When it comes to purchasing an inventory of your branded items or corporate logo shirts, organizing a promotional giveaway, or organizing an event, deciding on sizes might be difficult.

There are occasions when you have consumers who make rough estimates or crude judgments, like purchasing 50 t-shirts of each size. This form of estimate has many drawbacks. The first is that you wind up with excess inventory.

Inventory management has long been a source of frustration in the t-shirt industry. Extra inventory has a direct impact on profitability and takes up valuable storage space in the basement. The other issue is that you can run out of the sizes that you need.

A classic scenario is when someone purchases a significant number of mediums, larges, and extra larges while completely overlooking the petite females who need a small or the massive gentlemen who require a 2XL. The sizes that customers want are not available, and you have excess inventory that no one has requested.

In that case, what should the breakdown of your T-shirt sizes be?

Understanding the Most Common T-shirt Sizes Sold

The average size varies from one country to the next. When you look at the statistics for the United States, you will find that large is the most popular shirt size. It accounts for almost 30 percent of total shirt sales in the country. The size medium is a close second, with 28 percent, while the extra-large comes third, with 20 percent of the vote. For smaller and bigger sizes, the percentages are much lower. It can be broken down as follows:

• XS: 1 %

• S: 7 %

• M: 28 %

• L: 30 %

• XL: 20 %

• 2XL: 12 %

• 3XL: 2 %

If you just make a wild guess and only buy shirts in medium and large sizes since they're the most common, you'll end up disregarding around 42% of the people you were buying shirts for.

Breaking Down The Formula For Your Bulk Order

Based on a total of ten, here's a fast and straightforward method to memorize the formula:

S – M – L – XL – 2XL =  1 – 2 – 3 – 3 – 1

Simply divide this sum by the number of shirts you are purchasing to get the total. Take the following as an example. If you are ordering 100 shirts, the breakdown would be:

10 (S) – 20 (M) – 30 (L) – 30 (XL) – 10 (2XL) = 100 shirts

Accounting for Other Variables Before Ordering a Shirt

Of course, you may choose to include some XS and some 3XL sizes as well, which are not included in the computation above. However, the amount would typically account for an even less proportion of the total than the S and 2XL size ranges. Additionally, you should still consider other variables besides a shirt’s size before you order.

Shrinkage

If all of your shirts are made of 100 percent cotton, you may want to add an allowance and go a bit bigger. If your 50/50 poly cotton and 100 percent polyester fabrics shrinkage is within the same range, you won't have to worry about anything. Another factor to take into consideration is shrinking.

Style

If you are unclear about the cut of a specific garment you purchase, you should consult with your sales representative. In some models, the cut may be tapered to provide a thinner appearance. This "fashion fit" may make someone used to wearing a certain size to wonder why it is so tight.

Demographic

Prepare for the kind of location you want when organizing a festival or event - is it a BBQ festival, a yoga retreat, or a band merchandise event for individuals in their twenties? Depending on your target market or demography, you may want to skew a little bigger or a little smaller.

Material

The kind of shirt fabric will also affect your t-shirt count. If you want to wear 100 percent cotton shirts, you might consider ordering a size larger. This will assist in ensuring that they will still fit after being cleaned and dried. A bigger size may also be preferable if you're choosing more fitting styles.

Conclusion

If you're purchasing t-shirts for a family reunion or yoga retreat, you'll want to invest more in larger sizes and less in smaller ones. While understanding the figures is essential, you must also use common sense. Once you’re ready to order, remember to take your specifications to a printing service you can trust.

Certified Print Co. is a Denver-based t-shirt printing company that creates custom t-shirts and apparel for our customers. We have the skills and knowledge to assist you with your t-shirt design journey. Order from us today!