Ask any outgoing society treasurer what they'd do differently and you'll usually get the same answer: the hoodie order. Not because the hoodies were bad, but because somewhere between the group chat and the invoice, the numbers stopped adding up. Six people paid late. Four never paid at all. Someone ordered a size they hadn't checked. And the society absorbed the difference.
None of that is a printing problem. It's an admin problem, and it's entirely avoidable if you run the order in the right sequence. Here's how to do it.
Start with the deadline, then work backwards
The single most common mistake is starting with the design. Design is the fun bit, which is exactly why it eats six weeks while nobody collects a single size.
Work backwards instead. Pick the date you need hoodies in hands — freshers' fair, a tour, a varsity fixture — and count back:
- Delivery and slack: allow a week beyond your quoted turnaround. Things go wrong in September.
- Production: typically around two weeks from artwork approval, longer in peak season.
- Artwork approval: allow a week for the committee to argue about the design and sign off a proof.
- Order window: two weeks, no more. A longer window doesn't get you more orders, it just gets you later ones.
That means a hoodie you want for late September needs its order window opening in early-to-mid August at the latest, and ideally sooner. If you're reading this in July, you're in good shape. If you're reading it in September, order for a Christmas launch instead of trying to force a rush job — rushed orders cost more and disappoint more people.
Collect the money at the same time as the size
This is the rule that saves societies the most money, and most committees learn it the hard way.
Do not run a "register your interest" form and then chase payment afterwards. Interest is free, so people give it freely, and a meaningful chunk of those people will quietly disappear when the invoice arrives. You'll have already committed to the quantity.
Instead, make payment and size selection the same single action. One form, one payment link, one deadline. If someone hasn't paid, they haven't ordered. Your students' union can usually process payments on the society's behalf, which is safer than money passing through a personal account — and it gives you a clean record if anyone disputes anything later.
Get sizes right before you collect them, not after
Sizing is the second-biggest source of pain, and it's the easiest to fix.
Publish a size chart with actual chest measurements in inches or centimetres alongside the order form. Not "S, M, L" — actual numbers. Hoodie sizing varies enormously between brands, and someone who is a medium in one high-street shop is a large in another.
Two further things worth telling members explicitly:
- Most people size up for hoodies. A relaxed fit is the norm for society kit. If members don't know that, half of them will order true-to-size and be disappointed.
- Unisex is not the same as men's. If you're ordering unisex garments, say so, and give the measurements so people can judge for themselves.
If you can borrow sample garments — many suppliers will send them — put them on a table at a social and let people try them on. Nothing beats it.
Decide your leftover-stock policy in advance
Some committees order a handful of spares to sell during the year. Sometimes that's smart; often it's how the society ends up carrying dead stock.
Be honest about it. Spares only make sense if:
- The design has no year on it, so it doesn't expire in twelve months.
- You're ordering in the most common sizes only — realistically medium and large.
- You've agreed who is responsible for storing and selling them after the current committee hands over.
If you can't tick all three, order exactly what's been paid for and no more. A dated hoodie with nobody's name on it is worth exactly nothing in March.
Design for the garment, not for the screen
Your design will look different on fabric than it does on a laptop. A few things that consistently work:
- Two or three colours, cleanly separated. Gradients and photo-realistic artwork lose detail and cost more.
- A left-chest logo plus a bold back print is the classic society layout for a reason — it works on everyone.
- Personalised backs — a nickname, a role, a course — are what make people actually wear the hoodie. They're also what makes the order feel worth the money.
- Put the year on it if it's a specific cohort or tour hoodie. Leave it off if you want spares to stay saleable.
If you're weighing up print versus embroidery, our guide to embroidery vs DTF printing covers the trade-offs on cost, durability and how each method handles fine detail.
Check the artwork rules before you commit
One that catches committees out every year: your university's crest and name are usually trademarked. Your society's own logo is yours to use; the university's official arms generally are not, and using them without permission can get an order pulled or, worse, get your society in trouble with the SU.
Check with your students' union before you finalise artwork. Most SUs have a clear policy and will tell you quickly. It costs you one email and saves you a reprint.
Hand over properly
The final step nobody does. Before your committee's term ends, write down for your successors:
- Who you ordered from and the contact details
- What you paid per unit and at what quantity
- The final size split you actually ordered
- What you'd change next time
That single document is worth more to next year's committee than anything else you leave them. Size splits in particular are gold — after two or three years you'll be able to predict your society's ordering pattern almost exactly.
Frequently asked questions
How early should we order for freshers' week?
July or August. September is peak season across the entire UK garment decoration industry, and lead times stretch. Ordering early costs nothing and removes almost all the risk.
What's a realistic minimum order?
Lower than most committees assume. Ask your supplier where the price breaks fall before you set your member price — a difference of five units can meaningfully change the per-hoodie cost.
Should we add a margin to fundraise?
Plenty of societies do, and it's a reasonable way to fund socials. Be transparent about it — members generally don't mind a small mark-up, but they do mind finding out about it later.
Can we do a second run if we sell out?
Usually yes, but the per-unit price will be higher on a smaller repeat run and the stock colour may have changed. It's cheaper to get the first order right.
Planning your society's kit for the new academic year? Have a look at our custom society hoodies page, or get in touch with your rough numbers and we'll come back with a price and a design proof.
