What Sizes Should I Order My Bar/Bat Mitzvah Hoodies, Tee Shirts or Other Giveaways In?

May 19, 2011 - PRLog -- One of the most common questions Don Kramer of Trans-Trade Promotions (800-509-0038) receives from bnei mitzvah customers is, “What size or sizes should I order when it comes to my party give-a-ways?”

The vast majority of those receiving a party favor from a Bar/Bat Mitzvah are about the same age as the honoree, and sizing is mostly the same. Unless a customer goes through their list, knows all those attending, and assigns a size to each, you will be very accurate with 75-80% of those receiving party favors all getting the same size.

When it comes to T-shirts and sweatshirts, Kramer recommends adult size medium for most. It will be a little big, but especially in the case of hoodies, tweens love it big. Too often the adult small size will fit, but if the kids want to wear something underneath the hoodie, they will want a little more room than the size small will afford them.

If a client has 100 attendees that they are giving favors to, he suggests 10 small, 80 medium, 10 large. If you have younger children ages 4-11, you can then change your numbers to accommodate a few kid’s sizes, or if you need big sizes like XL, 2XL, or 3XL, you can add those in to your order as needed. Your vendor should be able to get as few as 1 piece a size (for the most popular items) if you need a special size for someone.

For bottoms like flannel pants, sweatpants, and shorts, use the same proportions, but with the majority in size small. While the partiers may vary in height, the biggest issue is the size of their waist, not their height. Manufacturers make pants long enough that height is rarely an issue. A medium sized pant or short is made for someone with a 32-34” waist. This is usually larger than most of the guests. Going with a breakdown of 10 youth large, 80 adult small, and 10 adult medium will usually do the trick. Again, you can change your breakdowns if you need for younger kids or some older guests who you are giving a favor to. Many products like basketball shorts, sweatpants, and flannel pants come with drawstrings, so if a guest receives a size that is 1 size larger than they should have, the drawstring can often make the product still wearable for the receiver.

When figuring your quantities, remember everyone that you want to give to and add 2-5 pieces to your total for just in case situations like last minute attendees or you’re your sister-in-law who begs you for one for herself. Don’t forget the guest of honor and any grownups you wanted to give a favor to like parents of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah honoree, Bubbie/Zaidie, Aunts/Uncles/Cousins. Going back to the printer can be an expensive problem if you need to print up 3 more pieces later on. Vendors and printers hate to do this because of the time involved. During busiest times (May-June and Sept-Nov) small reprints will not get priority, so sometimes it can take a while to get a few more pieces made up.

While sizing does vary between manufacturers, the differences are generally small. Always ask your vendor about the brand that they are using and if the sizing is commensurate with industry norms.

Do not worry yourself about the sizing. It is far easier than you think.