Choosing the Right Size Breakdown for Your Custom Apparel

Many of our customers know exactly how many of each size they want when ordering tees or hoodies. They’ve got it dialed. But that comes with experience. After numerous orders and tracking what sizes go quickly versus what sizes they sit on for long periods of time they are able to hone in on a formula that works for them.

But if you’re new to ordering or haven’t quite nailed down your customer base yet determining the correct sizing can be a nightmare. We often get asked for advice on determining the sizes. No one wants to be out of larges and extra larges but be stocked full of smalls and double XLs. So it’s important to get it right. Here are some things to consider and some tips on determining the best size run for your next merch order.

The first thing I usually tell clients is to consider their industry and what their client base is like. If you’re a bike shop, maybe you go heavier on the smaller sizes. If you’re a brewery, maybe you go with some larger sizes. And that’s not a dig on my fellow beer drinkers! I spend more time than I should in breweries and generally if I do get on my bike it’s to ride to a brewery. But think about who will be buying your swag and consider what they might prefer.

Another aspect of custom apparel ordering to keep in mind is whether or not your clientele would all gravitate towards unisex tees or if some or many are going to want ladies styles. And ladies styles can be tough because some prefer a fitted tee, some like relaxed, some like v-neck, some like crewneck, and so on. Ladies styles can definitely be trickier so if you’re going that route and you have no idea what to get consult someone who wears ladies tees to get an idea of what would be best.

I know what you’re thinking. “Thanks, blog guy, but can you just tell me what to order already?” Fine. I’ll tell you what to order. But don’t hold it against me if it’s wrong!

For the average business that doesn’t necessarily lean one way or the other on the size of their clients the general rule of thumb is to go heaviest on larges, then mediums and extra larges, then smalls and 2XLs. So, for example, if you were getting 100 tees you might go:

10S
24M
32L
24XL
10XXL

If you think you need to tack some extra smalls in there and don’t want to go over 100 then pull back on a few smalls and maybe a couple of XXLs. If you start with this breakdown then you can watch the sales numbers and determine what is going fast and what is sticking around a bit longer.

Getting the sizing right on your tees helps your sales, increases profits, keeps your customers happy, and ensures you aren’t storing boxes of shirts you can’t get rid of. And if you do have extra shirts laying around that you can’t move please don’t throw them away. Donate them, drop them at a resale shop, or use them as rags for when your bike sprays chain oil or when you spill beer on yourself at the brewery.