Sports T-shirt: brief the sport first
A sports T-shirt brief should start with the sport or training type: yoga, gym training, team training, or a named training use. Then list the garment details that follow from that sport: fit during movement, sleeve and body length for that activity, and whether the T-shirt is worn alone or layered under a hoodie or sweatshirt. Layering matters, because a T-shirt sampled alone may fit differently when layered, and a sports T-shirt that must layer under a hoodie needs a different fit note from a T-shirt worn alone. Colour and logo notes follow the same rule as other sports garments: colours with references, assigned to the T-shirt line, logo method, size and placement per colour, with artwork sent in the first brief. A sports T-shirt ordered with a hoodie should state whether it must match the hoodie in colour, and whether that match is exact or approximate, so the sample can be judged as part of a range, not in isolation.
Daily T-shirt: brief everyday use, not sport
A daily T-shirt brief should start with everyday use, not sport. State that the T-shirt is for everyday wear, describe everyday comfort and appearance as the test, and list colours, sizes and logo notes for everyday use. A daily T-shirt does not need a sport movement test, and it should not be forced through one, because a daily garment judged by a training test may fail a test it was never meant to pass. At the same time, a daily T-shirt brief should still be complete: garment shape, neck and sleeve details, colours with references, full size run, logo method and placement, and labelling expectations. Completeness matters for daily orders as well, because a daily T-shirt sampled without a size run or logo note will still need a second round, even though the test is simpler. The difference between sports and daily briefs is the use and the test, not the amount of detail.
Combined orders: split sports and daily lines
Many orders combine sports and daily T-shirts, for example a sports range with a daily T-shirt for staff or supporters, or a team order with a training T-shirt and an everyday T-shirt. Combined orders must be split into sports lines and daily lines in the brief, even when the T-shirt shape is similar. Each line gets its own use note, its own fit or comfort test, its own colours and logo notes, and its own sample check. A combined order briefed as a single T-shirt line will be sampled as a single product, and at least one use will then be judged by the wrong test. Splitting the brief is especially important when a sports T-shirt and a daily T-shirt share a colour or a logo, because the logo and colour may need different treatments for sport and everyday use, and those treatments should be briefed per line, not assumed to be identical.
T-shirt with a hoodie: a common combination
A frequent combination on this site is a T-shirt ordered with a hoodie, for a team or training range. That combination is covered on the hoodie pages as a hoodie-plus-top brief, and it should be briefed as two lines: a hoodie line with hood, pocket and finish notes, and a T-shirt line with sport or everyday use notes, as above. State whether the T-shirt must match the hoodie in colour, and whether the logo must match in method and placement across both garments. A hoodie-plus-top order briefed as a single line will produce a hoodie sample that is checked and a T-shirt that is not, or a T-shirt sampled in a colour the hoodie was never meant to match. Two lines, with a matching note, prevent that outcome, and they allow the supplier to confirm each garment separately while still planning them as a range.
Brief template for T-shirt orders
Copy this template for a T-shirt order. Use: sports or daily, stated first, with the sport or everyday use named. Garment shape, neck, sleeve and body length notes. Layering note: worn alone or under a hoodie or sweatshirt. Colours with references, assigned to the T-shirt line, with a matching note for any hoodie or other garment. Logo method, size and placement per colour, with artwork attached. Full size run, with the sample size named. Quantity band and target date, with a request for MOQ and lead time for your order. Labelling and packaging expectations, if the T-shirts are for resale or a private label. A T-shirt brief with every line filled can be sampled from the first round, because the manufacturer will know at once whether the T-shirt is for sport or for everyday wear, and what test it must pass.
From guide to brief
Turn this guide into a brief by naming the scene, the garments, the construction, the colours and sizes, and the logo placement, then share your quantity and target date to get MOQ and lead time for your order. Certificates available upon request.