7 Things You Should Do Before Ordering Sorority Shirts

Think about how often your chapter wears matching shirts: Bid Day, Philo Week, Big/Little reveals, sisterhood retreats…the list goes on. In each of those moments, your chapter is being seen, and people are watching how you show up together. 

Do you look pulled-together and proud? 

Or do you look like you rushed a low-budget bulk order with no second thoughts? 

Your merch impacts your chapter’s image—not just on social media, but to PNMs walking by, other sororities comparing chapters, and alumni checking in.

That’s why ordering sorority shirts isn’t just about picking a cute color or matching a theme. It’s about protecting your chapter, your own rep as a merch chair, and honestly, your sisters’ confidence. So, here’s everything you need to check BEFORE locking in that merch order.

How to Choose the Right Shirt

Know What Brands Hit

You can't go wrong with brands that other chapters have purchased from and loved. Comfort Colors is basically Greek life royalty—thick, pigment-dyed cotton that gets softer with time. Bella+Canvas and Jerzees have that soft, smooth feel and a more modern cut. And not to glaze ourselves, but we also put a lot of effort into developing our Fresh Prints Exclusives so chapters have trendier merch options. 

You can also ask your vendor what brands they carry. If they dodge the question or say something vague like “standard cotton tee,” press them until you get an answer. Avoid anything generic or unbranded unless you’ve tested it yourself. Unbranded might mean cheaper shirts, but you can know so much more about the shirt quality based on the brand behind it.

Dig Deeper

Check product reviews. Text older girls in the chapter. DM that friend from another school who always creates cute shirts. Ask what brands they’ve used before, who the vendor was, and how those shirts held up. 

Who still wears their retreat shirt from last year? Which one ended up as a pajama top after one wear? Use past orders as your case study.

Read the Fabric Details

You can’t feel the shirt when you’re browsing dozens of product galleries online. But you can get an idea of the shirt quality from the product description—if you know what to look for.

Check fabric composition:

• 100% cotton: If it’s 100%, it’s high-quality. Soft, breathable, and easy to wear.

• Ringspun or combed cotton: Softer and stronger than regular cotton.

• Cotton/polyester blends: Less likely to wrinkle or shrink. Can still be comfy if it’s a high cotton %, but skip if it’s mostly polyester (unless you're going for an athletic look).

• Organic cotton: A plus for sustainability and softness.
  
  

Know how heavy the fabric is:

Honestly, most brands will just say “lightweight” or “heavyweight” in their product descriptions. But if you really wanna know if a shirt’s durable enough, ask about the weight. This is usually measured in ounces (oz) or grams per square meter (GSM)

• Under 5 oz (or under 150 GSM): Usually thin, see-through, and flimsy.

• 5–6 oz (150–200 GSM): That’s considered “midweight” or “heavyweight”—aka safe, solid, and sturdy. Comfort Colors, for example, uses a 6.1 oz fabric.

• 6.1 oz + (200 GSM+): Heavier, sturdier feel—great for cooler months but might feel stiff if not done well

Hints on how the shirt holds up:

• “Soft-washed” or “pre-shrunk”: It’s a good sign if you see these terms in the description. It means the shirt will hold its shape better and won’t be a wrinkly mess after one laundry day. 

• Avoid “lightweight” if that’s all it says: That usually means cheap-feeling and wrinkle-prone.

And don’t be afraid to ask the vendor, even if you feel annoying. You can just send something like, “Hey! Can you tell me the fabric weight and whether the shirts are pre-shrunk or soft-washed?”

You can also contact us at hi@freshprints.com if you have any product questions.

Fit Is Everything

Shirts can be high quality and still feel like bad merch if it doesn’t fit people the way they want them to. If it’s hugging weird or sliding off shoulders, that shirt’s going in the donation pile. 

So, ask for a size chart for the shirt you’re interested in. Size charts vary from brand to brand and product to product, so make sure you get the accurate one. Then, ask the girls what kind of size/fit they want for their merch - some girls might prefer oversized to stay comfy, others might wanna be snatched. Neither is wrong, but you shouldn’t be guessing.

If you can (and we highly recommend this), ask for a blank sample in multiple sizes. You can easily ask one of our Campus Managers for samples - you can meet with them in person to talk about the merch together, or they can send the samples to you. 

From there, ask 3-5 sisters with different body types to try the samples on. Listen to what they have to say and keep track of their feedback - that’s what will really help you decide on the best shirt to choose.

“I know what shirt to get, now what?”

Once you know which product to go with, it’s time to design! We explain how to design sorority merch your chapter will actually love in a different blog, so feel free to go over that too. Once you have a design everyone likes, move on to the next steps.

Actually Review Your Final Proof

It’s good practice to get a mockup for your merch before ordering, but if you don't pay close attention, there might be design details that get left out or instructions that get misunderstood. 

Not that I want you to be paranoid all the time (this is just the Type A in me fr), but once you’re done with revisions and get the final proof, zoom in and check everything. Make sure placement makes sense, the size of your design is perfect, and spell check all the text. If anything feels off or wasn’t followed, say it right away. 

Know The Print Type + Quality

Your print type has to suit both your design and the specific shirt you choose. There’s tons of print types out there but the top three that chapters love are Screen Printing, Embroidery, and Digital Printing. Read more about them (and other print types we have) on our BTS: How To Merch page.

You can ask your vendor what print type makes the most sense for your order, and verify that the printer they work with produces high quality prints. 

Remember when I said earlier that you can (and should) ask for blank samples? If you work with us, you can also request a test print so that you can see and feel your merch before it pushes through for bulk production. If you get a test print, here are extra questions you and the girls should answer:

• Is it comfy enough to move around in?

• Will it look cute on camera or go sheer under a flash?

• Will we need to wear something underneath like a tank or bandeau?

• Does it work for the different body types in our chapter?

• Does it make us feel good? (Like actually good, not just “eh it’s fine.”)

• Would we actually wear this after the event?

Budget Smart, Not Cheap

There’s a difference between being budget-conscious and going for the cheapest option just because. If you’re choosing between three different shirts and one quote is way lower, ask yourself: what’s getting cut? Is it the fabric, the brand, the fit? Those $2 savings aren’t worth it if 90% of people never wear the shirt again.

You can still save money by:

• Ordering early (rush fees do sneak up on you, so here’s how to make sure you get your merch on time)

• Doing a one-color design

• Combining orders with another org

Just don’t cut corners on quality, people will notice. And if you need more tips on maximizing your merch budget, this blog’s got you covered.

No More Tragic Tees

When your sisters love their merch, they show up more. They take pics. They post. They remember that event fondly. And when you’re the one who helped make that happen? You go from “girl who picked the shirt” to “girl who gets us.”

The next time you’re thinking about placing a shirt order, slow down. Get some samples. Ask your sisters how it makes them feel (not just how it looks). Because if the shirt doesn’t spark pride, comfort, and confidence, it’s not the right shirt.