At Steel City, we know that when you put your branding onto a product, you want it to be perceived as really good quality. That’s why we pick neutral garments and branding methods that we know work – avoiding issues like fuzzy embroidery or prints that don’t hold up.
When you’re kitting out a team, we know the basics matter: consistent base colours, predictable branding, and fabrics that don’t lose their shape after a few washes.
- Proofed placement control: It’s really important that our suggestions match what you need, so our team sets up your artwork to the correct print size and position, then sends a proof so you can sign it off before anything goes into production. This keeps your logo placement consistent across the full order and ensures you are happy with the look across different sizes.
- Print or stitch choice: We take a consultative approach to branding. Our suggestions usually lean towards 1-colour print on tees and denser embroidery on heavier garments because those combinations hold up better in day-to-day wear. This ensures the branding looks crisp and avoids issues like ink cracking on high-stretch areas.
- Auditable fabric claims: Sustainability is key, but it’s important we don’t greenwash. We choose garments with clear material call-outs like 100% recycled polyester, 100% Organic Fairtrade Cotton, or organic-in-conversion cotton. This allows you to repeat the claim confidently, tying your wording to the actual garment spec rather than vague “eco” language.
- Neutral shade matching: We know brands want to look consistent, so our range prioritises shared base colours—Black and White across the board, with muted neutrals where the same shade is available across multiple styles. That means if you mix tees, polos and hoodies in one kit, you avoid the “three different greys” problem in team photos.
- Fabric weight options: We keep a spread of weights, from 155gsm tees up to 300gsm hoodies, so you can choose how structured the garment feels. If you want to avoid that thin promo-tee look, we can suggest heavier cloths that help reduce show-through and hold their shape longer.
- Size-range planning: We want every member of your team to feel included, so our staples run broad sizing (often XS-3XL on tees and up to 5XL on polos/hoodies). This reduces the need for swaps and keeps repeat orders closer to what you bought the first time.
- Lead-time anchored to approval: Lead time is a popular question. Our scheduling works from artwork approval, with a typical lead time of 10 working days from sign-off. If you’re working to a launch date or event, this gives you a clear “go” point to plan around.
- Curated neutral benchmarks: We use these garments as the baseline for neutrals that brand cleanly and wear well, because we know what happens when you go too cheap. If your quantities and timings allow, we can also source alternative blanks when you need a specific fit, fabric weight, or a particular branding method.