The most reliable way to pick sizes for a group shirt order is to ask every person for their size, in writing, against the chart for the exact shirt you are buying. At French Press Custom in Santa Fe Springs, sizes can be mixed freely inside one design, and 100 black Gildan 5000 tees with a one-color front print are $9.05 each in sizes S to XL.
If you cannot poll everyone before the order deadline, this page gives you a starting estimate for 50 and 100 shirts, what larger sizes add to the price, how many extras to order, and how to collect sizes so nobody ends up with a shirt they cannot wear. Every price comes from the same engine as our quote calculator.
Can I just guess the sizes?
You can, but a guess is the most common reason a group order goes wrong. The usual guess is "mostly mediums and larges," and the order arrives with extra smalls and a few people who need a 2XL that was never ordered. We wrote about the other common problems in what goes wrong with group shirt orders.
A real list beats any formula. Use the table below only for the people you could not reach, or to sanity check a list that looks off.
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A starting size split for 50 and 100 adult shirts
This split is a starting estimate for a mixed adult group (men and women, unisex tees). It is not a statistic, and we do not have survey data behind it. Groups vary a lot: a youth sports parents' group, a construction crew and a college club will each skew differently.
| Size | Share (estimate) | 50 shirts | 100 shirts |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | about 10 to 12% | 6 | 10 |
| M | about 24% | 12 | 24 |
| L | about 28% | 14 | 28 |
| XL | about 20% | 10 | 20 |
| 2XL | about 10% | 5 | 11 |
| 3XL | about 5% | 3 | 5 |
| 4XL | about 2% | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 50 | 100 |
How to adjust it:
- Mostly women, or a fitted tee: shift a few shirts from L and XL down to S and M, and ask each person whether they want their usual size in a unisex cut. Fit preference varies, so the chart is the tiebreaker.
- Work crews and adult sports leagues: add to XL, 2XL and 3XL.
- Students and parents together: split the order into youth and adult sizes. Youth shirts use a separate size run (the Gildan 5000B is the youth cut of the 5000), and our youth sports team store guide covers collecting sizes from families.
What does a size actually measure?
Size names are not the same across brands, so tell your group which shirt they are sizing for. Here are two published references.
Gildan 5000, laid flat, in inches (manufacturer spec data from S&S Activewear):
| Size | Chest width, laid flat | Body length |
|---|---|---|
| S | 18 | 26 |
| M | 20 | 28 |
| L | 22 | 29 |
| XL | 24 | 30 |
| 2XL | 26 | 31 |
| 3XL | 28 | 32 |
Each size step adds 2 in across the chest laid flat, which is about 4 in around the body.
Bella+Canvas unisex "chest to fit," in inches (body measurement, from the Bella+Canvas size chart): S 34 to 37, M 38 to 41, L 42 to 45, XL 46 to 49, 2XL 50 to 53, 3XL 54 to 57, 4XL 58 to 61, 5XL 62 to 65.
The easiest test for any person: lay a shirt they like flat, measure armpit to armpit, and pick the size with the closest chest width.
How to collect sizes from a group
- Pick the shirt first. Send people the chart for that exact style, not a generic one. A Bella+Canvas 3001 and a Gildan 5000 in the same size do not measure the same.
- Use one form with a fixed list. A shared sheet or a form with a size dropdown (S through the largest size the shirt comes in) stops "Lg," "large-ish" and "same as last year."
- Collect names with sizes. A list of names lets you chase the people who did not answer and hand out shirts correctly at the end.
- Set a deadline before your order deadline. Give the group a cutoff a few days before you need to submit the order.
- Fill gaps with the estimate. For anyone who does not answer, use the split above, weighted toward M and L.
- Ask about fit, not just size. If the group skews toward a relaxed or oversized look, ask people whether they want their normal size or one up.
Our how it works page has the same advice: collect the size breakdown before you order. In the calculator, you enter the count for each size on one design.
How much do 2XL and larger sizes cost?
Shirts 2XL and up cost more because the blank itself costs more from the supplier. Every per-piece price below is for a one-color front screen print, before tax, at 100 pieces.
| Size | Gildan 5000, black | Bella+Canvas 3001, black |
|---|---|---|
| S to XL | $9.05 | $11.80 |
| 2XL | $11.89 | $14.41 |
| 3XL | $13.68 | $16.04 |
| 4XL | $13.68 | $18.55 |
| 5XL | $13.68 | $20.49 |
The print price is the same on every size. Only the garment price changes.
Here is what that does to a whole order. On black Gildan 5000 tees with a one-color front print:
| Order | All S to XL | With the starting-estimate split |
|---|---|---|
| 50 shirts | $555.50 ($11.11 each) | $583.59 (about $11.67 each) |
| 100 shirts | $905.00 ($9.05 each) | $968.65 (about $9.69 each) |
Prices are before tax. The 2XL and up shirts in the split add about $28 to the 50-shirt order and about $64 to the 100-shirt order. That is a real number to budget for, and it is why we price every size in the quote instead of quoting one flat number.
Should I order extra shirts?
Usually, yes, a few. People join late, someone changes their mind about a size, and a reorder of a handful of screen printed shirts is not priced like a few extra on the original run.
On the same black Gildan 5000 order with the starting split:
- 50 shirts: $583.59
- 53 shirts (3 extras in M, L and XL): $613.74
- 55 shirts (5 extras in M, L and XL): $634.19
- 105 shirts (5 extras on the 100 order): $1,011.80
Adding extras to the run costs about the price of the shirts themselves. Screen printing has a 36 piece minimum per design, so if you need a few more later, they cannot run as a small screen print job. Three black Gildan 5000 tees printed later by DTG, which has no minimum, are $29.64 each. Put extras in the middle sizes, M, L and XL, where they are most likely to find an owner.
Our take
The orders that go smoothly at our shop are the ones that arrive with a name next to every size. When a size list shows up as a round guess, we ask the customer to check it before the proof, because a size problem found after printing is the one problem nobody can fix quickly. If your group includes kids, split the list into youth and adult shirts early. If the person collecting sizes is not sure what to send people, ask us for the size chart of the shirt you picked and forward it as is.
For bigger orders, our bulk t-shirt ordering guide covers other ways to keep the per-shirt price down, and 10 common mistakes when ordering custom apparel covers the rest of the checklist. If you are still choosing the shirt, compare the Gildan 5000 and Bella+Canvas 3001.
Ordering from Los Angeles or Orange County
- Where we are. 14130 Rosecrans Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, serving Los Angeles and Orange County.
- Minimums. DTG none, DTF 12, embroidery 24, screen printing 36 pieces per design.
- Timing. About 2-3 weeks after art approval. Rush available depending on the schedule. Tell us your date.
- Contact. Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT, (562) 407-3800, sales@frenchpresscustom.com.
Enter your size split and see your price.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good size breakdown for 100 shirts?
As a starting estimate for a mixed adult group: 10 S, 24 M, 28 L, 20 XL, 11 2XL, 5 3XL and 2 4XL. Replace it with real sizes from your group whenever you can.
How do I collect shirt sizes from a large group?
Send the size chart for the exact shirt, use a form with a fixed size dropdown, collect a name with every size, and set a cutoff a few days before your order deadline.
Do bigger sizes cost more for custom shirts?
Yes. At 100 pieces, a black Gildan 5000 with a one-color front print is $9.05 in S to XL, $11.89 in 2XL and $13.68 in 3XL to 5XL, before tax.
Can I mix sizes on one screen printing order?
Yes. All sizes of one design count toward the 36 piece screen print minimum, so 6 smalls and 30 larges of the same design is a valid order.
How many extra shirts should I order for a group?
A few in the middle sizes is usually enough. On a 50-shirt black Gildan 5000 order, 5 extras raised the total from $583.59 to $634.19 before tax.
Do unisex shirts fit women?
Many groups order unisex tees for everyone. Fit preference varies, so have each person check the chest width on the chart for the exact shirt, such as 20 in laid flat for a Gildan 5000 in M, rather than guessing.
