Event shirt sizes, fit and youth shirts
The sizing questions we get from event organizers come down to three: how does this shirt fit, how do we handle kids, and what are the upcharges. Battle Born Clothing answers all three here.
How the common event blanks fit
| Style | Fit | Sizes | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port & Company PC61 / PC54 | Classic, roomy | S-6XL | General public, mixed crowd |
| Gildan 64000 Softstyle | Semi-fitted, slimmer | S-3XL | Younger crowd, merch; size up for classic-fit people |
| Comfort Colors 1717 | Relaxed, boxy | S-4XL | Merch, reunions |
| Sport-Tek ST350 | Athletic, true to size | XS-4XL | Races, tournaments |
| Port & Company PC54Y / Sport-Tek YST350 | Youth | XS-XL | Kids' runs, camps, school events |
Extended sizes
2XL and up carry a supplier upcharge, usually $1 to $7 per piece by style and size. The print price does not change. Order extended sizes only as requested; they are the slowest to sell as leftovers.
Running a youth block
- Use the youth match for your adult shirt (PC54Y for PC54, YST350 for ST350) so colors line up.
- Youth shirts print on the adult screens if the art fits; youth S and smaller usually need a scaled screen ($20).
- Youth counts toward the same run and the same print rate.
- Youth blanks are quoted per job.
Toddler and infant sizes
Toddler tees exist from several makers and we can source them. They need their own small screen or a DTF transfer. For a handful of toddler shirts in a reunion order, DTF is usually the cheaper route; quoted per job.
CPSIA on kids' event shirts
Children's apparel decorated and sold or distributed in the US falls under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The blank maker handles the garment's material testing. The decorated product needs a tracking label that identifies who decorated it and when. Battle Born Clothing explains exactly what we do in our guide: https://battlebornclothing.com/blogs/custom-apparel-guides-screen-printing-embroidery-dtf-tips/cpsia-tracking-labels-decorated-kids-apparel. Tell us the shirts are for kids 12 and under and we handle it.
Collecting sizes at registration
Ask for the size on the sign-up form, and make the shirt a fixed size at a cutoff date. 'Guaranteed shirt size if registered by' is the phrase race directors use. After the cutoff, sizes come from the buffer. See how many shirts to order.
Questions
Do you have women's cuts?
Yes, several of the Port & Company styles have a ladies' version. Tell us and we quote it in the same run.
Is the ST350 sized like a cotton tee?
It fits athletic and true to size. People used to a roomy cotton shirt sometimes go up one.