Ordering women's t-shirts is notoriously tricky. Each cut is unique, and each person even more so, which can make finding the perfect sizes, fits, and styles exhausting. If you want to become a women's t-shirt connoisseur, learn about the weird quirks that come with each specific shirt and the tricks that help you order the right ones. Luckily, we know some t-shirt experts. *wink wink*
To help, we asked several women at Real Thread HQ to share their best advice on ordering women's custom t-shirts and what you can do to ensure you get a t-shirt you'll love.
Emily Cummings, Director of Account Management
Dog mom of the world's most perfect Goldendoodle (totally unbiased.) Currently on a mission to hike in every National Park in the world.
What makes ordering women's custom t-shirts so tricky?
The challenge of ordering women's t-shirts is that there is no "perfect" tee for women. Since women come in many different shapes and sizes and have more varied tastes, picking one uniform blank t-shirt is hard.
When our customers are ordering women's shirts, I recommend starting with blank samples to try on or adding a couple of different styles of women's shirts to an order to provide some options for everyone in the group.
What's the first thing you should consider when determining which t-shirt to order?
The most important thing to be clear is what fit you want! Are you looking for slim-fitting, relaxed, flowy, or cropped...? There are some remarkable women's tees, but the fit can vary drastically depending on the style.
What is your favorite women's t-shirt blank to wear?
I'm a huge fan of this Alternative Apparel cropped tee! The fabric is nice and soft, and the crop is a great length. I love it for days at the beach or running errands around town on weekends.
I also love the Bella+Canvas 6400 — Relaxed Jersey Tee. It's a great, standard, short sleeve tee. And because it is a "relaxed" fit, it's not as super tight as most women's tees. It also runs in a lot of great colors!
What qualities do you look for when picking a women's t-shirt?
It's all about the fit and how well it wears over time. I want a T-shirt I will be comfortable in all day and that will keep looking great wash after wash!
Gaby Droz, Account Manager
Fashion enthusiast and total Hufflepuff – always looking to have a good time with loved ones. She can generally be found living her best life at Disney World.
What qualities do you look for in a women's t-shirt?
I look for what's considered a relaxed fit! Other brands may call it" oversized" or "loose fit." Loose-fit tees are great for styling outfits, and they provide comfort! Another quality I look for in a tee is a good 100% cotton fabric. 100% cotton tees are soft + breathable, and I appreciate a suitable thickness in my shirts.
When choosing sizes, are people better off sizing up or down when ordering women's apparel?
It all depends on the women's t-shirt fit. I recommend sizing up if it is a style leaning more towards fitted. For the most part, women want to feel comfortable. I like advising them primarily on the fit beforehand by sharing the sizing spec sheet, in which they can review the specific dimensions for all the sizes.
Real Thread also offers blank samples that our clients can purchase to check out their preferred t-shirts before mass-producing their orders. I love to provide this to my clients because they can review the quality and try on the t-shirt before making a significant decision!
What is your favorite women's t-shirt blank to wear?
Ooh, great question! My fave t-shirt at this very moment is the WO'S CLASSIC TEE - 4026. It's the perfect 100% cotton tee with a 6.4oz in weight (great thickness!), and this t-shirt offers a variety of pastel colors. Oversized styles are currently trending for women's and men's t-shirts. Their team calls it "Effortless Comfortability," and I'm here for it.
What style of women's t-shirt is popular right now?
From recent orders, I have noticed that the 6400 Bella + Canvas t-shirt has been popular and has a relaxed fit style. On the more fitted side, the women's tee that comes to mind will be the 6610 Next Level Triblend Tee.
Serra Vitellaro, Account Specialist
Great at parallel parking and being the hype girl to close friends. A firm believer that the little things mean the most. Most likely will ask if her pup, Bruno, can tag along to plans.
What is the most commonly ordered women's shirt?
I see that unisex tees are used the most for order inquiries for both Women and Men! The most commonly ordered Women's T-Shirt I see is Next Level 6610!
What's your personal favorite?
My favorite is 1717 Comfort Colors because of its quality, softness, and all the different color varieties it offers.
What advice would you give someone ordering custom women's t-shirts for the first time?
I recommend looking at the measurement specifications of the garments they want. The customer's style and comfort preference depends on how they'd like to wear the shirt, whether it's an oversized look or a slim fit look they're going for!
What qualities do you look for when picking a women's t-shirt?
The materials and weight are the qualities I look for when picking out a Women's T-Shirt. I usually like shirts over 3 oz because I don't like my shirts being too thin! I also want to look at the cotton percentage so I don't have any chances of shrinkage when throwing it in the machine wash.
Tiffany Shields, Account Specialist
Part-time adult, full-time cat mom. Avid gamer and Spotify playlist creator.
What's women's most common problem when picking out custom t-shirts?
The most common problem for women picking out a custom t-shirt is knowing what size you should get and what overall fit you like. I have put on a shirt that was supposed to be my size, and it ends up feeling like I am squeezing into a youth-sized shirt!
Making sure you check out the shirt specs + getting a sample or taking measurements is the best way to ensure you get sizes that will comfortably fit you and anyone who wears your shirt design.
Do the same fit rules apply to ordering tank tops as t-shirts?
Women's style tank tops and t-shirts tend to run smaller in the clothing world - but this all depends on the tank's style. Tank tops are much less restricted, especially in the shoulder area, as t-shirts. We always recommend that you check out those size charts if you are worried about a specific fit.
One pro tip for people ordering women's tees?
Size up!
Women's t-shirts are designed to be more fitted, which could sometimes be less comfortable. If you want something more loose and relaxed, mention that to your Account Manager so we can recommend the right products!
What women's t-shirt would you recommend to a first-time buyer?
I don't typically wear women's style shirts because I prefer a more relaxed fit for T-shirts. However, many of my customers have liked the Bella + Canvas 6004 but would recommend to size up.
The more you know.
There you have it — straight from the experts themselves. We know this is a lot of info, but luckily, each of these extraordinary ladies is here to help you with all the ins and outs.
If you want to use any of the t-shirts recommended above for your next project, get in touch; one of these pros will help you get the custom t-shirts of your dreams.
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