Frequently, when we are performing at an event, they will give out shirts to all the participants. Out of the hundreds of shirts that I have seen at youth events, there were only a few that I actually liked.

It is great to get the youth involved in the planning of the event and even brainstorming on ideas for the shirt, but when it comes down to the actual design and color choices, I highly suggest you hire a professional.

A retreat can be an amazing experience and the shirt is a memento of that time. It can also invite conversation when someone asks you what the shirt means or where you got it. It can be an evangelization tool by what it says or what is said when someone asks about it. There is power in the shirt . . . but only if it is worn.

The majority of shirts that are given out at retreats, 5K runs, conferences, and other events are most often used for sleeping, working out, rags or given/thrown away before they are even worn. We all have tight budgets and we want to save money any way we can, but you are wasting money if you are printing shirts that won’t be worn. My suggestion is to either not print shirts at all, or print shirts that are so great, that the kids will be excited to wear them to school. Then, the message of your event will be remembered and will spread.

So, hire someone that has a great portfolio and get shirts that the kids will wear. My brother designs shirts at Likable Art.

a shirt designed by likable art

Also see my post: All Shirts Aren’t Created Equal

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 is the look you are going for, I would avoid it. 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. They usually don’t shrink much if any at all. My favorite brands: Fruit of the Loom, Next Level Apparel, and Jerzee.

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.

All of Popple shirts were printed on 50/50 shirts but recently, we have switched to ringspun cotton shirts and even have some printed with Discharge/waterbased inks.

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)