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Outerwear, Outlet Shirts General, T-Shirts07 May 11 am

How the Textile Industry Came to Be

The textile industry is one of the oldest yet fastest-growing industries in the world; after all, clothing is one of the primary commodities that every person on Earth needs to own. Textile manufacturers do a very good job today producing high quality materials from both synthetic and natural fibers that are offered to the general public. Textile producers, however, did not have an easy trail to follow leading to their success.

Its history

While a lot of struggling people were immigrating to America to start a new life, a small group of these people stood at the forefront and led America through its Industrial Revolution. This group of textile entrepreneurs invented power-driven machinery and developed business enterprises to produce products that had previously been made in low volume in homes and small shops, leading to a factory boom.

The industrialization of textile manufacturing began in the late 1700s in Great Britain when Richard Arkwright invented the “spinning frame” that could turn raw cotton into a mass produced yarn.

spinning wheel
An early Spinning Frame

However, it wasn’t until 1790 that the industry began to spread widely to the United States. This movement can largely be credited to an English-born businessman named Samuel Slater. At the age of 21, Slater had worked in a textile factory for six years and had learned the mechanical details of Arkwright’s machine. He carried this knowledge with him as he ventured out of his country and onto the American shores, confident that he could reinvent the spinning frame and make a fortune for himself.

When he arrived in Providence, Rhode Island, he formed a partnership with the textile-manufacturing firm of Almy & Brown. Slater built the spinning frame based on the Arkwright model just from the details he had memorized. Its first use was on December 20, 1790 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where the waters of the Blackstone River turned the wheels of the mill. The success of Slater’s mill revolutionized the textile industry in America, which up to that point was dependent on cottage workers to produce yarn and thread.

slater mill
Slater Mill Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Because of this innovation, factories in the US began to multiply rapidly, earning Slater the title of “The Father of the American Factory System” as well as “The Father of the American Industrial Revolution.” By 1815, there were already 165 cotton mills operating in New England. These early mills were not large-scale, so New England merchants continued to utilize home workers to weave some of the yarn into cloth for some time after Slater’s innovation.

This video shows an early spinning frame in action at the Slater Mill.

The spawning of other products

The beginning of the 18th century marked the production of textiles made with wool from sheep farms across the midlands in Britain. More than a quarter of the British exports during that time were from the export trade in woolen goods, doubling between 1701 and 1770. Another textile industry that invested in cotton centered in Lancashire showed remarkable growth during that time, although it did not equal the huge value of the woolen trade. Before the start of the 17th century, only individual workers manufactured a somewhat limited number of goods, which were distributed around the country.

In the early 18th century, artisans started to find alternative materials to produce products. They were using silk, wool, fustian, and linen, but all were eventually overcome by cotton, which became the most important textile of the time.

Cotton was first imported into northern Europe in the late medieval period. At the time people did not have any knowledge of where it came from. They associated the material with wool, noting their similarities, they conceptualized that plant-borne sheep must produce it. It was later called “tree wool.” Even Christopher Columbus in his explorations of the Bahamas and Cuba in the late 1400’s, found natives wearing cotton garments. During the late 16th century, cotton became more and more popular as it was cultivated in the warmer regions of Asia and America.

The production of cloth involves not only the growing and harvesting of the fiber or raw material, but the product must then be prepared and spun into thread or yarn, and finally weaving the yarn into cloth. Thereafter, the cloth will be taken to the garment manufacturer. Preparation of fiber will depend on the fiber used, but it can involve retting and dressing. Wool needs to be carded and washed. Spinning and weaving can be similarly done to fibers, as well. Spinning is done by twisting the fibers by hand using a drop spindle or a spinning wheel.

The industry’s forerunners

Eli Whitney invented the modern mechanical cotton gin, which quickly separates the cotton fibers from their seeds, in 1793.
cotton gin
Cotton Gin on Display the Eli Whitney Museum

Here is a brief video history of Eli Whitney and his impact on the textile world:

It was in 1813 that the New England factory systems started to take off when Frances Cabot Lowell, Nathan Appleton, and Patrick Johnson established the Boston Manufacturing Company and opened their first factory, wherein workers operated spinning and weaving machinery. This enabled the home-based workers to shift their jobs from their homes to the factories. Fifteen years later, the company started adding branches throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. By 1840, the Boston Manufacturing Company had gained a great deal of popularity, as others tried to copy their corporate model.

boston manufacturing
Boston Manufacturing Company on the Charles River, Waltham, Massachusetts

Lowell and his team hoped to change the ways of the British industry. Building their facilities in Massachusetts, he hired young and unwed women from the farms of New England. Known as the “mill girls”, they were strictly chaperoned by matrons who established curfews and a stringent moral code for the girls to follow. The mill girls worked 12 hours per day, 6 days per week. Although it was a tedious job, most of the girls enjoyed the independence the mill gave them, in contrast to how they had lived on the farm. Moreover, the wages rose to triple the rate for a domestic servant at the time.

It was also during this time when leaders such as William Gregg of South Carolina established a home-based textile industry, which was resisted by the northern mills. After the Civil War, the south slowly replaced the use of slaves with regular workers. Edwin Michael Holt and his family in North Carolina built a number of mills all over the south at the end of the 19th century, including Glencoe Cotton Mill and mill village, which are still preserved to this day.

Later on, merchants such as the Marshall Fields of Chicago acquired and built mills of their own (Cone Mills and Fieldcrest Mills) so as to better control and regulate the supply.

As World War I took place, several new companies emerged to satisfy the war demand. After the war, imported machinery from Germany and Switzerland started to replace domestic supply.

During the late 19th century, the Made in the USA began to be replaced by a new world order. Because many textile manufacturers aimed to buy from the producers with the lowest cost, most textile companies considered importing from other countries.

Today’s industry

As the 20th century approached, major changes came to the textile industry as innovations allowed textile machinery to create synthetic fiber such as rayon and nylon, which is used in products ranging from pantyhose to toothbrushes.

Acetate was invented in the 1920s. A decade later, polyester and acrylic were introduced. Polyester became more popular in the Unites States than cotton for some time during that century.

By the early 20th century, globalization also led to the outsourcing of textile manufacturing to overseas markets. This created a trend of focusing on white-collar industries for fashion design and retail.

An apparel distributor, Outlet Shirts, specializes itself in the screen-printing and embroidery industry as well as blank apparel. It provides well over 1500 products from brands such as Port Authority Apparel, Port and Company, Eddie Bauer, Nike Golf, Sport-Tek and more. Offering a large selection of wholesale t-shirts, polo shirts, woven, outerwear, ladies styles and many more. Its products are available either blank or embellished with your company or group logo. Its low prices and generous discounts, also includes free shipping starting at $125, will make it easy for any customer to save more without sacrificing quality or service.

The textile industry has come a long way from just old-fashioned machines and factories. It has developed greatly over time, paving the way for companies who produce quality products for their customers. Today, it has become a very essential industry the world could not live without.

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Manufacturers, Outlet Shirts General, T-Shirts18 Apr 11 am

Competitor Tee and why Polyester matters

We will take a look at this widely used but often misunderstood fiber known as Polyester. Polyester is a very strong, synthetic fiber that is used in many different applications. We will also show you one of our favorite moisture management polyester t-shirts and gave an update on the process of turning this fiber into a modern, high performance fabric.

Polyester is a non-natural fiber that can be used to create a similarly interesting non-natural fabric. Believe it or not, polyester is made from crude oil; it is a type of plastic that is melted and spun into a fiber. If you weave almost any fiber in the right way you can turn it into a usable fabric. You can find polyester in a multitude of everyday products such as furniture, rope, seat belts, bedding, tee shirts, blankets, fleece and many other types of clothing.

This amazing material was the brainchild of two Dupont Engineers, which should not come as a surprise, knowing the inventive history of that remarkable company. The first of the world changing fibers and inventions was widely noted as Nylon, but Polyester and others were right there within a few years of the Nylon introduction. Until about ten years ago, many were correct in their criticism of polyester clothing and were correct to avoid it for many applications. It did not breathe, was uncomfortable, itchy, and could be melted easily with a hot iron; the list of complaints went on and on. There are still to this day, many traditional old school designers that say, “avoid this dreaded fabric” at all cost. Many of these arguments stem from the fact that for hundreds years cotton and other natural fibers were much softer, easier to dye, generally easier to work with and in turn, more suitable for clothing and apparel.

But now, polyester fabrics have been revolutionized into what many call a modern engineered-fabric and the go-to item for many uses. This awesome synthetic fabric is changing the apparel world with plenty of examples to prove this point. It is a very soft, wrinkle resistant, durable, fabric that will retain color well. Another interesting feature is that it dries out very quickly if it becomes wet from water or sweat.

Before moving forward have a look at this great video of polyester fiber being woven into fabric: How It’s Made – Polyester fabric.

A great example of a brand that is now a household name and has been important in the polyester revival is Under Armour. It is said that the founder of the company came up with the moisture management base layer while playing football. He was apparently wearing a cotton t-shirt under his football pads and after practice he had noticed how soaked with sweat the shirt was and decided to weigh it. To his surprise the t-shirt weighed in at a few pounds and it would stay that way for a long time, as it did not dry out very easily. This is where the idea of the polyester base layer was born. By many accounts this has fundamental changed the use of synthetic fibers in clothing and apparel, most specifically in athletics. Among the common terms you will hear used to describe these types of products are Dry-FIT, Dry Zone and Dri-Mesh.

One of our favorite polyester products is the moisture-wicking Sport-Tek Competitor Tee, ST350. This tee is also available in long sleeve (ST350LS), youth (YST350) and ladies styles (LST350). It is perfect for team sports, charity runs and a whole host of other uses. Since it’s introduction it has been one of our most popular products.

ST350_blog

There are lot of other very good products that have adopted these moisture wicking characteristics; polo shirts, golf shirts, camp shirts, and the like, both men’s and ladies. Here is one more look at a very interesting use of polyester, the recycling of plastic bottles to be turned into clothing such as sweatshirts and fleece jackets.

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Outlet Shirts General, Screen Printing and Embroidery, T-Shirts11 Apr 10 pm

A Guide to all things Screen Printing

Introduction:

Screen printing is a technique that applies ink to a garment through a woven mesh that has a stencil of a logo or design on it, whereas embroidery applies a design with thread. Screen printing is typically lower in cost than embroidery. Screen printed shirts can commonly be found in gift shops, with a design printed on the front or back or both sides of the garment.

Screen printed designs can be applied to a shirt or other garment in either a full color image such as replicating a photo or by spot colors where the design is made up of just a few discrete colors. The full color process is quite expensive and typically reserved for special applications. Common applications for company employees, special events, charities, family reunions and so on are done with spot colors.

Steps in the process:

  • 1. Provide a copy of the logo or design(s) and specify the location(s) to be printed.
  • 2. Determine the number of colors of ink in the design(s) and pick the colors of ink
  • 3. Choose the garments(apparel), color of garments and the total quantity.
  • 4. Create the artwork and proof
  • 5. Create the screens – also known as the “Set-up” process
  • 6. Obtain the apparel
  • 7. Select the ink color(s) or if needed mix them
  • 8. Install the screens onto the printing machine
  • 9. Do the printing
  • 10. Dry the garment
  • 11. Fold, pack, and ship the order

Details:

  • 1. Supply your logo or design. You may want to have one design applied to the front or the back of a T-shirt. Or you may want different designs to be applied to different locations on the shirt. If you simply want text such as “Hansen Family Reunion July 2013” for example, we can generate that for you. For more complex designs you will need to supply the completed artwork in a jpg or pdf format and eventually in a vector format such as an .eps or Illustrator output or .pdf vector file. If you do not have a logo and cannot create one yourself, you may want to contact a graphic artist to design one for you. A graphic artist will be familiar with all the file formats needed.
  • 2. Determine the colors of ink to be used on your design. The more colors of ink you use the higher the printing cost. Also if you print light colored ink such as white or light pink on a dark garment, that is more costly than printing a dark color like black on a light colored shirt. Typically each design will be treated like a nearly separate order since most of the steps will need to be repeated. As an example if you want a print on the front and the back, we will first print all of the fronts and then print all of the backs.
  • 3. Choose the color, style, sizes and quantities of the apparel. If you want to have a design printed on different colored shirts, say 36 black shirts and 36 yellow shirts and you wish to use different colors of ink for these two applications, it will be necessary to change the ink color when switching from black shirts to yellow shirts.
  • 4. The “set-up” process involves doing several things all involving turning your logo/design into to screens.
    • a. We first have to insure that the digital files we have are vector files. These files allow the design to be scaled to the appropriate size without losing resolution. This also also allows for multiple colors to be printed.
    • b. We will create a “proof” which shows your design superimposed onto the garment. This is emailed to you for approval.
    • c. We will then “separate” your design into its various “ink” colors. If your design has 3 ink colors we will create 3 separate stencils, one for each color. We will then print these separately on a transparent film in the exact size needed for the final printing.
    • d. In the next step we create the screens. This involves applying a light sensitive photo emulsion to a screen. The screen is a wood or metal frame with a woven material such as polyester stretched tight over the top of the frame. Prior to the advent of polyester, silk was a common material for the screens. This is where you get the term silk screening from. The clear film with the stencil of the design is perfectly aligned onto the screen and temporarily attached to the screen. All of the work associated with preparing the screens must be done in a dark room, much the same as if you were developing film.
    • e. The screen with the light sensitive coating attached stencil is placed on a light table. A special light source is used to expose all of the light sensitive emulsion except for those portions covered by the stencil.
    • f. Next the screen is spray washed to remove all the unexposed emulsion. The portion of the screen covered by the stencil will be unexposed and will wash out, leaving the image of the stencil open and now able to allow ink to pass through. Have a look at this video to see the process:
    • g. If multiple colors are called for, then a separate screen is similarly created for each color. The following image is an example of a single color print on the back and a two-color print on the front of a shirt.

    OutletShirts_PlugIntoPower_4895

  • 5. The next step is to mix up or obtain the correct ink required for each screen. This can be either a standard color like white or black or one of a number of common pre-mixed ink colors. The color can also be a special color shade picked from a Pantone chart, which is a large pallet of industry standard colors. These are much like the color cards you find at your local home store when selecting wall paint. The Pantone colors are identified with a PMS#, which specifies the formula we use to mix up the proper ink color.
  • 6. The next step is to set-up the automatic printing machine. This involves installing each screen into a clamp and then adjusting the X-Y and rotational registration of the screen very precisely using registration marks that were printed onto the film we generated in step # 4c. Each separate color of ink calls for its specific screen to be installed into a separate station and registered in exactly the same fashion. If your print called for 3 different colors of ink, for example a tree trunk with brown ink, the leaves with green ink and text below calling for black ink there are 3 screens and stations. Each has to be aligned precisely so that when the green leaves are printed onto the brown branches, they appear to be attached properly.
  • 7. Start the presses! The printing can now begin. Most modern machines are automatic. After the screens are in position, the operator will apply a generous portion of ink onto each screen, being careful to apply the correct color onto each screen. The operator will then install one garment at a time, typically a T-shirt, onto a “platen” which is a flat plate that holds the shirt secure while the ink is applied. Typically a special “sticky” spray is first sprayed onto the platen to help hold the garment in place. The placement of the garment onto the platen is not as critical as the screen alignment process is but is important to insure that the placement of the print is in the correct location; not too high or low, not rotated on the shirt, and so on. When the press starts up it will rotate the platen to the first station and stop. The machine will move the screen down and contact the shirt. A large squeegee, which is part of the machine, then moves across the screen, dragging ink with it and thus forcing the ink down through the open pores of the screen and onto the shirt. When this is finished, the machine lifts the screen up and off of the shirt and then the platen is rotated to the second station. The process is repeated at the second station with the second screen being rotated down and into contact with the shirt and the second color of ink is squeegeed onto the shirt. As the first station is applying the first color of ink, the operator will install a second shirt onto a second platen so that there will be a continuous flow of shirts and each station is active at all times. The video below shows a multi-head automatic press cranking out shirts. These machines can produce hundreds of printed shirts per hour, once they are set-up.
  • 8. The next to last step is drying. Most common inks are dried with heat to speed up the process and to “fix” or cure the ink so that it will remain on the shirt through multiple washings. Most companies will employ a conveyor belt dryer that slowly runs the shirts under a heat source and out the other side dry. This is similar to the devices used in many fast food restaurants to heat sandwiches.
  • 9. The last step is to count, fold, and pack the shirts for shipment.
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Outlet Shirts General, T-Shirts11 Mar 3 pm

What causes Stains from Sweating?

We occasionally get questions from customers about which products will stain from sweating and which ones will not. The answer to that question is not related to specific products but to a number of other things. This is not caused by defective or low quality apparel, it is usually caused by outside factors such as sunlight, perspiration, and humidity; even lotions and body fragrances. We also forgot to mention that if you spill your food on your shirt, oops but we are not talking about that kind of stain. This type of discoloration is more common in the summer months and especially so for people who work outside and in hotter and more humid areas of the country. I have seen it happen to office workers who live in hot and humid climates as well construction workers in dry heat. Some contributing factors are even the water in the area that it is washed in and the body chemistry, which can even be affected by the food you eat. It has the potential to happen to any color, brand or blend, but generally to darker or red based colors such as burgundy, blueberry and lilac. The general way to avoid this is to choose white or another un-dyed color such as ash or natural or use 100% polyester.

One of the best best you can have if you have concern or have experienced this type of staining is to buy a better t-shirt and anymore the go to option is an perfect moisture wicking t-shirt which in most cases will now have an anti-microbial (no more stink) element to it. These type of fabrics are available in many different styles.

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T-Shirts08 Jun 6 pm

A Short History of the T-Shirt in the USA

This is the first in a series of articles relating to the history of the t-shirt in the United States. The first manufacturers, trends and how all that has led us to today’s modern tee.

The t-shirt as we know it first came to the USA during World War I. This was the result of US soldiers taking notice of the lightweight cotton undershirts European soldiers were wearing, while the US soldiers were sweating it out in wool uniforms. Mostly worn under a soldier’s uniform it did not take long until they became an external garment. Worn primarily by navy men for the first thirty years of the 20th century, they became standard issue for all military servicemen in World War II. T-shirts issued during the WWII were white, thus presenting a problem to the Marines who realized that the color made them an easy target. The Marines were not about to give up their t-shirts so they came up with a clever way to disguise them. The Marines used coffee grounds to dye their t-shirts in the battlefield, and were later issued sage-green shirts. Once the war was over they brought them home and the t-shirt was here to stay.

The t-shirts worn in the early 20th century (i.e. 1913-1938) were weighing in at around 1.5 – 2 ounces. Today’s t-shirts can weigh up to 6.1 ounces, but most will fall in around 5.5 ounces. Early champions of the t-shirt movement included Hanes T-Shirts, Fruit of the Loom and Sears Roebuck. Fruit of the Loom did not start to knit t-shirts until around 1938. These early versions were rather rough and uncomfortable compared to what we you can get today. In 1938 Sears introduced a t-shirt for 24 cents and were marketing this shirt as an outer garment or under shirt. The t-shirts produced by these companies were basically replicas of early military issued shirts and had a wider neck and shorter sleeve than today’s full cut shirt. They were also much tighter fitting and this style lasted into the sixties.

Around 1955 with celebrities, Marlon Brando, Elvis, and James Dean being seen in a t-shirt and jeans the youth of America started to scoop-up t-shirts. It was about this time that the t-shirt was no longer considered simply a navy t-shirt but a mainstream product and one that was selling fast. It was also around this time that the t-shirt style began to resemble what we know today. The neck of the shirt became tighter, next the overall length longer, but the shorter sleeve remained for a time. This can be attributed to the fact that the t-shirt was considered a man’s garment. Modern day t-shirts have no end to the number of styles available. You will find all different styles and cuts for men, women, children, and even infants. Blank t-shirts, screen printed, heat transferred, embroidered, airbrushed, tye-dyed, there truly is no end to what can be done with this amazing clothing item. From 500 million shirts sold in 1985 to well over a billion in 2005 the t-shirt is a big part of our world.

This topic will be continued.

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T-Shirts08 Jun 6 pm

T-Shirts for Printing, How to Choose the Right One

Choosing the Right T-Shirt for Printing

As many people know custom t-shirts are one of the most effective forms of advertising. If you are interested in getting shirts printed for your company choosing the right t-shirt is one of the most important steps. Hopefully through this article I will be able to help some you make an educated decision when it comes to getting shirts printed.

Choosing the wrong weight of shirt is a very common mistake.

The first mistake is selecting a shirt that is too heavy. If you are having shirts made for a lawn care company you would not want to use a heavy t-shirt like the Hanes Beefy-T 6.1 Oz. They would not breath as well as a lighter shirt and would be uncomfortable during the summer heat. Not to mention these garments would be more expensive than something lighter. If you were printing shirts to sell this would be a good choice. They are very high quality and that would show while on display.

The second weight related mistake is choosing a product that is to light. There is a brand name “AAA” that is made in China. These shirts can be bought for about $.40 a piece. But the old adage applies: “You get what you pay for.” If you are looking to print shirts to give away these shirts would be okay, but will not last longer than a few washes. If you are going to sell the shirts, I would strongly advise not using this brand. Other manufacturers make cheap t-shirts as well. For the sake of longevity you should not use anything with a weight less than 4 ounces.

Now on to color.

The color of shirt that you choose will effect the cost of printing. Light colors like ash, white or yellow should not effect the price. However dark colors like black, navy, forest et al. will increase the cost of printing. They are also more expensive than the lighter colors. These colors — especially black — are worth the extra cost. They will be your best sellers — people love black t-shirts. The printing on these shirts needs an undercoat. If this is not done the color of the shirt will peek through the printed ink. When estimating what you will pay for printing you must add the cost of one color to the cost of printing. Once in a while you will encounter a company that does not require the undercoat. This will save you money. Trust me, I can tell you from experience, it is not worth it.

Shirt Style Effects Price

One thing that will effect the cost of a shirt is the style. It should have no effect on the cost of printing. Unless you are interested in an unusual printing location like down the sleeve. The difference between short sleeves and long sleeves can increase the cost of a tee. While adding a pocket will add to the cost as well. Printing on the pocket is can be difficult and you would have a hard time finding a company that would do that for you.

Discounts for Volume

Unlike other apparel products t-shirts are a little more difficult to get volume discounts on. The price mark up that the distributor is making on the t-shirts can often be as low as 3%. So discounts on top of an already good price would be cutting into profits.

In conclusion choosing the right t-shirt for your printing job is not hard as long as you know what to look for. Don’t choose a shirt that is too heavy or to light. Select the correct color. Match your company colors, or colors that will complement your logo. Or if you are printing these shirts to be sold, you can never go wrong with black. Style is very important, as it will effect dramatically effect the cost of the shirt. Ask for volume discounts, but if you get a discount don’t expect to much.

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T-Shirts08 Jun 5 pm

Wholesale T-Shirts Buyers Guide

The number of websites selling t-shirts can be overwhelming. In this article I will address some of the issues related to buying wholesale t-shirts. Here are some things that you should not do, and things that I would recommend. As well as guidelines that you should use to chose the correct supplier.

First of all I think we need to establish what type of clothing you are looking for.

There are 2 questions that when answered will tell you quite a bit about the type of company you are looking for:

  1. The shirts you are looking for, are they printed or blank? If printed, are you looking for a particular design or are you looking for someone to do the printing for you?
  2. If the shirts are blank, then are you willing to buy in bulk? When starting a clothing company, having shirts printed or outfitting an existing group, you should buy in bulk. This is commonsense but the more you buy the better the price you should get.

Some companies will automatically give better prices according to the dollar amount purchased, or the quantity purchased. In my opinion I believe that a company who allows the dollar amount to affect the discount is the better option. This is because you can reach the discount threshold on a number of different products, and are not forced to buy a large number of one product when it is not needed. OutletShirts discounts are based on the purchase amount not product amount. Either way if the company does not offer discounts then there is no benefit to buying in bulk, and you should keep looking.

There are also the brick and mortar stores that you could buy from. The pros and cons of these stores are about the same for any industry. You can go in and see the product. Feel it, try it on and of course go home with it the same day. The biggest downfall to these stores is that in most cases the overhead associated with a physical showroom prevents them from offering the kind of prices that you can find online. They have to make their lease or mortgage payment, pay their employees and stock their shelves. When you add advertising and utilities, it is almost impossible with them to compete with online stores.

I have heard some people talking about the great price on t-shirts they saw at one of those big-box retailers. They have the same brick and mortar problems — Overhead. The prices were about $5-7 per shirt. This is about $3 more per piece than we charge. If you are trying to outfit a group of 100 the choice is an easy one to make.

What about shipping? In many cases this is the deciding factor, and to a lot of people is a big reason why they will not shop online, second only to security. I would agree with these people. The problem is that many people keep their shipping prices hidden until the checkout process. Look for FREE SHIPPING. It does not have to be free on every order but there should be a breaking point. If I am going to spend $400 with a company I want to get my stuff shipped for free. This is not an unreasonable request. Some clothing suppliers do not offer free shipping ever. The problem is that they get free shipping from the manufacturer or supplier if the order is over a specified dollar value. Why are they not passing that on to you? I will let you answer that question. Offering good prices and then charging OutletShirts offers free shipping on orders over $100. This does not apply to orders that we screen print or embroider. This is because we have to ship the order 2 times. We have to ship it to our custom clothing department, so it can be altered, and then to you when it is done. We will not charge you for both of the shipping charges.

On orders over $100 or orders where expedited shipping has been paid for is on average 2 days for 90% of the United States. Alaska and Hawaii are usually slower and may require an additional charge. Due to import and export laws we have chosen not to offer international shipping.

If you are going to have your clothing screen printed or embroidered, here are some suggestions. We can provide the service for you however we have a two-week turn around period. If you need your apparel before 2 weeks I would recommend buying from an online supplier, and taking the clothing to a local company who has a schedule that is open enough to accommodate your deadline. You can usually get a better price from an online store than a screen printing and embroidery shop. Some of these companies will not allow you to supply your own apparel, but in my experience most do not care. There will not be a delay when buying from us. We can ship directly to the company you have chosen to do the work.

Be careful when ordering. Online wholesalers typically do not operate a traditional store, and even if they do chances are you did not walk in to buy your merchandise. So returns and exchanges and not handled in a brick and mortar fashion. Make sure that you are happy with the size, color, quantity and model before placing your order. Or you will be subjected to a restocking fee and return shipping costs.

In conclusion buying from an online clothing wholesaler will save you money. You may not get to see the actual shirts or try them on. However if you are buying a brand that you are familiar with the only concern is size and color. Shipping time and cost should be carefully considered. Try to get free shipping where you can. Remember to look for SSL (“https://”) so that you know your credit card details are safe. And look for friendly toll free customer support.

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