For a bulk T-shirt size breakdown in Kenya, the useful starting point is a confirmed garment model and a list of actual wearers. A total quantity alone does not tell the printer which blanks to source, and a collection of familiar size letters does not prove that everyone will receive a comfortable fit.
This guide focuses on collecting, approving and checking sizes before branding begins. It is a practical companion to our bulk T-shirt ordering guide, which covers the broader production process. If your order is still being scoped, discuss the garment and branding requirements with Mocky's T-shirt printing team.
Choose the garment before asking for size letters
Ask the supplier to identify the exact blank shirt being quoted. Record the model or product reference, fabric, cut and available colours. If several garments are involved, such as a crew-neck event shirt and a staff polo, treat them as separate items even when they will carry the same logo.
Sending a message that says “please submit your usual size” leaves an important question unanswered: usual size in which garment? A participant may have chosen medium in a different brand, a looser cut or a sports shirt. Give people the chart for the proposed product and explain which measurements it uses.
Do not collect final confirmations against a sample that the supplier cannot actually source. If availability changes, pause approval and compare the replacement. A similar colour and the same printed size label are not enough to establish that the substitute matches the garment people tried on.
Separate body measurements from garment measurements
Read the chart labels before using the numbers. A body chest measurement and a shirt's flat chest width describe different things. Mixing them can produce an unsuitable order even when every number has been copied correctly into a spreadsheet.
Printful's product-specific sizing guide illustrates this distinction by separating flat product measurements, including half-chest width, from body measurements. It is an example of chart terminology, not the sizing chart for a Mocky order. Use the chart supplied for the actual garment you are buying.
Ask the supplier to explain any unclear diagram, tolerance or unit. Keep centimetres and inches clearly labelled. If you compare a shirt that already fits well, measure it using the same method as the proposed chart. Do not convert a flat width into a body-size recommendation without checking the supplier's fit guidance.
Use fitting samples where the order justifies them
A fitting sample helps people judge length, sleeve shape and comfort together. For a staff order, arrange a short fitting window and identify which sample corresponds to which product reference. People should be able to confirm a choice privately rather than announce their measurements to a group.
For remote teams, share the correct chart and a simple explanation of how to compare measurements. Offer a contact for questions. Do not ask a coordinator to guess sizes from photographs or descriptions of people's builds. If someone has not confirmed, mark the entry pending and explain the decision deadline.
Test the intended use as well as appearance. A person who will lift equipment or work over another layer may want a different fit from someone wearing the shirt at a seated reception. Let the wearer make that choice against the available garment rather than silently adjusting their selection.
Build one controlled allocation sheet
Use one current sheet as the production record. An illustrative set of columns is recipient reference, department, garment reference, colour, selected size, quantity, confirmation date and approval status. Add a personalisation column only when names or roles will be printed. Keep unnecessary personal information out of the supplier copy.
Distinguish a recipient list from a purchasing summary. The recipient list supports distribution; the purchasing summary totals garments by model, colour and size. Both should reconcile. If a staff member receives two shirts, record two garments rather than counting that person once in a quantity intended for production.
Assign one coordinator to consolidate corrections. Messages arriving through email, WhatsApp and a shared sheet can otherwise create conflicting versions. Give the approved file a clear version and date, and send a replacement file explicitly when a correction supersedes it. Avoid asking the supplier to combine several partial lists.
Work through an illustrative quantity check
Suppose an event has 24 confirmed wearers and each receives one shirt. An illustrative breakdown might be four small, eight medium, seven large and five extra-large garments. Those figures add to 24. They are an arithmetic example, not a recommended distribution for your own audience.
Now suppose two participants change from medium to large before approval. The revised counts become four small, six medium, nine large and five extra-large. The total remains 24. Checking only the grand total would miss the change, so compare the size subtotals as well as the final quantity.
If you add contingency garments, show them in a separate line or clearly marked allocation. Explain which sizes they cover and who authorised them. There is no universal spare percentage suitable for every event. Base the decision on registration uncertainty, confirmed needs, available stock and the budget you have approved.
Check artwork across the size range
Size approval and artwork approval are related but separate decisions. Ask whether a single decoration dimension will be used across every garment or whether smaller and larger items need separate versions. Include youth garments explicitly if the order contains them.
Request the proposed print width and placement in measurable terms. A logo that looks balanced on one sample may occupy a different proportion of another garment. Review the smallest relevant item as well as the main sample. Do not assume that approving an attractive digital mockup settles every placement question.
If different artwork sizes are required, record which garment sizes receive each version. Check that names and department labels remain readable and fit within the agreed placement. Keep those choices with the approved artwork so a production team does not have to reconstruct them from informal conversations.
Freeze the list and agree how changes are handled
Before production, reconcile the approved sheet with the supplier's order confirmation. Compare garment references, colours, size quantities, personalisation and the total. Ask about any unavailable items at this point. Do not let an unresolved size disappear into an unexplained overall quantity.
Agree a cutoff and a procedure for late changes. A request made after sourcing or branding may affect work already completed. Ask the supplier what can still change and request confirmation before treating the amendment as accepted. An edited spreadsheet by itself does not prove that production has received it.
Save the accepted version with the order. When distribution happens, use a separate issue record instead of overwriting the production list. This preserves the difference between what was ordered, what arrived and what each person collected, which is useful when resolving an apparent shortage.
Count delivery against the approved breakdown
Ask whether packing can be organised by size, department or recipient, depending on the order. On delivery, count garments by the same categories used in the approved summary. Check labels against the physical products rather than relying only on carton markings.
Set aside discrepancies before general distribution. Photograph the affected item and record the expected garment reference, size and quantity. A clear comparison is more useful than a message saying that some shirts look wrong. Preserve packaging information where it helps identify the relevant batch.
For future orders, keep the confirmed garment reference and chart with the artwork record. Recheck availability and measurements before a reorder. The older list is a useful starting point, but new wearers and product substitutions still need their own confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Can we use a standard percentage of small, medium and large?
Use confirmed choices whenever the wearers are known. For an open event where they are not, document the basis of your estimate and the uncertainty it leaves. A generic ratio cannot guarantee suitable sizes for your particular participants.
Should staff send their body measurements to the printer?
Usually the production summary needs the selected garment sizes and quantities. Collect only information necessary for the order, explain who will see it and avoid forwarding private measurements when a confirmed size selection is sufficient.
What if our chosen shirt is unavailable?
Request the replacement product reference, its chart and a sample where practical. Reconfirm affected choices before branding. Do not assume that a matching size letter means the replacement has the same fit.
What should we send for a quote?
Send the garment preference, colour, quantity, provisional or confirmed size breakdown, artwork and intended use to the T-shirt printing team. Clearly label estimates so they are not mistaken for an approved production list.
