How to Size a Team for Custom Uniforms

Sizing is the least glamorous part of ordering kit and it causes more problems than design, price and delivery combined. Almost every reorder we see traces back to a size list collected badly.

Why self-reported sizes fail

The instinct is to send round a spreadsheet and ask everyone for their size. It fails for three reasons:

People report what they wish they wore. This is consistent and predictable, especially with adults.
Athletic cuts are not high-street cuts. A performance jersey is closer to the body than a casual t-shirt. Someone who wears a large casually may need an extra large in a fitted kit.
Manufacturers differ. There is no standard. A medium from one maker is a large from another.

A size chart with chest measurements helps, but only if people actually measure themselves, and most will not.

What works: a size set

A size set is a run of sample garments in the actual style you are ordering. Players try them on and you record the size they actually wore.

This is the single highest-value thing you can do. It converts sizing from a guess into an observation.

Running one well

Get the size set in before you need the order placed — request it when you request the mockup
Book one session where everyone attends, rather than chasing individuals for a fortnight
Record on the spot, in one document, with the player's name against the size
Have someone else check the list before it is sent

If a physical size set is not practical, ask for the garment measurement chart — the actual dimensions of the finished garment, not a generic body chart. Then have players measure a shirt they already own and like the fit of, and compare.

How many spares to order

Order 15 to 20 percent above squad size, weighted toward your middle sizes.

For a 20-player squad, that is 23 or 24 pieces — which usually also clears the cut-and-sew minimum, so the spares are close to free in per-unit terms.

Why it is worth it:

Players join mid-season
Garments get torn, lost or permanently stained
A late signing in an unusual size is a problem you can solve from stock
A reorder of two shirts repeats the entire setup cost

That last point is the one clubs underestimate. Setup does not scale down. Two shirts ordered separately can cost several times what they would have inside the original run.

Youth teams: size for the end of the season

Children grow. A kit that fits perfectly in September will be tight by March.

Growth-year squads — size up one, always
Season-long kit — size up one if it is borderline
Tournament-only kit — fit for now

It is better for a nine-year-old to wear a slightly loose shirt in September than an unwearable one in February.

Mixed squads

If your squad includes a wide range of builds, say so. Cut-and-sew construction can accommodate a broader size range than a standard blank, including longer bodies and adjusted cuts, but only if we know before the patterns are cut.

Goalkeepers are worth calling out specifically. They often want a looser fit and longer sleeves than outfield players.

A checklist

Before you send your size list:

[ ] Sizes were tried on, not self-reported
[ ] Every player is on the list by name
[ ] Youth sizes account for growth
[ ] 15 to 20 percent spares are included
[ ] Goalkeepers and unusual builds are flagged
[ ] Someone other than the person who made the list has checked it

The safety net

On orders over 50 pieces we can produce a physical pre-production sample before the full run, so you can hold the actual garment and confirm the fit before anything is committed.

And the standing promise applies regardless: if the kit turns up wrong, we remake it.