one desires. If you have read the issue about long-staple cotton, you will know that the thickness of cotton yarn is determined by the quality of the cotton itself.
Only high-quality cotton fibers that are both long and thin can be spun into finer and better high-count cotton yarns. And to spin fine and good high-count yarns, better, more expensive, and more precise textile equipment is required during the spinning process. All these ultimately lead to a higher price for high-count fabrics. This is the fundamental reason why ordinary consumers believe that a high yarn count equals high quality. However, a higher yarn count is not always better, because it is not the only indicator for measuring the quality of a fabric. The material of the fabric, its density, the number of yarn plies, the twist level, etc. are also important factors affecting the quality of the fabric. Moreover, an excessively high yarn count may cause the fabric to be too light, thin, and delicate, lacking support and being more prone to damage.
In addition, there are some maverick players in the fabric industry. For example, tweed and denim fabrics make extensive use of 10S/12S cotton yarns or coarse-spun wool yarns to showcase the rough and three-dimensional style of the fabrics. The low yarn count of these fabrics does not mean that the fabric quality is poor at all.
Both extremely high and extremely low yarn counts are not suitable for most garments and daily wear. The matching of fabric yarn count, thickness, and style is the most crucial. That's why the yarn count of most clothing items nowadays falls within the range of 20-60S. Don't simply focus on the yarn count alone and be exploited by merchants. After all, what suits you is the best.