Polo Shirts

Buying Embroidered Polo Shirts: A Practical Guide

How to choose the right polo shirt for your team

The polo shirt has done more for branded workwear than any other garment. It sits in the sweet spot between formal and casual — smart enough for client-facing roles, comfortable enough for an 8-hour shift, and forgiving enough to fit anyone. After 20 years of embroidering them in Haverhill, three factors decide whether a polo lasts five seasons or five washes: fabric weight, fabric blend, and how the placket is constructed.

Weight is measured in grams per square metre (gsm). Anything under 180gsm is a budget tee in disguise — fine for promotional giveaways, not workwear. The reliable workwear weight is 200–220gsm. Heavier polos (240gsm+) feel more premium but trap heat in summer.

Blend determines comfort and longevity. Pure cotton breathes well but shrinks and fades. 65/35 polycotton (the most common workwear blend) holds colour, resists shrinking, and takes embroidery cleanly. Premium 100% polyester wicking polos (Cool Plus, Performance) are right for hot kitchens and outdoor crews but show embroidery thread less crisply.

Placket construction is the cheap-versus-good tell. A flat reinforced placket with bar tacks at the bottom won't curl after washing. A single-fold no-bar-tack placket will be hanging off by month six. Look at the inside of the placket before you commit to 50 of them.

Embroidery vs print on polos

Embroidery is always our recommendation for polos. The collar gives the garment a structured, smart look — and embroidery completes that look. Stitching sits proud of the fabric, doesn't crack or peel in the wash, and survives the lifetime of the polo (typically 60+ washes). Heat transfer print on a polo can look budget after 20–30 washes, especially around the edges. Screen printing isn't cost-effective below ~30 pieces.

The exception: very small or extremely detailed logos that don't digitise well, where transfer print produces a cleaner result. We'll tell you honestly when that's the case — we'd rather you got the right product than the most expensive one.

Realistic price ranges

Trade price for a 200gsm polycotton polo with a left-chest embroidered logo (up to 8,000 stitches) sits between £6.99 and £11.99 depending on brand and quantity. Below that, you're looking at lightweight promotional fabric. Above £15 and you're into premium brands — Kustom Kit, Henbury, Premier — built for harder wear or smarter applications.

Logo digitisation (the one-time cost of converting your logo into stitch code) is free with us. Some suppliers charge £15–£35 for this; it's a sleeper fee worth checking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andy Smith, founder of Xcel Print and Promotions — embroidering and printing workwear in Haverhill, Suffolk since 2004. Read more about us.