Work shirts for a small business: what to order and what it costs
A ten-person crew is well covered by 2 embroidered polos and 3 printed tees each. At 24 polos and 36 tees that is about $888 for the whole team ($22 a polo, $10 a tee), shipped free with the embroidery digitizing waived.
Polo, tee or both?
| Who | Best shirt | Decoration |
|---|---|---|
| Front of house, sales, estimators | Polo | Embroidered left chest |
| Kitchen, warehouse, field crew | Heavy cotton or 50/50 tee | Printed front or left chest + back |
| Cold-weather crews | Hoodie or crewneck | Embroidered or printed |
| Events and trade shows | Soft tee | Full-color print |
What a 10-person crew costs
| Kit | Polos | Tees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 polos + 3 tees each (20 + 30) | $24 each | $10 each | $835 incl. $55 digitizing |
| Round up to 24 polos + 36 tees | $22 each | $10 each | $888 — digitizing waived |
Gildan 8800 polos and Gildan 5000 tees, S–XL. Rounding the polos up to 24 crosses the next break and waives digitizing, so four extra polos cost $-7 more.
Embroider or print the logo?
Embroider on polos, hats and outerwear — it reads as established and survives commercial laundering. Print on tees that get dirty and replaced often; at 24 tees a print is $10 a shirt versus $14 embroidered. Many shops do both: embroidered polos for customer-facing staff, printed tees for the crew.
Reorders and new hires
Your logo, placement and stitch file stay on file. Reordering a few shirts for a new hire is the same per-piece price as that quantity always is, with no setup and no digitizing — there is no quantity minimum, so ordering three polos for one person is normal.
Sizes, fit and colors
- Order by the person, not by guessing: collect sizes on a simple sheet, or open a group store and let staff pick.
- Dark colors (black, navy, charcoal) hide stains; light colors read as clean in food service.
- Women's polos are in the catalog too; each is its own style, so it reaches quantity breaks on its own count.
Questions people ask
How many work shirts does each employee need?
Three to five shirts per person covers a work week between washes; two polos plus three tees is a common mix.
Can we reorder just a few shirts later?
Yes. No minimum, no setup, and your logo is kept on file, so a three-shirt reorder is routine.
Do embroidered polos survive industrial laundry?
Embroidery holds up best of any decoration under hot commercial washing; screen print is next. Avoid heat-applied vinyl on uniforms that are laundered commercially.
Can you match our brand colors?
Thread and ink are matched to the closest standard color on your proof; send Pantone references if you have them.
Prices are our live checkout prices on October 7, 2026 for the garments named; garment prices follow the supplier and every product page shows today's price. No setup fees, no quantity minimum, free shipping over $50.