Gildan Size Chart: Adult and Youth 5000 Tee Sizes

The Gildan size chart maps each label size to a real garment measurement, so you can order custom tees that fit your team before you print a single logo. The Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton tee is the most-ordered blank in custom apparel, and getting the sizing right up front saves you the cost and delay of a re-run. This guide gives you the exact adult and youth charts, shows you how to measure, and explains how the 5000 actually fits so your order lands right the first time.

At Arklavo we have built branded apparel for more than 1,000 U.S. businesses, and the Gildan 5000 is the tee we print most. Below are the manufacturer measurements, sourced from the published spec sheets, plus the practical sizing advice we give every customer who is outfitting a crew, a club, or a full merch drop.

The Gildan 5000 adult size chart (S to 5XL)

The Gildan 5000 adult tee is sold from small through 5XL, with body length running 28 to 35 inches and chest width running 18 to 32 inches. These are the manufacturer measurements published on the Gildan 5000 spec sheet and mirrored by major wholesalers.¹ Chest width is the flat measurement taken one inch below the armhole, so the number below is half the garment. Double it to get the full circumference around the body.

One thing worth knowing before a bulk order: most garment makers allow one to three inches of variation on these listed dimensions, so treat the chart as a tight guideline rather than a guarantee.² For a full breakdown of how tee sizes compare across brands, our ultimate t-shirt size chart guide puts Gildan next to the other blanks you will see quoted.

How to read the chart and measure correctly

To size a Gildan tee, measure a shirt that already fits and match its chest width and body length to the chart, rather than guessing from your usual label. Label sizes drift between brands, but a garment measurement does not lie. Lay a well-fitting tee flat, smooth out the wrinkles, and take two numbers with a tape measure.

For chest width, measure straight across the shirt from one underarm seam to the other, about one inch below where the sleeve meets the body. That flat number matches the chest width column above. For body length, measure from the highest point of the shoulder near the collar straight down to the bottom hem. Compare both numbers to the chart and pick the row that matches, sizing up if you land between two rows or want a roomier wear.

This flat-measure method is the same one we walk every customer through, and it removes almost all of the size surprises that come from ordering by label alone. If your team is a mix of body types, our free unisex size converter helps translate between men's, women's, and unisex sizing so everyone ends up in the right tee.

Gildan youth size chart (style 5000B)

For kids and youth teams, Gildan makes the 5000B, which runs youth XS through XL with body length from 20.5 to 26.5 inches. The 5000B is the youth version of the same Heavy Cotton tee, so the fabric and print surface match the adult 5000. Here are the published youth measurements.²

The age column is a general guide, not a measurement, so a tall ten-year-old may sit in a youth large while the chest still reads a medium. For school spirit wear, sports teams, and youth camps, ordering one of each youth size as a fit set is the safest way to confirm the run before you commit. Youth XL and adult small overlap closely in the chest, which is handy when an order spans teens and adults.

How the Gildan 5000 actually fits

The Gildan 5000 is a classic, true-to-size unisex fit cut from heavy 100% cotton, so it wears a touch roomier and more structured than a soft fashion tee. It is not a slim or fitted cut. The body is straight rather than tapered, the sleeves sit at a standard length, and the 5.3 ounce cotton gives the shirt real substance in the hand. That weight is exactly why it is the workhorse blank for printed merch: it holds shape, survives repeat washing, and gives a flat, stable surface for a screen print or transfer.

Because the 5000 runs true to size, most people order their normal size and are happy. If your team prefers a relaxed, lived-in drape, size up one. If you want a closer, more modern cut, a softer ringspun blank like Bella and Canvas is the better base. We cover that lighter, slimmer option in our custom Bella and Canvas t-shirt guide, and the heavier garment-dyed look in our custom Comfort Colors t-shirt guide.

Women's fit in the unisex Gildan 5000

The Gildan 5000 is cut on a straight, men's-style block, so a woman who wants a fitted look should size down one or choose a slimmer blank, while anyone after a relaxed tee can order their true size. The 5000 is a genuine unisex shirt, not a women's cut, which means it runs straight through the body rather than shaping at the waist. That is a feature for a casual, oversized team look and a drawback if your group wants a tailored silhouette.

For a mixed team, the simplest approach is to offer the chart and let people self-measure, then let anyone who prefers a closer fit size down. If most of your group wants a women's-specific cut, a fitted blank is the better base and we can quote it alongside the 5000. The chest width column is the number to watch here: a woman who measures a 38 inch chest lands near a small in the 5000, which lists 36 inches full, so a small reads snug and a medium reads relaxed. Our unisex size converter makes this translation quick for a whole roster.

How Gildan sizing compares to other popular blanks

The Gildan 5000 fits fuller and more boxy than a fashion tee, so a person in a Bella and Canvas medium often wears a Gildan small or a relaxed Gildan medium. Knowing where Gildan sits against the other blanks you will be quoted helps you set the right expectation with your team. The 5000 is the roomy, durable standard. Bella and Canvas 3001 is lighter and slimmer. Comfort Colors 1717 is heavier, garment-dyed, and relaxed.

None of these is better in every case. The right pick depends on the look you want and the budget. For a hard-working printed tee that takes a beating and stays cheap per unit, the Gildan 5000 is hard to beat, which is why it anchors so many of the orders we run.

Other Gildan styles you might be sizing

The 5000 is the flagship heavy cotton tee, but Gildan also makes a lighter Softstyle tee and heavier fleece pieces, and each runs a little differently, so confirm the style before you size. If your quote lists a Gildan number other than 5000, the fit can shift, even though Gildan keeps its sizing fairly consistent across the range.

The Softstyle tee is the lighter, softer ringspun option. It feels closer to a retail fashion tee and reads slightly trimmer than the boxy 5000, so people who want extra room often size up one in Softstyle. On the heavier end, Gildan crewneck sweatshirts and pullover hoodies are roomy by design and layer over a tee, so most people order their normal size and only size up if they want to wear a thick layer underneath. When a Gildan fleece piece carries an embroidered crest, the heavier fabric actually holds the stitch better than a thin tee does. The takeaway is simple: match the chart to the exact Gildan style on your quote, and when in doubt, ask us which number we are pricing so the measurements line up with what shows up at your door.

Sizing a team order with no minimums

The safest way to size a group order is to buy a single fit set first, confirm the run against real bodies, then place the full order with no minimum standing in your way. Guessing a size spread for fifty people from a spreadsheet is where orders go wrong. A fit set removes that risk for the price of a few tees.

A practical starting spread for a mixed adult group leans on medium and large, because those two sizes cover the bulk of most teams. From there, add a handful of smalls and extra-larges, then a few 2XL and up based on who is actually on the roster. Collect sizes with a quick form rather than assuming, and always offer the chart so people can self-measure. Because we hold no minimums, you can order one Gildan tee to approve the print and the fit before the team run, then reorder the exact spread you need.

Shrinkage, care, and keeping the fit

The Gildan 5000 is 100% cotton, so expect a small amount of shrinkage on the first wash, mostly in length, and protect the fit by washing cold and drying low. Cotton tees shrink when washed hot and dried on high heat, and the published charts note that post-wash measurements are not guaranteed.² The shrinkage on a quality heavy cotton tee is modest, usually a fraction of an inch in the body, but it is real.

To keep both the fit and the print sharp, wash in cold water, turn the shirt inside out to protect the decoration, and tumble dry on low or hang to dry. If your group includes people who run hot on shrinkage worries, sizing up one is a simple hedge. These care basics matter most when the tee carries a logo, since a hot dryer is harder on a print than it is on the fabric.

Common Gildan sizing mistakes to avoid

Most sizing problems on a Gildan order come from ordering by label instead of measurement, forgetting the cut is unisex, or skipping the fit set, and all three are easy to avoid. After running these orders for years, the same handful of slips show up again and again, and a few minutes of care prevents every one of them.

The first mistake is trusting your usual label across brands. A medium in one brand is not a medium in another, so always measure a shirt that fits and match the chart. The second is forgetting that the 5000 reads like a men's cut, which catches out groups that assume a unisex shirt fits like a women's tee. The third is guessing the size spread for a big group rather than collecting real numbers, which leaves you with a pile of mediums nobody asked for. The fourth is ignoring shrinkage and ordering everyone snug, then watching the tees tighten after the first hot wash. The last is skipping the single sample, which is the cheapest insurance there is. Collect sizes with a short form, share the chart so people can self-measure, order one tee to approve, and the full run lands right.

Decoration: how the 5000 takes a logo

The flat, heavy cotton face of the Gildan 5000 takes screen print, direct-to-garment, and heat transfer cleanly, which is a big reason it is the default blank for printed merch. A stable, dense surface holds ink without distortion and keeps edges crisp. For most custom tees, print is the right call over embroidery, because thin jersey is better suited to a printed graphic than to stitched thread.

Where the logo goes matters as much as how it is applied. A left-chest mark, a full front graphic, and a back hit are the common placements, and each reads differently on the boxy 5000 cut. Our t-shirt logo placement guide walks through the sizing and position for each, and if you want a stitched look on a heavier piece instead, the embroidery cost guide covers when thread is worth it.

Putting the Gildan size chart to work on a real order

The fastest way to use this Gildan size chart is to send a short size form, let people self-measure against it, then order a single sample before the full run. A chart only helps if your team actually uses it, so make it easy. Drop the adult and youth tables into your order form, add the two-line measuring instructions, and ask each person for a chest width or a known good size rather than a label guess.

Here is the workflow we recommend. First, share the chart and collect sizes. Second, total them into a spread and flag anyone who landed between two rows so they can decide on snug or relaxed. Third, order one tee in the most common size to approve both the print and the fit in person. Fourth, place the full team order in the exact spread, knowing the sample already confirmed it. Because we hold no minimums, that single approval step costs almost nothing and removes the one risk that turns a good order into a re-run. For the broader picture of how tee sizes line up across every blank we carry, keep our t-shirt size chart guide open in the next tab.

Why we lean on Gildan for so many orders

I have spent the last few years sizing and printing more Gildan 5000 tees than any other blank, and the reason is simple: it is the piece that almost never causes a problem. The sizing is predictable, the cotton holds a print, and the price per unit lets a school or a small business put a logo on a whole team without blowing the budget. When a customer is nervous about a first order, I tell them to start with a Gildan tee, because if anything is going to fit and print the way they expect, it is this one.

The mistakes I see are almost always avoidable. Someone orders by label instead of measuring, or skips the fit set and guesses the spread. The chart and the single-sample approach in this guide are exactly how we keep those from happening. Get the measurement right once, approve a real sample, and the team run takes care of itself.

How to order custom Gildan tees with Arklavo

To order, send your logo and rough sizes, approve a proof and a single sample, then place the full run, all with no minimum and free shipping over 150 dollars. We print the Gildan 5000 in screen print, direct-to-garment, and heat transfer, and we ship most orders in about two days. New customers can use code FIRST15 for 15 percent off a first order.

Start by browsing the custom apparel collection to pick your blank and color, or send us your design for a quote and a proof on the real Gildan tee. If you want to compare the heavier garment-dyed route, the Comfort Colors collection sits right alongside. Either way, we will confirm the fit before anything goes to print.

Gildan size chart FAQ

Sources

1. S&S Activewear, Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt specification: ssactivewear.com/p/gildan/5000
2. Kerr's Cotton, Gildan T-Shirt Size Chart (manufacturer's sizing, adult and 5000B youth): kerrscotton.com
3. Gildan, official 5000 Adult T-Shirt product page: gildan.com