Custom Work Shirts: Picking the Right Shirt for the Job
By The Velocity Wear Team
Custom work shirts get about thirty-six hundred searches a month in the US, and at the moment very few pages answer the question well. Most businesses don't need a catalog of five hundred styles. They need to know which kind of shirt suits the work, and how to brand it so it lasts. That's what this guide covers.
Start with the job, not the shirt
Write down what a normal shift looks like. Is it hot? Physical? Customer-facing? Outdoors? Does the shirt get dirty or stay clean? Those answers narrow the choice fast, and they're more useful to a supplier than a logo file alone.
Polo shirts
The all-rounder. A polo looks professional without being formal, holds an embroidered logo well and works for everyone from HVAC technicians to real estate agents. Poly-cotton piqué is tough and colorfast. Performance polyester wicks sweat and suits outdoor crews and hot climates.
T-shirts
Cooler, lighter and cheaper. T-shirts suit warehouses, kitchens, landscaping in summer, moving companies, gyms and casual retail. A left-chest logo on the front and your company name or phone number across the back is a classic, effective setup.
Layers for cold weather
Branded hoodies, quarter zips, fleeces and softshells keep crews warm and the uniform consistent in winter. Match logo size, placement and thread color to the shirts so the look carries through the seasons.
Fabrics that survive
- Poly-cotton blends resist shrinking and fading through heavy washing.
- 100% polyester performance fabrics dry fast and handle sweat.
- 100% cotton is comfortable but wears and shrinks faster under industrial laundering.
- Darker colors hide dirt, grease and paint.
Branding that holds up
Embroidery is the most durable option for chest logos and survives aggressive washing. Screen printing is durable and cost-effective for large back prints. If shirts go through commercial laundry, tell your supplier so they can choose inks and backings accordingly.
Sizing crews
Collect sizes individually, privately, with a size chart in inches. Offer women's cuts where available. Physical trades crews often skew toward L, XL and 2XL, while office and retail teams are more spread. Our minimum is 20 per design with sizes mixed.
How many shirts per person
Full-time employees typically need three to five shirts to get through a workweek with laundry. Part-time staff need two or three. Add spares for new hires, because reordering two shirts at a time isn't practical.
Make reorders painless
Write down the style, color, logo size in inches, placement and thread color, and keep your artwork files. Then next year's order matches this year's exactly, and new hires look like part of the same team.
Industry examples
- Plumbing and HVAC: dark embroidered performance polos with the company phone number on the back.
- Landscaping: bright moisture-wicking tees and long-sleeve sun shirts.
- Warehousing: durable dark tees and hoodies without drawcords.
- Property management: smart embroidered polos and quarter zips.
- Cleaning services: poly-cotton polos in navy or charcoal.
Getting employee buy-in
Let a few employees test a sample shirt for a week of real work before ordering for everyone. They'll quickly tell you if a collar rubs, the fabric is too hot, or the fit restricts movement. Shirts that crews like get worn properly, which is the whole point.
Pricing and timing
Tees start from $13 and polos from $18 each at 20 pieces, with lower prices at 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000. Check totals on the calculator. Production takes 10 to 15 working days after artwork approval, plus shipping. See corporate uniforms, polo shirts and custom t-shirts.
