Sizing workwear for your team without the returns

Branded workwear cannot simply go back on the shelf. Once a logo is stitched or printed on a garment, it belongs to you, so a wrong size is an expensive mistake. The fix is not complicated. It just means doing a little work before you order rather than after.

Why guessing goes wrong

Most sizing mistakes come from one of three habits. The first is asking people what size they are, when they answer with whatever their favourite high street shop sells them. The second is ordering everyone a large because it feels like the safe middle. The third is assuming that a medium polo and a medium hoodie from the same brand will fit the same way.

Sizes are not standard across brands. One maker's large can be another's medium, and the difference is often in the chest and length rather than on the label. The only reliable answer is to try the actual garment, or measure against the actual size chart for that style.

Run a sizing session

If your team works from one place, a sizing session is the quickest way to get it right.

1. Get a size set. Ask your supplier whether sample sizes of the garments you are ordering are available to try, or buy one of each size in the exact styles you have chosen. Plain, unbranded samples are fine.
2. Pick a time when people are around. First thing in the morning or at the end of a shift works better than asking people to drop in when they can.
3. Try on over normal clothes. People should wear what they would wear underneath on a working day. A polo tried on over a vest fits differently from one tried on over a thick base layer.
4. Check movement as well as the mirror. Ask everyone to reach up, bend down and lift their arms as they would on the job. A jacket that fits standing still can ride up badly when someone is on a ladder.
5. Write it down on the spot. Record the size against the name and the garment there and then. Do not rely on anyone remembering.

For teams spread across sites, send the size chart for each style and ask people to measure a garment they already own and like. Chest width, measured flat from armpit to armpit, and body length from the top of the shoulder to the hem, are the two numbers that matter most. Compare those against the chart rather than against the label.

Unisex and women's fits

Much workwear is sold as unisex, and in practice that usually means it is cut on a men's pattern. For many people that is fine. For others it means shoulders that are too wide, sleeves that are too long, and a garment that is roomy at the waist and tight at the hips.

Women's fit versions are cut differently. They typically have narrower shoulders, a shaped body, shorter sleeves and different collar and placket proportions on polos. Sizes are often given in dress sizes rather than small, medium and large, which is another reason not to guess.

The simple answer is to offer both where the style allows and let each person choose. Some people prefer the looser cut of a unisex garment, and that is their call. What matters is that nobody is handed a fit that was never going to work for them.

Why hoodies and polos size differently

It surprises people how often someone is one size in a polo and another in a hoodie. There are good reasons for it.

• Polos are cut closer to the body. They are designed to be worn on their own and to look tidy, so they sit neater across the chest and shoulders.
• Hoodies and sweatshirts are worn over other layers. Many people choose to go up a size so the hoodie goes comfortably over a polo or T-shirt in winter.
• Ribbed cuffs and hems change the fit. On a hoodie the ribbing gathers the fabric, so sleeve and body length feel shorter than the same numbers on a polo.
• Heavier fabric has less give. A thick cotton blend does not stretch the way a lightweight polo does.

Cotton can also shrink a little in the first washes, especially if it is washed hot or tumble dried. If someone sits right on the edge between two sizes in a cotton garment, the larger size is often the safer choice.

Jackets and softshells follow the same thinking as hoodies. Size them for what goes underneath on the coldest day, not for a shirt in the office.

Keep a size record for every employee

The most useful thing you can do is keep a simple record. A spreadsheet is plenty. For each person, note these details.

• name and role
• each garment style they wear, including the brand and style name
• the size and fit for each one, for example women's 12 or unisex large
• the date they last tried it on
• any notes, such as prefers a longer body or needs a larger size for layering

When it is time to reorder, you already know what everyone needs. When a new starter joins, you add a row after they try on the size set, rather than guessing and hoping. It also saves everyone from being asked the same question every year.

Check the record now and then. People change shape, and suppliers occasionally alter a style or swap to a new fabric. If the style name changes, treat it as a new garment and check the sizes again.

Get a quote

Once you have your sizes, email the list to [email protected] or send it over WhatsApp along with your logo. We will quote for the garments, sizes and branding you need.