Collecting Sizes Without the Headache

Nobody enjoys chasing thirty people for a shirt size, and getting the spread wrong is the most common way an apparel order goes sideways. A few things make it easier.

A reasonable starting spread

If you genuinely cannot collect sizes, this is roughly how a mixed adult group falls out. Treat it as a starting point to adjust, not gospel. A construction crew and an office skew differently.

Two adjustments worth making. Order slightly heavier on L and XL than feels right. Running out of the middle sizes is far more annoying than a couple of spare smalls. And if the shirts are worn over a uniform or a hoodie, shift everything up one.

Extended sizes cost more, and that is not us

2XL and above usually cost more, because they take more fabric and the mills charge more for them. How much depends on the garment, so our designer shows the exact extra next to each size on the style you pick, and lists it separately in your quote.

Some organizations absorb it, some pass it on. Either is fine, but decide before you collect sizes rather than after.

Getting sizes out of people

• Give a deadline and mean it. "Sizes by Friday or you get a large" collects sizes remarkably fast.
• Ask for a size, not measurements. People know what they wear. Chest measurements invite debate.
• Order a few spares. Five percent extra in the middle sizes covers new starters, shrinkage and the person who gave you the wrong answer. It is much cheaper now than as a second order later.

A word on fit

Sizing is not standardized between brands. A Gildan large and a Bella large are not the same shirt, and the difference is bigger on women's cuts. If you are switching brands from a previous order, tell us and we will flag it rather than let you assume last year's numbers still apply.