Collect choices before choosing a ratio
If you know who will receive the shirts, ask them. Create one list with a name or internal reference, garment style, color, size and quantity. A person who needs two shirts should count as two garments, even though they appear once on the roster.
Give everyone the same reply date and the same garment information. Mark missing answers as “awaiting confirmation” instead of assigning a size based on appearance or a previous order. Keep personal names in your distribution list; the printer generally needs the summarized garment counts unless individual identification is part of the project.
Use the chart for the actual style
Share the manufacturer’s chart for the specific garment under consideration. Check whether it shows body measurements or measurements of the shirt itself, and whether the units are inches or centimeters. Those are different comparisons.
For a chart showing garment measurements, follow its measuring instructions with a shirt the wearer already likes. For a body chart, follow the manufacturer’s body-measuring directions. Avoid collecting everyone’s “usual size” and treating that as approval for any shirt you later select. If the style changes, send the new chart and ask people to reconfirm before finalizing the order.
Keep different cuts on separate lines
A size label needs a style attached to it. If your group chooses adult, youth, fitted or tall options, record each style separately, with its own color and size counts. “Six mediums” is incomplete when the order contains two different cuts.
Ask the print team to review the combined request, including artwork placement. Keep those style-specific counts intact even when adding them into a project total. Our custom apparel page covers the other garment details to include.
An example: 24 shirts with the extras identified
Imagine a coordinator has confirmed one shirt each for 22 people, all in the same style and color. They choose two additional shirts for potential late participants. Their summary could look like this:
| Size | Confirmed | Extras | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| M | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| L | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| XL | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2XL | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 22 | 2 | 24 |
These numbers illustrate the recordkeeping, not a suggested size ratio. Another group of 22 people could need a very different mix. A 24-shirt example also does not establish an order minimum or a pricing tier.
Make uncertainty a deliberate decision
For a public giveaway, individual choices may be unavailable. Look for information about this audience: registration responses, a previous comparable event or a voluntary size survey. Record where the estimate came from and who approved it. Avoid treating a generic online ratio as evidence about your attendees.
Extra shirts are optional. Consider the budget, the possibility of additional participants and what you will do with leftovers. Decide which sizes the extras serve instead of automatically adding the same percentage to every size. Ask about the implications of later additions before relying on a second order.
Check the list as an order, then as a handout plan
Add every size column and compare the result with the quoted quantity. Check that the color and style match the chart people saw. Have one coordinator approve the final version, with a clear date or version name, so an older spreadsheet does not become the production instruction.
Keep a copy for distribution. When the shirts arrive, the same list can help you separate allocated garments from extras and record what was handed out. For the next project, carry forward the method and the notes, then ask the wearers again.
Ordering for your own business or group? Send the size summary with your artwork through our retail quote form. Promotional product distributors can include it in their client project brief. If you are still comparing costs, our promotional-shirt budget guide explains how to keep quote specifications consistent.