At Steel City, we stick to Gildan lines we know work and have seen behave consistently after print, wash, and repeat ordering. When you’re kitting out a team or an event, you want to be confident that the quality is going to land well and not let you down. We focus on blanks that hold their own, so your brand looks just as good on the tenth wear as it does on the first.
- Core weights that hold shape: We’ve picked proven Gildan tees (145-180gsm), polos (165-170gsm double pique) and hoodies (270-285gsm fleece) because we know those weights stay presentable after regular washing and long days. It ensures the uniform feels substantial and doesn’t shrink or lose that quality feel after the first week.
- Print/embroidery where it lasts: Our consultative approach is to steer tees towards cost-effective logo printing and suggest hard-wearing embroidery (up to ~7K stitches) for polos and hoodies. This is especially important when the garment is being used in day-to-day working lives. It helps avoid prints that might crack on high-wear tops and ensures the branding is perceived as really good quality.
- Size runs without gaps: We choose fits with extended sizing – up to 4XL on polos and up to 5XL on tees and hoodies – and we’ll always flag where pricing or colour availability tightens. This allows you to place one bulk order knowing that every member of the team can be included and feel part of the group straight away, without us having to find last-minute substitutions.
- Stable fabric for sharp logos: We favour tees with higher stitch density, taped neck/shoulders and tubular bodies because that setup stays flatter under the press. It keeps your branding looking straighter and ensures your logo stands out, rather than getting lost in the fabric weave under bright event lighting.
- Tear-out labels for comfort: We favour tear-out labels where they’re available because we know comfort is key for staff wearing these day-in, day-out. It prevents neck irritation during long shifts and makes relabelling straightforward if you are creating your own merch. It’s about doing the right thing up front so the product is a joy to wear.
- Proof-led sign-off control: We back the client every step of the way with our proofing flow, locking in artwork and placement before we run production. We time lead times from approval (typically 10 working days) to ensure there are no surprises and that the final product matches exactly what you need.
- Stock colours that repeat: We’ll always suggest stocked shades like Black, White and Red, with selected brights only where the style supports them reliably. This protects your brand consistency; if you’re ordering in stages, it lowers the chance of having to settle for a “close enough” shade later down the line.
Starting point, not a limit: The products listed above are our benchmark picks for repeatable results; if you need a specific fabric weight, a closer Pantone match, or a different branding method, we’ll use our expertise to source beyond this shortlist where lead time and budget allow.
