Company Retreat and Offsite Apparel People Actually Wear
By The Velocity Wear Team
Company retreats and offsites bring teams together, often remote teams meeting in person for the first time in months. Apparel designed for the trip becomes a keepsake and a shared identity, if it's something people want to wear.
Match garments to the destination
- Mountain lodge: heavyweight hoodies or quarter zips.
- Beach or desert: lightweight tees and caps.
- City offsite: crewnecks or quality tees.
- Adventure activities: performance layers.
Design
Treat it like a souvenir, not corporate swag. The location, year and a theme or inside joke, with a small company mark. Designs that look like travel merch get worn back home.
Sizing remote teams
Collect sizes privately with a form in advance. Offer relaxed and fitted cuts and extended sizes.
Delivery
Ship apparel to the venue if they confirm they'll receive and store it, or to the organizer to bring. Hand out on arrival so everyone wears it for the group photo.
Timing
Production takes 10 to 15 working days after artwork approval, plus shipping. Plan six weeks ahead.
Budget
Tees start from $13, hoodies from $31 each at 20 pieces. Choose one great item over three mediocre ones.
Include people who couldn't attend
Ship shirts to team members who couldn't make it. It's a small gesture that keeps them included.
Mistakes to avoid
- 1Heavy hoodies for a desert retreat.
- 2Big corporate logos.
- 3Guessing sizes.
- 4Shipping to a venue that won't hold packages.
Quick checklist
- Garment matched to destination?
- Souvenir-style design?
- Sizes collected privately?
- Delivery confirmed with venue?
- Absent team members included?
Designing around a retreat theme
Retreats often have a theme, like the company's next chapter, a product launch or a value everyone is rallying around. Turn it into a short line or illustration rather than a slogan-heavy design. A national park-style badge with the location and year is a popular format that looks like travel merch and gets worn afterward.
Accessibility and inclusion
Offer a full size range, including extended sizes, and a choice of fit where possible. Some employees prefer a crewneck to a hoodie, or a relaxed tee to a fitted one. Giving a choice between two items in the same design is an easy way to include everyone.
Pairing apparel with activities
If the retreat includes a hike, a volunteer day or a team challenge, apparel designed for that activity gets immediate use. Hand out caps before an outdoor activity or a lightweight tee before a volunteer project. People remember apparel that was part of a shared experience.
Budget per attendee
Set a per-person apparel budget as part of the overall retreat cost. One quality item usually beats several cheap ones. Our tees start from $13 and hoodies from $31 each at 20 pieces, with lower prices at 50 and 100 attendees.
After the retreat
Share team photos in the apparel internally and, where appropriate, on recruiting pages. Retreat photos with matching gear show culture better than any careers page copy.
Leaders set the tone
If leadership wears the retreat apparel during the key sessions and group photos, everyone else does too. It signals that the apparel is part of the experience, not an optional giveaway. Hand leaders theirs first and ask them to wear it on day one.
Leftover apparel
Order a few extras for last-minute attendees and people who need a different size. Remaining pieces make good welcome gifts for new hires who join shortly after the retreat.
Get started
Minimum 20 per design. See custom hoodies, custom t-shirts and company shirts for employees.
