Embroidery on shirts: what works, what doesn't

The short answer

A smooth, mid-weight face is what the needle wants. Shirts with a tight weave and solid colour embroider cleanly; fleece, super-stretch and heavy textures fight the stitch.

What to check before you stitch

• Fabric weight — mid-weight holds a stitch without puckering.
• Colour contrast — the thread has to read against the garment.
• If the shirts is hi-vis, keep embroidery away from the reflective bands.

The shirts we'd start with

• Asquith & Fox Men’s cotton long sleeve Oxford shirt from £29.50
• Build Your Brand Checked flannel shirt from £29.00
• Build Your Brand Denim shirt from £33.00
• Craghoppers Expert Kiwi short-sleeved shirt from £31.50

The finish

We run embroidery in-house — send the garments, we'll quote the run. A standard chest logo is the sweet spot for cost per unit on bulk.