Unisex Size Chart and Converter

Key Takeaways

• Enter your headcount and men's-to-women's split above to get a size run in seconds. Arklavo's long sleeve size run planner turns those two numbers into a starting quantity for every size, XS through 3XL, across our custom long sleeve shirts lineup.
• The split matters more than most buyers expect. A team that runs 70% men needs more L and XL long sleeves than an even split at the same headcount, because the men's size curve sits about one size heavier throughout.
• The breakdown below is an estimate, not a guarantee. It comes from common US adult apparel size-distribution patterns, not a measurement of your specific roster.
• Round up on the close calls, not down. A long sleeve shirt that is slightly big still gets worn on shift; one that is too small usually does not.
• Brand changes the math slightly. Gildan, Champion, Comfort Colors, and AS Colour long sleeve tees do not all fit or shrink the same way, and Champion has no women's printed option, so check the brand notes below before you lock in an order.

Plan a Long Sleeve Size Run for Your Team

Enter your total headcount and the men's-to-women's split above, and this planner scales the size breakdown below to your numbers. Arklavo built this tool because the question we hear most from business buyers is not "what size should I order," it is "how many of each size should I order," and that second question is much harder to guess right on a first team order.

The starting point is a standard US adult size curve for each gender, adjusted by your split. From there, edit the numbers toward your real crew, because your crew is never exactly the average, and the brand you pick changes the fit slightly too.

US Adult Size Distribution: The Starting Bell Curve

The chart below is an estimate built from common US adult apparel size-distribution patterns, not a survey of your team or a manufacturer's data set. Use it as a starting split, then adjust it toward the people you are actually ordering for.

Both curves peak in the middle sizes and taper at the ends, but the men's curve sits about one size heavier overall. That is why a 50/50 split team still needs more L and XL long sleeves than XS and S, even before you factor in your own crew's build.

Recommended Size Breakdown by Headcount

Multiply your headcount by the percentages above for each gender, then round up to the nearest whole shirt. The table below works the math for three common team sizes at a 50/50 men's-to-women's split, so you can see the pattern before you run your own numbers with your real split.

Rounding every size up instead of down bakes in a small natural buffer, 2 to 6 extra shirts across a full run in these examples, which is close to the safety margin the buffer guidance below recommends anyway.

Working example: a 40-person team, 60% men and 40% women

Take a 40-person team, 24 men and 16 women. Apply the men's percentages to 24: about 6 M, 7 L, 5 XL, 2 S, 2 2XL, 1 XS, 1 3XL. Apply the women's percentages to 16: about 5 M, 4 S, 4 L, 2 XL, 2 XS, and round the small 2XL and 3XL slices up to 1 each. Combine the two lists by size and you have your starting order before buffer stock.

How Gildan, Champion, Comfort Colors, and AS Colour Change the Plan

The percentages above are a generic starting curve. Which of Arklavo's four long sleeve brands you pick changes two things in practice: whether every size and gender combination is even available, and how much shrink buffer to build in after the first wash. All four are long sleeve tees only. Arklavo does not stock long sleeve polos, henleys, thermals, or performance fabric in this category, so the brand notes below cover the full catalog, alongside custom t-shirts made to order for shorter-sleeve needs on the same order. For more on getting the fit right across a mixed-gender team, read Long Sleeve Shirt Sizing and Fit for Team Orders.

Gildan

Gildan is piece-dyed before the shirt is cut and sewn, the most common construction method and the reason it is Arklavo's lowest-priced long sleeve at $17.99 printed and $33.99 embroidered. Piece-dyed cotton has slightly more shrink left in it than a garment-dyed shirt, so teams ordering Gildan on a tight fit should nudge borderline sizes up rather than down.

Champion

Champion sits at the top of the price band, $28.99 printed and $48.99 embroidered, and it is the one brand in the catalog without a women's printed option. Women's Champion long sleeves are embroidered only. A mixed-gender team that wants printing for everyone should plan around a different brand for the printed portion, or run embroidered Champion for the whole team.

Comfort Colors

Comfort Colors is garment-dyed after the shirt is already sewn, so most of the shrink a cotton shirt would otherwise do in the first wash has already happened at the factory. That makes the converted size a safer bet, with less need to round up for shrink, at $22.99 printed and $38.99 embroidered.

AS Colour

AS Colour is Arklavo's heavyweight option, $30.99 printed and $45.00 embroidered, with the heaviest fabric of the four brands. A heavier knit tends to hold its shape through washing better than a lightweight tee, so the standard curve above needs less shrink buffer for AS Colour than for a lighter piece-dyed shirt.

Buffer Stock: How Many Spares to Add

Add 5% to 10% buffer shirts on top of the planner's numbers, weighted toward M, L, and XL. Those sizes cover the widest range of body types, so they are the safest bet if you are not sure who a spare goes to. Arklavo has no minimum order, so padding a size run with a few extra mediums and larges costs little next to the price of a rushed correction order later.

Production takes 2 days once artwork is approved, and shipping then takes 2 to 5 business days. Build that window into your planning, especially for larger headcounts, because a size correction on a 50 or 100-person order means placing a second order and waiting through the same production and shipping cycle again.

How to Use This Planner on a Real Order

On long sleeve orders over 20 people, the recurring question is how many of each size to actually buy. Start from the standard bell curve above, round up on the close calls, and weight the buffer toward the middle sizes, because that is where a spare shirt is most likely to fit whoever needs it.

Team composition shifts the curve more than most buyers expect. If a roster runs young, skews heavily toward one gender, or works a physically active job, say so when you place the order and the split can be adjusted before anything goes into production.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is the size run planner?

It is a starting estimate built from common US adult apparel size-distribution patterns, not a measurement of your specific team. Teams with an older or younger average age, or a roster that leans heavily toward one body type, should adjust the percentages toward what they know about their own people before finalizing an order.

What if my team is not split 50/50 between men's and women's?

Enter your real split above. A team that runs 70% men needs more L, XL, and 2XL shirts than an even split at the same headcount, because the men's curve sits about one size heavier than the women's curve throughout the range.

Should I order extra shirts beyond the planner's numbers?

Yes. A 5% to 10% buffer weighted toward M, L, and XL covers most last-minute additions and sizing surprises. Arklavo has no minimum order, so a handful of spare shirts is a small add to the total cost of the run.

Do all four brands fit the same way?

No. Comfort Colors is pre-relaxed by its garment-dyeing process, Gildan and Champion are piece-dyed and may shrink a little more in the first wash, and AS Colour's heavyweight fabric tends to hold its size better than a lighter tee. Check the brand notes above before finalizing sizes on a tight-fit order.

Can I mix brands and sizes in one order?

Yes. Arklavo has no minimum order, so a team can order different brands for different departments or genders in the same run without a quantity penalty on either brand.

How fast can Arklavo turn around a large size run?

Production takes 2 days once artwork is approved, then shipping takes 2 to 5 business days. Arklavo ships globally, so plan your order date around that window no matter where your team is located.

Sources and Further Reading

• Size-distribution percentages above are Arklavo's estimate, built from common US adult apparel ordering patterns reported across the promotional-products and blank-apparel decorating industry, not a single published data set. Treat them as a starting split, not a fixed rule.
• Product prices, brand names, decoration methods, and gender coverage come from Arklavo's own published long sleeve catalog of 15 SKUs across Gildan, Champion, Comfort Colors, and AS Colour.
• Confidence caveat: every team's real size distribution varies by age, region, and job type. Use the planner as a starting order, order a sample set for runs over 20 people, and adjust the final numbers toward the people actually wearing the shirts.