Price vs. Quality: Where to Splurge and Where to Save on Sorority Merch
College dues are already doing jumping-jacks on your bank account, so when an invoice for your chapter’s merch shows up looking bigger than your rent, the panic is real. That sticker shock—plus the horror stories about cracked ink after one wash—drives every merch chair to the same question: how to maximize budget for sorority merch without ending up in boxy tees and peeling prints that can’t even survive one wash.
Why Cheap Shirts Aren’t Always a Bargain
While $50 per shirt is definitely just a little too insane, especially when they’re just for one-time events, that $4-per-shirt wholesale price also isn’t worth the quality letdowns. No sorority girl who loves her chapter like family would want to wear something that looked straight out of the factory reject pile and was designed with cheap craft paint.
Plus, think about it—other chapters are pulling out all the stops, especially for super important events like Work Week, Recruitment Week, or Game Day. Standing next to them in obviously cheap merch makes people think your chapter’s standards are embarrassingly low. And that is NOT what you guys deserve!
Of course, not all shirts have to cost like 5 pairs of your favorite Lululemon leggings per event. Finding that sweet balance between price and quality helps your chapter maximize merch budget without spending millions. And that’s exactly what this price vs. quality sorority merch guide will help you with.
The Good, the Better, and the Best: Which One Should You Pick?
Looking for affordable, quality sorority shirts doesn’t mean you don’t have options other than what’s cheapest. There’s always a good option, a better option, and the best option. All of them fit certain criteria, like what you’ll use them for.
Good-tier garments, like the classic Gildan Heavy Cotton tee, are perfect for one-night mixers. They run roughly $7–$9 each, offer passable comfort, and hold up just long enough for an Instagram post before becoming pajama material.
- Comfort: 3/5
- Durability: 2/5
- Get these for: Philanthropy Week if you’re offering merch people can buy to raise funds, retreat merch, or as formal/semi-formal souvenirs.
Better-tier options, such as the Comfort Colors Adult Heavyweight T-Shirt and the Fresh Prints Exclusive Sydney Square Tank Top, are a little more luxe at $11-$14 and $20-$28, respectively. They’re noticeably softer, survive the washing machine longer, and can handle semester-long wear, making them ideal for events where your sisters need to look polished.
- Comfort: 5/5
- Durability: 4/5
- Get these for: Work Week, Recruitment Week, and Game Day—basically events where there’s just a bit more expectation to look super good on and offline.
At the top sits the Best tier: premium options like the Fresh Prints Exclusive Boston Heavyweight Hoodie or the LA Apparel Heavy Fleece Hoodie. These pieces, priced around $51-$83, are the splurge-worthy choice for lettered outerwear or milestone events where members will keep the apparel for years.
- Comfort: 5/5
- Durability: 5/5
- Get these for: Bid Day, Big/Little, or graduation merch—mementos for super big events your sisters will experience only once.
Plan Your Design and Print Wisely!
The print type you choose for merch also affects the total, so choose wisely. Save the fancy stuff, like embroidery, puff ink, or metallic ink, for pieces people re-wear and will need to last more than just the entire school year. A straightforward screen print is perfectly fine—and cheaper—for one-off tees.
Also, don’t forget that additional stuff matters. Multiple prints per garment, additional colors, and decorations add a few dollars per shirt (or tank, or hoodie, or whatever merch you have).
If these sound confusing, don’t worry—our How to Merch page has the info you need. Our Campus Managers can also help you coordinate and decide on the right options based on your budget!
The ROI Calculator: Why Paying More Can Actually Save Money
Let’s say you’re the merch chair of a 120-member chapter buying PR shirts everyone can rock year-round. PR shirts are worn rather regularly, since they’re not limited to an event, plus it’s nice to sit in class with your chapter letters or name proudly displayed on your person.
If you choose a bargain-bin shirt at $8 per piece, you’ll shell out $960 up front. And, chances are, you’ll reorder halfway through the year because those shirts fade or warp after a few washes, doubling your spend to $1,920, and that’s not yet counting the print type you choose. Yikes.
Swap that for a mid-tier Comfort Colors base at $12 each, and the entire order costs $1,440. Because the shirts survive two full semesters, there’s no second invoice, leaving $480 in the budget for your next event.
In short, a modest $4-per-shirt upgrade eliminates the need for a second purchase and keeps total costs lower over the academic year. You’re essentially investing in something that’ll eventually lead to saving more money for the next event shirts covered by your chapter’s budget!
More Budget-Maximizing Tips
Apart from deciding on the combination of garments, print types, designs, and decorations, you can also further maximize your chapter’s merch budget with these hacks.
- Batch similar designs. Printing front only or being smart about your color choices can help keep the additional cost for printing as minimal as possible.
- Order ahead of courier chaos. Last-minute orders are more expensive due to rush fees. Plan ahead and avoid the panic and higher production costs! Here's a good guide on how to manage your sorority merch timelines.
- Lean on your CM. They wrangle invoices early AND can guide you to cost-effective options so you don’t end up Venmo-requesting the chapter at 2 AM for additional funds.
- Be part of our email list. We regularly invade inboxes with promos and other offers for sororities, especially around super important events like Philanthropy Week and Recruitment Week.
Merch costs money, but that doesn’t mean you and your sisters need to take on multiple part-time jobs or sign up for another student loan just to afford shirts for the year. Follow this guide, drop those price-vs-quality sorority merch debates in the group chat, and keep your girls (and your bills) happy!