Top 5 T-shirts to Customize

This list of top 5 t-shirts to customize is based on the past 3 years of our personal clients buying habits which is based on quality, color availability, price point, and durability. As a local St. Louis screen printing company we can agree with these choices and give you the reasons and feedback to back that up. So if you are in the market for custom t-shirts you may want to take a look at these top 5 t-shirts and see if their popularity aligns with the goals for your custom t-shirt order.

Performance T-shirts A4 3142 unisex
While performance tees have come a long way over the past few years with several companies now offering a 100% moisture wicking polyester t-shirt, it can be hard to choose the best one for you. I’ll tell you a diry little secret: 100% polyester is 100% polyester and there isn’t going to be a difference between a $50 t-shirt or a $4 t-shirt. The main difference comes in the weight of the shirt and for consumers of custom t-shirts, color availability and price point.

The A4 brand is a great up and coming brand. While they are well established and known for quality shirts at a great price, only in the past few years have all of the major distributors picked them up. They offer several styles including men, women, and youth and they get into the popular trends of sublimated designs where you can buy their shirts with camo patterns or accent piping. They offer socks, shorts, sweatshirts, and more.

Screen Printers Perspective:
They are readily available, come in enough colors to satisfy most of our clients, and the shirts themselves are very durable so we don’t have to handle them with additional care in order to not cause runs in the fabric.

Customers perspective:
A4 boasts the best price point among 100% poly moisture wicking t-shirts and they have a nice color selection as well as nice ladies and youth compliments to their 3142. Customer feedback has been really positive which is great because it’s usually us turning new clients onto this product to save them money.

Fashion T-shirts Next Level 3600 cotton crew
Fashion tees have beceome a big trend in recent years with more and more people wanting a softer tapered cut t-shirt. Next Level would have several t-shirts in the Top 5 T-shirts but only this one because of price point, feel, and availability puts it in the top 5 t-shirts. It’s ringspun cotton so it is softer than your typical shirt.

Screen Printers Perspective:
It’s a great price point and great availibility. Only downside would be limited color options and of those a lot of earth tone colors.

Customer Perspective:
Customers are able to get into a trendy shirt at a lost price point. This is great for branding, especially when selling shirts or promoting something because they have soft feel everyone wants.

Garment Dyed T-shirts Comfort Colors
If you are in high school or college, then you know comfort colors. These are garment dyed shirts that sit in a category of their own and pretty much have complete market saturation. They have TONS of unique colors and a soft feel for a garment dyed shirt. These would be the most popular shirt among the 14-22 year old consumer. In addition they have several styles that include pocket tees, tank tops, and sweatshirts. The only downside which should be ending soon is their availability as their stock has suffered greatly and cost them some major dollars because they have been hard to get. That should change though with Gildan purchasing them at least that is hopefully the plan.

Screen Printers Perspective:
Their price point is a little higher for a solid colored t-shirt but customers who order this expect that. Their limited stock can make fulfilling customers orders difficult, but they are easy to print on, durable, and when they have stock in the colors the customer wants, it makes for a rewarding order.

Customer perspective:
Unique colors and softness stick out the most. Again, they have a higher price point but customers expect that and are willing to pay for it. But the unique colors stand out among all of the others which is great to get a message across. So for some years they have been in the top 5 t-shirts

Most Popular T-shirts: Gildan 2000 and 5000
Gildan is the largest T-shirt manufacturer in the world and more than likely if you see a custom t-shirt, it’s a Gildan brand shirt. They have 2 styles really, the are in the top 5 custom t-shirts to customize. Their 2000 – 6oz 100% preshrunk cotton and their 5000 5oz 100% preshrunk cotton. The 5000 has the best price point and comes in over 50 colors. The 2000 comes in over 70 colors. The price point is great, every single distributor carries them, their availability is second to none. They also come out with new colors each year and curb the poor selling colors so you always get the latest and greatest color trends.

Screen Printers Perspective:
Withhout a doubt their low price point, high quality, and huge color options make them a fit for 90% of the custom t-shirt consumers out there. They are very durable, the cotton is preshrunk, and their fit is the gauge by all shirts. So you get a standard fitting t-shirt that comes in a lot of colors and even sizes for that matter. You can get virtually any Gildan t-shirt on a one day ship which make them great for rush orders.

Customer perspective:
Customers love Gildan because of their color choices and their durability and most colors come in both youth and adult so they are a great fit for virtually anything under the sun be it awareness walks, fundraisers, trips, family reunions, or whatever.

Blend Shirts Gildan 8000 Dryblend
Gildan came out with their 8000 some years back and it’s their 50/50 cotton poly Dryblend. So it has some moisture properties and is a little softer than their preshrunk cotton styles. They have over 30 colors available in this style and it also comes in youth and long sleeve. The price point is the same as the Gildan heavy cotton tee so it’s a great option for a myriad of ocassions.

Screen printers perspective:
Availability is great, durability is great, lots of color options at a great price point. Easy to print on and easy to sway a customer into a more modern blend shirt since the price point is the same as a cotton.

Custom perspective:
Customers are getting a softer more modern trendy shirt at a great price with lots of color options. You can’t go wrong with this blend.

Honorable Mentions:
There is an abundance of honorable mentions that didn’t make the top 5 t-shirts to customize. Some of them could just be the consumers aren’t aware of them and other times price point and avaialability don’t make them a good match.

Any Gildan product is going to be a great buy. Their durability, availability, color options, and price point make even their new tech performance shirt and softstyle shirts something to consider. Everything is moderately priced from Gildan and you simply can’t go wrong no matter your purpose for ordering custom t-shirts.

Fruit of the loom, Jerzees, hanes, are all in the same category as Gildan with practically the same price points and same color options.

Next level has a great lineup and compete directly with Bella but Next Level tends to have a better price point. There are specialty brands such as LAT, Rabbit Skins, Boxercraft that also offer a variety of products and colors as well.

When you are in the market for custom t-shirts contact Kirkwood Trading Company in St. Louis. We serve a clientele across the United States and offer super fast turn around times and ultra competitive pricing.

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