How to Buy Blank Apparel: Fabric, Fit and Order Planning

Start a blank apparel order with the wearer, the decoration and the required quantity. Then compare fabric composition, garment measurements and the selling unit for each candidate. A style that looks right in a photograph can still be the wrong fit, print surface or pack size for the job.

This guide is for buyers choosing undecorated T-shirts, sweatshirts and related apparel for a brand, print shop, team or organization. It gives you a repeatable shortlist process, with examples from the B&S Wholesale catalogue.

1. Write the job brief before choosing a shirt

Describe who will wear the garment and how. A fitted retail tee, a volunteer shirt worn over another layer and a hoodie sold as merchandise have different requirements. Record the decoration location and approximate size, the number of colors in the artwork, the delivery destination and the date the finished garments are needed.

Separate requirements from preferences. A required size, logo position or fiber composition should eliminate an unsuitable candidate early. A preferred neckline or shade can remain a comparison point. Give the same brief to everyone quoting the job so that a cheaper quote does not conceal a different garment or an omitted decoration location.

2. Compare fiber composition and construction separately

“Ring-spun” describes how yarn is made; “100% cotton” describes its fiber content. These are different parts of a specification. Cotton Incorporated explains that yarn construction, twist and fiber properties all influence fabric feel. Treat a material label as a starting point for comparison, then assess a sample. See Cotton Incorporated, Textile Yarns.

Examples to shortlist from the current apparel range

Style	Listed composition	Comparison to make
H1003 Premium Ring-Spun Tee	100% ring-spun cotton	Compare the garment measurements and sample feel with your intended everyday tee.
H1002 Cotton/Spandex Tee	95% ring-spun cotton, 5% spandex	Compare fit and stretch against the all-cotton option.
H3001 Women’s Fitted Tee	95% cotton, 5% elastane	Check the fitted cut against the actual wearer’s measurements.
H9002 Heavy Fleece Hoodie	60% cotton, 40% polyester	Check fleece feel, hood construction and the proposed decoration area.

Use the linked product specifications for the exact item and color you intend to order. The deeper cotton and cotton/spandex comparison explains how to compare those labels without treating them as interchangeable.

3. Use measurements, not a size letter alone

Choose a well-fitting reference garment and compare its measurements with the candidate’s size chart, using the same measuring method. Check body width and length first, then sleeves or any other measurement important to the job. Record whether a width is measured flat or around the body. Do not double a flat measurement and then compare it with another flat measurement.

For a group order, collect sizes against the chosen style. A size list collected before choosing the garment may need checking again. Our size-run planning guide includes a worked order worksheet.

4. Check weight and decoration together

A fabric weight number does not tell you everything about a garment’s fit, surface or finished decoration. Compare equivalent units and ask for clarification when a listing only says “oz.” Use the oz and GSM guide to interpret fabric weight.

Before ordering the production quantity, ask your decorator to assess the exact style, color and artwork. Keep the approved decorated sample as the reference for the job. The blank apparel decoration guide covers the information to exchange with a screen printer, transfer printer or embroiderer.

5. Convert the shortlist into a checked purchase

• Confirm the style, color and size on every line.
• Write both the required pieces and the number of selling units.
• Check current availability for each selected variant.
• Agree how substitutions, shortages and extra test garments will be handled.
• Confirm delivery arrangements and decoration timing before committing to an event date.

Browse blank T-shirts and fleece, or request a sample for a closer comparison. For the purchasing sequence, continue to the Michigan wholesale ordering guide.