Having the perfect custom sports uniform for your club, team, or business can give you a professional appearance, make you feel more united as a team, and offer your brand promotional opportunities when staff or team members are out and about. When you decide to invest in a professional sports uniform, whether it’s for a local running club, motorsports team or even an established football team, it can be challenging to know where to start and what would work best for your entire club or team.
Choosing the perfect sports uniform needs a level of serious thought as the wrong choice could leave your team or staff feeling uncomfortable, which could affect their performance and leave you out of pocket. There’s no doubt that every club, team or employer has a varied choice when browsing for the perfect kit. The whole process can become confusing. To help, we have put together this article covering some key considerations you should make when choosing a custom sports uniform. custom sportswear.
Start with the basics
Firstly, identify what your team/club needs. For example, there will be varying differences between the football kit required on the pitch and the team off-pitch apparel. If you are part of a running club, you may need something less comprehensive such as running tops in varying sizes and styles and perhaps an outer layer for colder runs. By contrast, if you are a Sports Coach looking for a custom uniform, you might consider ordering a batch of two or three uniforms to get you through the working week. Decide on your team or club colours, kit requirements, and volumes needed before considering options. By planning what you need in advance, you will have a better idea and focus your search more precisely when choosing your custom sportswear.
Know your budget
Whatever your current club, team or business status, your purchasing choices will be limited by your budget. For budget-sensitive clubs or small community sports groups, it’s possible to make some smart club uniform choices to save a few pounds, for example:
Choosing the right clothing
Once you’ve got a rough idea of what you need and how much you want to spend, it’s time to choose suitable apparel. When selecting garments, there is a lot to consider. For example, the fit, fabric type and suitability for different conditions to name a few. Let’s review some of the essential considerations sports clubs and teams need to make when picking the optimal uniform:
Do you need a male, female or unisex fit?
While it may seem insignificant, choosing the right fit for your male or female teammates will affect how they feel in their new custom kit. For single-sex sports or teams such as football, rugby, or hockey, you may prefer to opt for a men’s or woman’s range of sportswear for a more flattering and comfortable look. If you are a unisex team and welcome both male and female members to your club, you might consider a unisex fit, and this overcomes the issue of sourcing male and female fit versions of the same garment.
Suitability for the elements
Whether you are training outdoors or partake in an indoor activity, you and your team will need a uniform suitable for the conditions. For example, for outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking or running, you’ll want something warm, durable and comfortable that doesn’t stick to your skin when you break into a sweat. Similarly, for indoor sports or gym-based staff, you want sportswear that’s light-weight and comfortable but doesn’t cause discomfort when you train. If you are a football coach or other team staff member, consider ordering warmer layers that match the rest of the team.
There are lots of different fabrics to choose from, so it’s worth doing some research. At Personalised Sports, we use a variety of fabrics that include synthetic fibre combinations that are soft, stretchy and durable whilst also having moisture-wicking properties to absorb sweat without making you feel sticky. Cotton is another popular fabric choice, particularly for hoodies and sweatshirts, which are ideal for warm-ups and layering. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that cotton tends to be looser fitting and does not repel moisture and sweat like many of the synthetic and polyester garments available.
Coordinate your kit
For kits that require multiple pieces, such as top and bottom, or jackets, hoodies or layers, look out for custom products offered in ranges. By choosing separate items from the same supplier within the same collection, you can ensure all your pieces will look great together. When choosing a personalised sports uniform, selecting colours that compliment your club, team, or business logo is key. Ideally, you’ll want something in your brand colours or includes your brand colour scheme accents.
Customising Your Garments
When discussing budget earlier in the article, we touched on product customisation. As part of your kit selection process, you will have to decide what print method is best for your uniform. You will find a wide choice of methods online, including embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer and sublimation. Although all of these methods have their benefits and drawbacks, at Personalised Sports, we use vinyl print and heat transfer. This is because we find these printing processes offer the highest level of finish and are the most effective methods for printing onto performance sportswear.
Once you have decided on a print method, you’ll need to upload your logo and decide on its placement. A higher resolution image will give the best results, and this will need to be uploaded in formats such as pdf or png. Traditionally a logo sits on the left breast area. Although there are some merits to re-positioning this, we recommend you carefully consider any alternative placement of your logo. If your logo includes a complex design, that is, one with fine details and/or effects, it will need to be printed onto a background. It can work well where this is included within a set area with a clear outline such as a badge or emblem. However, without an outline, it can be challenging to match the printed background to the colour of the garment and may not give the results you are looking for.
If you want to include text or initials, this is traditionally placed on the upper back and initials positioned on the right breast. While other options are available, it’s essential to consider what works well and gives the most professional finish and look to your teams’ garments.
Test, Test, Test
We can’t stress this enough once you’ve chosen your options, order a small run for a couple of club members first to test them out. When you receive them take the time to review the garment and print quality, durability and comfort. Get other club members to feedback on the sports uniform’s whole look, including the fit, customisation and colour scheme. Ordering two or three uniforms that are not quite right is better than ordering twenty that will never get worn because of an oversight. Once you’ve mastered the perfect kit, you can place an order for your whole sports club or team safe in the knowledge it is precisely what you require.
