Team Clothing for Trade Shows: Polo Shirts, T-Shirts and Aprons with Logo
A guide to putting together team clothing for a trade show: polo shirts or T-shirts, embroidery or DTF, how many sets you need for three days, sizing, lead times and ballpark prices.
Team clothing for a trade show basically means 2 sets per staff member for a three-day event: a polo shirt from £5.27/pc (Monzha 150 g/m²) or a T-shirt, plus an apron if the stand includes tasting or treatments. Printing — embroidery on the chest (up to 90×90 mm) or DTF transfer; production takes 4–7 business days depending on quantity, so it's best to place the order at least 3 weeks before the event. We also work with orders of just 1 piece, but the unit price drops from around 100 pcs.
Polo shirt or T-shirt: what to choose for your stand
A polo shirt still looks tidy after eight hours on your feet and works better for conversations with buyers, procurement managers and partners. A T-shirt is cheaper, allows a larger print on the front and back (up to 280×210 mm) and suits teams that move around the stand — demonstrating equipment, handing out samples, working with visitor flow.
A practical solution for larger teams: polo shirts for the stand's sales staff, T-shirts for technical staff and the build-up day. Clothing gets dirty during build-up, and there's no point doing that in an £11 polo.
Material and weight
- 150 g/m² polyester (Monzha) — the lightest, breathable and doesn't crease, good for warm halls;
- 180–200 g/m² cotton (Helios, Star) — the universal option, holds its shape well;
- 220 g/m² cotton (Pegaso Premium, Estrella) — denser fabric, a more "premium" feel in photos.
Colours versus your stand design
Clothing should contrast with the stand background, not blend into it. If the stand wall is white or light grey, a navy or black polo makes the team stand out; if the background is dark, choose white or your brand's accent colour. The Star polo is available in 34 colours, the Calgary in 17, so you can usually match your corporate tone fairly closely.
The logo colour should also be decided before ordering. On dark fabric, a white or single-colour logo works more reliably than a full-colour gradient. If your logo is multicoloured, send a vector file (.ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg) — we'll adjust the tones and send you an artwork proof by email for approval.
Embroidery or DTF printing
| Garment type | Printing method | Min. quantity | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polo shirt | Chest embroidery up to 90×90 mm | 1 pc | 5–8 business days |
| Polo shirt | DTF transfer, full colour | 1 pc | 4–7 business days |
| T-shirt (large print) | Screen printing, 1–4 colours | 30 pcs | 6–10 business days |
| T-shirt (small batches) | DTF transfer | 1 pc | 3–5 business days |
| Hoodie, sweatshirt | Embroidery or DTF | 1 pc | 5–8 business days |
| Apron | DTF or screen printing | 1 pc / 30 pcs for screen printing | 4–8 business days |
| Cap | Embroidery | 10 pcs | 6–10 business days |
Embroidery on a polo is durable, looks solid and survives dozens of washes — it's the choice if the clothing will still be used after the trade show. DTF transfer suits full-colour logos, gradients and fine detail, and for small quantities (5–20 pcs) it's cheaper, as no embroidery program needs to be set up. Screen printing becomes cost-effective from 30–50 pcs with the same design.
Rough printing surcharge: DTF from around £3–5/pc for small batches, embroidery from around £4–7/pc depending on stitch count; screen printing has an additional set-up fee per colour. Prices exclude VAT; we calculate the exact amount once we see your logo and quantity — more on the technologies in our clothing printing section.
How many sets you need for a 3-day trade show
The calculation we recommend to clients:
- 2 sets per person for a three-day event (one to wear, one as backup);
- +2–3 spare shirts in sizes M, L, XL — there's always a colleague coming for just one day, or a spilled coffee;
- +1–2 sets for build-up day, if you're building the stand yourselves;
- aprons: 1 per tasting staff member + 2 spare, as these get dirty faster than shirts.
For a team of 6, that means roughly 14–16 polo shirts and 3–4 aprons — a quantity that only partly approaches the 100-pc price tier, so it's often logical to order a bit more and use the surplus at the next event.
Putting together your size breakdown
Start with a size list from the team, not an average split. Women's and men's cuts differ — Star, Calgary and Estrella all come in both men's and women's versions, which works better than "unisex for everyone". If you don't have a list, a safe breakdown for 15 shirts is: 1×S, 3×M, 5×L, 4×XL, 2×XXL. Keep in mind that the sports cut (Monzha) is narrower than a classic cotton polo.
Aprons for tastings and beauty treatments
At food and drink stands, an apron serves two purposes: it protects clothing and gives a second logo spot right at the visitor's eye level at the counter. Tastings usually call for a long apron with pockets; beauty and cosmetics stands tend to prefer a shorter, dark one where stains don't show. A logo on an apron works well centred or at the top of the pocket, sized 150–200 mm wide, printed via DTF or screen printing.
We put together aprons and workwear from our workwear category, and they're usually ordered together with polo shirts in one order so logo tones match across all items.
Examples from our catalogue
A few examples from our catalogue:
- Star 200 g/m² men's polo shirt – cotton, 34 colours, embroidery or DTF on the chest, from £5.81 at 1 pc and from £5.75 at 100 pcs.
- Star 200 g/m² women's polo shirt – the same colour and fabric in a women's cut, 34 colours, from £5.81 at 1 pc.
- Monzha 150 g/m² sports polo – polyester, 12 colours, breathable for warm halls, DTF printing, from £5.27 at 1 pc.
- Pegaso Premium 220 g/m² polo – dense cotton, 14 colours, looks great with embroidery, from £6.06 at 1 pc.
- Helios 180 g/m² polo – 8 colours, lightweight fabric for everyday stand work, from £8.01 at 1 pc.
- Calgary 200 g/m² men's polo and women's version – 17 colours, a smart cut, from £11.78 at 1 pc.
- Estrella 220 g/m² long-sleeve polo – 13 colours, suitable for autumn and winter events in cooler halls, from £8.67 at 1 pc.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead of the trade show should I order team clothing?
Ideally 3 weeks. Production with printing usually takes 4–7 business days depending on quantity, plus 2–3 days for delivery — 6–10 business days in total. You also need a buffer for artwork approval and possible size changes. We can take on rush jobs by arrangement.
Can I order just 5 polo shirts with a logo?
Yes. For polo shirts and T-shirts with DTF transfer or embroidery, the minimum is 1 pc. Screen printing becomes cost-effective from 30 pcs, and socks with a woven-in logo have a minimum of 100 pairs.
Embroidery or DTF printing — which is more durable?
Embroidery withstands more washes and looks more solid on polo shirts and caps. DTF reproduces full-colour logos and fine detail better, and is cheaper for small batches. If you plan to use the clothing for a year or more, we recommend chest embroidery on the left side, up to 90×90 mm.
What files do you need for logo printing?
Vector graphics — .ai, .eps, .pdf or .svg, in CMYK. If you only have a raster file, it needs to be at least 300 dpi at the actual print size. Before production, we send you an artwork proof, which needs to be approved by email.
Can you combine polo shirts, T-shirts and aprons in one order?
Yes, and it's actually recommended — in one order we can better control logo size and colour tones across all items, and the printing set-up fee is only charged once per design.
How much does a set for a team of 10 cost?
Roughly: 20 polo shirts from around £5.75–11.00/pc plus printing from around £3–7/pc and a set-up fee. Prices exclude VAT; you'll see the exact amount in the quote, which lists the price, print location and lead time for each item.
Send us your team's size list and logo to info@attaprint.lv or call or WhatsApp us at +371 25776699 — we'll prepare a quote with product images, prices and lead times within one business day, and on request also a 3D preview showing your logo on the chosen polo shirt.
FAQ
How far ahead of the trade show should I order team clothing?
Ideally 3 weeks. Production with printing usually takes 4–7 business days depending on quantity, plus 2–3 days for delivery — 6–10 business days in total. You also need a buffer for artwork approval and possible size changes. We can take on rush jobs by arrangement.
Can I order just 5 polo shirts with a logo?
Yes. For polo shirts and T-shirts with DTF transfer or embroidery, the minimum is 1 pc. Screen printing becomes cost-effective from 30 pcs, and socks with a woven-in logo have a minimum of 100 pairs.
Embroidery or DTF printing — which is more durable?
Embroidery withstands more washes and looks more solid on polo shirts and caps. DTF reproduces full-colour logos and fine detail better and is cheaper for small batches. For long-term use, we recommend chest embroidery on the left side, up to 90×90 mm.
What files do you need for logo printing?
Vector graphics — .ai, .eps, .pdf or .svg, in CMYK. If you only have a raster file, it needs to be at least 300 dpi at the actual print size. Before production, we send you an artwork proof, which needs to be approved by email.
Can you combine polo shirts, T-shirts and aprons in one order?
Yes, and it's actually recommended — in one order we can better control logo size and colour tones across all items, and the printing set-up fee is only charged once per design.
How much does a set for a team of 10 cost?
Roughly: 20 polo shirts from around £5.75–11.00/pc plus printing from around £3–7/pc and a set-up fee. Prices exclude VAT; the exact amount depends on quantity and printing method.
