Ordering custom team apparel sounds simple enough: pick a shirt, add a logo and place the order.
But if you’ve ever been the person responsible for outfitting a team, school, club or organization, you know there are usually a lot more decisions involved.
What will everyone actually wear? Do you need performance shirts, hoodies or polos? Should the logo be screen printed or embroidered? What about coaches, staff, names and numbers?
A little planning up front can make the whole process much easier.
If you’re ordering custom athletic apparel in Sonoma County, here are a few things to think about before you get started.
Start With How the Apparel Will Be Used
Before choosing a shirt or uniform, think about where and how it will be worn.
Is this for games, practice, travel, coaching staff, a tournament or general team wear?
A performance shirt that works well during practice may not be what you want for coaches standing on the sidelines. And the hoodie players wear on the bus may have very different needs from the polo worn by staff at an event.
You may even need more than one type of apparel.
- Performance shirts for practices
- Jerseys or uniforms for competition
- Hoodies for travel and warm-ups
- Polos for coaches or staff
- Hats for outdoor events
- T-shirts for supporters or spirit wear
Starting with the purpose of each item makes it much easier to narrow down the options.
Choose Apparel People Will Actually Want to Wear
This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to focus so much on logos and colors that comfort gets overlooked.
The best-looking shirt isn’t very useful if no one wants to wear it.
Think about fabric, fit, weight and how active the person wearing it will be.
For athletic use, lightweight and moisture-wicking fabrics may make sense. For team travel or spirit wear, a comfortable hoodie or soft T-shirt may be the better choice.
If you’re ordering for a wide range of ages, body types or roles, it may also help to offer more than one garment option while keeping the branding consistent.
The goal is to create something that looks like it belongs together without forcing everyone into the exact same piece.
Screen Printing or Embroidery?
Both can work well for team apparel, but they’re usually best suited for different types of garments.
Screen printing is a great option for:
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Sweatshirts
- Larger front or back graphics
- Event shirts
- Spirit wear
It works especially well when you want a bold design that is easy to see from a distance.
Embroidery is often a better fit for:
- Polos
- Hats
- Jackets
- Coaching apparel
- Staff uniforms
- Smaller chest logos
For many teams and organizations, the best solution is actually a mix of both.
You might screen print player shirts and hoodies while embroidering polos and hats for coaches or staff.
Think About Names, Numbers and Logo Placement
If your apparel includes individual names or numbers, figure that out early in the process.
You may need to decide:
- Whether every player gets a name
- Whether numbers appear on the front, back or both
- How large the numbers should be
- Where the team logo goes
- Whether sponsors or school names need to be included
- Whether coaches and staff need a different design
These details are much easier to sort out before production starts.
The same goes for logo placement.
A left-chest logo may look great on a polo, while a larger centered design may make more sense on a team T-shirt or hoodie.
Different garments may call for slightly different approaches, even when the branding stays the same.
Don’t Forget Coaches, Staff and Supporters
When planning team apparel, it’s easy to focus only on the athletes.
But coaches, volunteers, staff and even supporters often need apparel too.
A coach may want a polo or lightweight jacket instead of a performance jersey. Volunteers at an event may need easy-to-identify shirts. Parents and supporters may want hoodies, hats or T-shirts they can wear in the stands.
Thinking through all of those groups at the beginning can help create a more complete apparel order instead of having to place several smaller orders later.
Goin’ Rogue also offers custom uniforms for teams, schools, businesses and organizations, so you don’t have to approach every item separately.
Plan for the Season, Not Just the First Game
If you’re placing an order for a team, think beyond the immediate need.
Will the season carry into colder weather? Are there tournaments coming up? Will the team travel? Do new players or staff join throughout the year?
You may want to consider apparel for:
- Early-season heat
- Cooler fall mornings
- Travel days
- Tournaments
- Team photos
- Fundraisers
- End-of-season events
Planning ahead can help you avoid rushing to place another order at the last minute.
It can also help keep the team’s look consistent from one item to the next.
Custom Athletic Apparel in Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sonoma County
Goin’ Rogue Apparel is based in Cotati and works with schools, teams, clubs, businesses and organizations throughout Sonoma County and the North Bay.
Whether you’re looking for custom athletic apparel in Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa or elsewhere in Sonoma County, the process starts with figuring out what your team actually needs.
That might be screen-printed practice shirts, embroidered coach polos, custom hats, hoodies or a combination of several pieces.
The important thing is to choose apparel that fits the activity, feels good to wear and makes sense for the people using it.
A Simple Checklist Before You Request a Quote
Before reaching out, it helps to gather a few basic details:
- Approximate quantity
- Garment type
- Sizes
- Team or organization colors
- Logo or artwork
- Names or numbers, if needed
- Preferred decoration method
- Delivery deadline
Don’t worry if you don’t have every answer yet.
A good apparel provider should be able to help you work through the options and figure out what makes the most sense for your team and budget.
Planning custom apparel for a team, school, league or organization? Contact Goin’ Rogue Apparel and tell us what you’re working on. We can help you choose the right garments and decoration options for your team.