Episode 191 - What Is The Best T-Shirt?

Custom Apparel Startups

May 24 2023 • 38 mins

How do you choose the right t-shirt?

You are looking to start or grow your custom apparel business. There are a ton of challenges with choosing the right equipment, making sales, pricing your apparel and so much more. However, a topic not often discussed enough is the apparel you use.

Choosing the right blanks is a core part of your success. This is similar to a great chef. If you learn about great chefs, it's not just about the best pans and recipes, but also about the best ingredients. More so, it's about the best ingredients for their particular recipe.

The same thing applies to the custom apparel industry. You must pick the right apparel for your business. The idea of 'what is the best t-shirt' is a fallacy, just like the question of 'what's the best chocolate for a dessert'. It depends!

In this podcast we will discuss the idea of 'the best shirt' with an industry expert Mike Putnam. Mike has been in the apparel industry for over 30 years working in the apparel, sportswear and equipment industries.

Some of the questions we’ll answer in this episode include:

What is the best technology for your custom apparel business?

What type of T-shirts should you sell?

What problems should you expect?

How do you get past these problems?

Why is the idea of a ‘best’ shirt is a bit of a fallacy?

  • Your process
  • Your Technology
  • Your customers’ needs (timeframe, color, quantity)
  • The retail price you sell

What technology should you be printing with?

  • Screen printing
  • Direct to Film
  • White Toner
  • DTG
  • Sublimation

Why do some shirts fail and others succeed in printing (even when they are the "same" material)?

How do you decide the best shirt for your business?