Custom T-shirts are fantastic marketing tools for any business owner. When people are out and about wearing shirts with your logo or brand name, they essentially serve as walking billboards. To make the most of this potential publicity, you want to provide well-fitted clothing that people will wear. Here is a guide to figuring out how many T-shirts to order in each size.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy All Sizes Equally

If you're placing your first T-shirt order, you might think the simplest option is to order the same number for each size available. But this will leave you with unused merchandise, as sizes aren't distributed evenly across the population.

In the United States, T-shirt purchases tend to trend bigger. Large and medium sizes suit the widest variety of body types, so they should make up about 60% of your order. The remainder can be distributed among the XS, S, XL, 2XL, and 3XL categories.

Additional Considerations

Consider your target audience. What types of people will be wearing the custom T-shirts your business provides? Depending on the services or products you offer, your market could be predominantly adults or children or men or women.

Say you run a women’s-only fitness center, for example. Women may opt for more form-fitting tops compared to men, so you might want to throw more S and XS sizes into the mix. The target market may also impact the styles you order, such as a scoop neck instead of a crew neck.

Material is another consideration. If you opt for 100% cotton, keep in mind it will shrink slightly with washing. You may, therefore, want to trend toward larger sizes. If the material is a poly-cotton blend, it will have more stretch, and you won't have to worry about this issue.

If you're hoping to expand your merchandise offerings with shirts, Honolulu Shirt Shop serves businesses across Oahu. Since 1984, they’ve offered high-quality custom T-shirt design, screen printing, and embroidery. They specialize in large commercial orders with a minimum of 36 pieces. Learn more about their services online, or to discuss your business’s T-shirt needs, call (808) 847-0831.