In today’s market there are a ton of different styles and brands of t-shirts to choose from.  Which one is right for you and your organization?  That’s what I’ll answer for you in this article.

Everyone has at least one favorite t-shirt that they love and most likely it’s because of the way it fits.  That’s right, it’s not necessarily the design, but they way it hugs their body just right.  Now, obviously not everyone has the same body type and therefore not one brand of shirt is going to fit everyone perfect, but we can make a good decision on what brand or style to go with by the majority of our customers or members.

The Basic Tees

In the screen printing world there are two types of basic tees the premium 6.1 oz. and the heavyweight 5.5 oz.  A lot of printers, including myself, will only quote the 6.1 oz. 100% cotton t-shirts, since this is the standard weight for the industry.  Most manufacturers like Hanes and Gildan reference their 5.5 oz. tees as heavyweight, but in reality that is a big misconception and misleading.  What they are is a mid weight shirt.  The 5.5 oz. tee does come in handy when the t-shirts are giveaways or if they will be worn outdoors in the heat such as gardening companies, painters, construction, etc., however, they’re only about a quarter cheaper than the 6 oz. tee.  The two leading shirts in the industry are the Gildan Ultra Cotton Tee and the Hanes Authentic tee. Both shirts have a pretty basic fit, not to slim and not too wide.  The Gildan Ultra Cotton tee has over 60 color to choose from making it the most popular choice and best bang for your buck.  The Hanes Authentic tee offers just over 40 colors and sports a tagless printed label.

What about the Hanes Beefy Tee?

What sets the Hanes Beefy Tee apart from the basic tee category is the fact that the cotton is ring spun.  Ring spun cotton creates a softer feel which is why when the Hanes Beefy tee, Jerzees ZT or American Apparel tee are compared with a non ring spun shirt you can tell by the touch.  Expect to pay a premium for ring spun cotton t-shirts anywhere between $1-$2.

Fashion forward t-shirts

The screen printing industry was introduced to these new shirts at about the time American Apparel, Inc. first started in 2003.  It took the demanding youth to change the minds of some of the old timer printers out there to actually start purchasing this new light weight (4.3 oz. ) t-shirt.  For a long time a t-shirts quality was based on it’s weight by yard, so how could this new American Apparel 4.3 oz. tee be any good?  Here’s why: these new tees sported the soft ring spun cotton feel, had a slimming fit and because of the quality yarn and needlework had even less shrinkage.  Oh, and I almost forgot, they’re made in good Ol’ America by a sweatshop free labor force in Los Angeles, California.

Since American Apparel’s conception many more companies have followed with a very similar product and some at a much cheaper price.  Some of these brands include Alternative Apparel, Royal Apparel, Sun Apparel, Tultex, District Threads, Alstyle Apparel and even some of the big boys such as Gildan and Anvil.

Alternative Apparel is unique in their own right since they produce a much more fashion forward style.  Some of their tees include distressed (frayed collars and hems), acid wash, vintage looks and more.  Despite their cool and original looks their price is just too high.  Unless you can expect to produce shirts that sell upwards of $40 these t-shirts are probably not for you.

American Apparel’s fine jersey tee is probably one of the most popular shirts on the market for college students and other young adults.  In fact, many will demand to have their designs printed only on American Apparel fine jersey tees.  These t-shirts are available in 45 different and  unique colors.

The Tultex, Gildan and Anvil fitted tees are knock offs of the American Apparel tee.  For those who still want the soft feel and slim fit tee but don’t want to pay the premium price for a Made in America garment these are for you.  However,  they are knock offs not replicas.  Their quality still suffers a bit when compared to the American Apparel tee, but I guess that is what to expect when they sell for half the price.

In Conclusion

Below is a breakdown of what type of shirt you should look into or order samples from before proceeding with your print order.

Give Aways/ Promotional:  Look at any of the big mills such as Gildan, Hanes, Anvil, Jerzees and Fruit of the Loom.  Specifically at their heavyweight (really mid weight) tees.  Also, most t-shirt vendors are always running specials on these brands, so ask your printer what brand might have a sale going and order those.  Remember, white shirts are always the cheapest.

Service Industry:  A standard basic 6 oz. tee is probably your best choice.  You’ll have a vast array of colors to choose from to fit your companies colors, you’ll get a reasonable price and the quality will be good enough for the purpose at hand.

Clothing Lines: In today’s market it would be almost impossible to do anything less than a fashion fitted tee.  Look at American Apparel, Tultex, Royal Apparel, Alstyle Apparel and Sun Apparel.

College Clubs / Universities: With the young adult crowd it is probably wise to go for a fashion fitted tee as well.  American Apparel has gotten extremely popular with college students, however, they’re budget may say otherwise.  If this is the case look at the Tultex tee for half the price and the same fit.