Sorority and Fraternity Hoodies: Licensing, Designs and Bulk
By The Velocity Wear Team
Rush, bid day, big-little reveals, philanthropy weeks, formals. Greek chapters order more custom apparel than almost any other group on campus. Sorority shirts alone get over a thousand US searches a month. Before your chapter designs anything, though, there's one thing to understand: Greek letters and crests are protected.
Greek licensing, in plain English
Most national sororities and fraternities own trademarks on their names, letters, crests and symbols. Many require apparel using those marks to be made by licensed vendors, and many require designs to be approved before production. The rules vary by organization and sometimes by campus.
What that means for you: check with your chapter's leadership or national headquarters before ordering anything that uses your letters, crest or name. Apparel that doesn't meet your organization's requirements can put the chapter in an awkward spot, even if nobody meant any harm.
What you can usually do freely
- Designs for events that don't use Greek marks, like a philanthropy 5K with the charity's name and date, subject to the charity's permission.
- Generic campus-life designs with no organization names or symbols.
- Apparel for non-Greek clubs, intramurals and student organizations.
When in doubt, ask. It's a two-minute email that avoids a much bigger problem.
Design trends chapters love
- Oversized comfort-fit crewnecks and hoodies in muted colors.
- Puff print or embroidered lettering.
- Retro and vintage-style graphics for bid day themes.
- Big back prints with small chest details.
- Individual names or nicknames on sleeves for bigs and littles.
Timelines around rush and bid day
Bid day dates are fixed and immovable. Work backward: design approval (which can take time if your national reviews designs), artwork sign-off, 10 to 15 working days of production, then shipping. Starting four to six weeks ahead is sensible, and more if approval is required.
Collecting sizes and payment
Use one online form for sizes and names, and collect payment through your chapter's usual system before ordering. Share a size chart, especially for oversized fits. And set a hard deadline, because new members join fast and details change.
Minimums and pricing
Our minimum is 20 per design with sizes mixed. Most chapters are well above that, and pricing improves at 50 and 100. Check totals on the price calculator.
Philanthropy events are a great apparel opportunity
Philanthropy weeks, charity 5Ks and dance marathons are often the chapter's most visible events on campus, and the shirts become walking promotion for the cause. If the design features a charity's name or logo, get the charity's permission and follow their brand guidelines. Many charities are delighted to help and will send proper logo files.
Selling shirts to other chapters and friends is a common way to raise extra money for the cause. Price clearly, say where the money goes, and run it as a pre-order so the chapter isn't left holding boxes of mediums in May.
Big-little and family designs
Big-little reveals often include matching apparel. Designs showing a Greek family tree, or matching hoodies with Big and Little on the sleeves, are popular. Follow your organization's approval rules for anything with letters.
Chapter budgets
Set apparel budgets at the start of the semester and collect payment before ordering.
Getting started
Confirm what your organization allows first. Then mock up designs in the design studio, and browse custom hoodies or custom t-shirts for event shirts.
