Almost every workwear order that goes wrong goes wrong on sizes, not on the garment or the logo. The embroidery is perfect, the delivery lands on time, and then three people can't do the buttons up, two are swimming in a large, and someone quietly stops wearing theirs. Once a garment has your logo on it, it usually can't be returned or exchanged — so sizing is the one part of the process worth slowing down for.
This guide covers how to size a branded workwear order across a mixed team: what to ask, what not to trust, how many of each size to order, and what to record so the next order takes ten minutes instead of a fortnight.
Why workwear sizing catches people out
Three things trip up most first-time orders.
Workwear sizing is not high street sizing. A workwear medium and a high street medium are rarely the same garment. Workwear brands size to a chest measurement in inches or centimetres, and they cut for movement rather than fashion — so someone who wears a small in their own clothes may genuinely need a medium in a work polo. Asking staff "what size are you?" and taking the answer at face value is the single biggest cause of remakes.
Garments in the same order don't size alike. A polo, a softshell jacket and a hi-vis vest from the same supplier can behave completely differently. Outer layers need room for what goes underneath; a fleece sized to the wearer's chest measurement will feel tight over a hoodie. As a rule, size outerwear a step up from base layers unless the manufacturer says otherwise.
Unisex isn't universal. Unisex sizing is drafted from a men's block. It works fine for many people and not at all for others, particularly across the chest, hip and sleeve length. If you only offer unisex, expect a share of your team to end up in something that fits badly enough that they avoid wearing it — which defeats the point of buying it.
Step one: measure, don't guess
The reliable method is embarrassingly simple: get a chest measurement, not a size letter.
Ask each person to measure around the fullest part of the chest, under the arms, with the tape level and not pulled tight, wearing a normal shirt. For trousers, you want the waist measurement and an inside leg. Two numbers per person is all it takes, and they map straight onto any manufacturer's size chart.
Send the size chart for the specific garment you're ordering alongside the request. Sizes should be chosen from that chart, not from memory. Our size guide is a good starting point, and we'll always send the chart for the exact style you're quoting on.
One extra question is worth asking: how do you like it to fit? Some people want a close fit, others want room to move or to layer underneath. Where someone falls between two sizes, that preference decides it.
Step two: run a sizing session with samples
For anything over about fifteen people, or for any team wearing the garment daily, sample garments pay for themselves. Get a set of sizing samples in the actual style you're ordering, put them in a room for an afternoon, and let people try them on and write their size on a list.
This is worth doing properly because it removes almost all the ambiguity:
- People try the real garment, not a lookalike, so brand-to-brand variation stops mattering.
- Anyone borderline can compare two sizes side by side.
- You see immediately whether your size range covers the whole team, or whether you need to add an XS or a 4XL.
- It's much harder for someone to dispute a size they picked themselves while wearing it.
If a sizing session isn't practical — multi-site teams, shift patterns, remote staff — the next best thing is to circulate the size chart with the measuring instructions and a hard deadline, then chase the people who don't reply. Nobody's size gets guessed by their manager.
Step three: offer both fits
Where a garment comes in a women's or ladies' fit as well as unisex, offer both and let people choose. It costs nothing extra in most ranges, and it's the difference between a uniform people wear and one they leave in a locker.
Two practical notes. First, women's fits often run a size smaller than the unisex equivalent, so people switching between them need to re-check the chart rather than assume the same letter. Second, women's and unisex garments in the same colourway can differ very slightly in shade or trim detail; if a perfectly uniform look matters for a photo or a front-of-house team, ask us to check before the order is placed.
Step four: plan your size spread and your spares
Even with everyone measured, you need a plan for the sizes you don't yet have names against.
Order a small buffer of spares beyond your headcount — commonly around ten per cent, weighted towards the middle sizes where most people sit. Those spares cover new starters, the shirt that gets caught on a fence panel, and the one person whose measurement was optimistic. Because they're decorated in the same run, they match perfectly, which a later top-up of one or two garments may not do quite as cheaply.
A few more things worth deciding up front:
- How many per person? For daily wear, three of a base garment is the usual minimum — one on, one in the wash, one clean. Two is workable only if laundry is reliable.
- Extended sizes. Check that XS and 4XL/5XL exist in your chosen style before you commit. Not every range goes that far, and discovering it late means either a second style or an uncomfortable conversation.
- Growth. If you're hiring, add the spares now rather than reordering in three months.
Step five: record it so the next order is easy
Keep a simple sheet: name, garment, size, fit (unisex or women's), and the date issued. A spreadsheet is fine. This single document turns your next order from a full sizing exercise into a five-minute update, gives you a record of who has what, and tells you at a glance which sizes to hold as spares.
We keep your digitised logo and thread colours on file at our end, so as long as you can tell us the sizes, a reorder comes back an exact match to what your team is already wearing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I return branded workwear if the size is wrong?
Generally no. Once a garment has been embroidered or printed with your logo it is a bespoke item and can't be resold, so decorated goods are usually non-returnable unless they're faulty. That's precisely why measuring and sampling beforehand matters.
Should I size up on workwear?
Not automatically. Size to the chest measurement for base layers like polos and t-shirts, and size up only for outerwear that has to fit over other layers. Blanket sizing up leaves half your team in garments that look baggy and wear out faster at the cuffs and hem.
How do I handle new starters?
Hold a small stock of spares in your most common sizes and issue from that, then top up periodically rather than placing a one-garment order each time. Building a standard new starter workwear pack makes this much simpler to run.
Do embroidered garments shrink?
The fabric can move slightly on the first few washes, particularly in cotton-rich garments — the stitching itself doesn't. Wash at the temperature on the label and this is rarely noticeable. Poly-cotton and polyester workwear is more stable than pure cotton if shrinkage is a concern.
What if someone's between two sizes?
Let them decide, based on how they want it to fit and what they'll wear underneath. If they can't try both, the larger size is the safer call for outerwear and the smaller one for a fitted polo or shirt.
Getting it right first time
Measurements instead of guesses, samples where the numbers matter, both fits on offer, a sensible buffer of spares and a sizing sheet you keep — that's the whole system. It adds a week to your first order and saves you the cost and awkwardness of a reprint.
If you're planning an order and want the size charts for a specific style, or a set of sizing samples sent out, browse our branded workwear range or get in touch and we'll sort it.
