In college, I had a roommate that sold me on a brand of shirts. He said, “Look in your drawer and without looking at the tags, pick out your favorite few shirts.” At this point, I would challenge you to do the same.

Every shirt that I chose was a 50/50 blend (cotton and polyester). Most of them were even a certain brand, Fruit of the Loom, Best 50/50. I have a shirt from 1994 that has been worn and washed a ton and still is super comfortable. I was shocked and my shirt buying was changed. I didn’t buy a shirt unless it was at least 15% polyester.

Things have changed a bit in the shirt market. Here are the three main shirt options when printing your next retreat shirt.

100% COTTON (Cheapest): The majority of free shirts are printed on cheap 100% cotton shirts. They tend to shrink and the necks stretch. They have a stiff feeling to them and wrinkle like crazy. They look like a cheap shirt. (Unless that rag tshirt is the look you are going for.) My favorite brands: none.

50/50 BLEND (Slightly more expensive, but sometimes the same price): If you are on a tight budget, this is what I would suggest. They hold up much better, don’t wrinkle and generally look much nicer after a few washes than the cheap cotton. My favorite brands: Fruit of the Loom, Jerzee, and Next Level Apparel.

But, if you are willing to spend a little more (sometimes very close in price), check into…

RING SPUN COTTON: These shirts are still 100% cotton but it is much softer and a much nicer shirt. If you have a 100% cotton shirt that you really like, it is probably ring spun. In addition to them being nicer shirts, you can do some nicer printing on them (discharge/water-based), but that will have to be addressed in another post. My favorite brands: Anvil, Canvas, Alstyle, Next Level Apparel, and Tultex. Warning: they may shrink.

If you have any of PAL Campain’s shirts, you will notice that they are great quality. They are comfortable, soft, and hold up well to wear and wash.

So the next time you have a big event (retreat, rally, conference or shark chasing party), and you are going to print up some shirts, try to avoid the cheapest shirts. They are the most likely to become rags. Give the teens a shirt that they will actually wear.

Also see my post: The importance of design!

(photo credit)