Wholesale & Private Label Guides

Branded apparel is one of the few company gifts people keep using long after the party. If you are planning custom hoodies for employee holiday gifts, the order itself is simple; the timing is what needs the most care. This guide walks an office manager, HR lead or owner through the schedule, the garment, the logo and the sizes, starting from the day you want to hand them out.

When should you order custom hoodies for employee holiday gifts?

Start with the date the hoodies need to be in people's hands, whether that is the holiday party, the last working day before the break or a round of client visits. Then count backward through each stage. Every stage depends on the one before it, so a delay early on pushes everything after it.

1. Hand-out date. Fix it first and put it in your quote request, so the schedule is planned around it.
2. Shipping and buffer. US addresses ship duties paid, and the delivery method is agreed in the quote. Leave a buffer for busy holiday carriers and for sorting boxes when they arrive.
3. Production. Textile turnaround is 2–4 weeks, and production starts only after your written approval.
4. Sample approval. A sample is made before every new style, and any sample fee is shown in the quote. Allow time to try it on, check the logo placement and ask for a change if needed.
5. Artwork and sizes. Finalize the logo file, colors and size counts before you approve the sample, so the order you sign off is the order that gets made.

Written out this way, the plan usually shows that the real deadline is not in December. It is the day you approve the sample.

Why is October the right time to start?

Early October gives you room for every stage above, plus one round of changes if the first sample needs it. It also lets you run a size survey before vacations and year-end deadlines slow down replies.

Starting later is possible, but any fix to the artwork or sample then comes straight out of your buffer, and decorators and carriers get busier as the holidays approach.

Which garments make good staff holiday gifts?

Hoodies suit most people, offices and weather, but they are not the only option:

• Hoodies, pullover or zip, as the main gift for a mixed team.
• Sweatsuits or joggers paired with the hoodie, for a fuller set that feels more like a present.
• Warm-up suits for sports-minded teams and company events.
• Bomber and coach jackets as a step up for managers or long-serving staff.
• Polos and tees when you also want something people can wear at work events.
• Knitwear and socks as add-ons or a lighter second item.

Keep in mind that the minimum applies per style, so a hoodie plus joggers counts as two styles. One well-made style often lands better than two average ones.

Embroidery or print: what suits a corporate logo?

Embroidery looks polished and holds up well through washing, which is why many companies choose it for a small chest logo on a gift. Printing handles larger artwork, fine detail and gradients more easily. Here is how the main methods compare:

For a clean corporate look, a flat-embroidered chest logo with a larger print or chain-stitch wordmark on the back or sleeve is a common pairing. Whatever you choose, the logo and artwork must be owned or authorized by your company. Send the cleanest file you have, ideally vector, so it can be digitized for stitching or separated for print. If your office is in metro Atlanta, you can also drop off a reference garment or sample in person.

How do color and wash change the gift feel?

Fabric finish is often what stops a hoodie feeling like a uniform. Garment dye colors the hoodie after it is sewn, which gives a softer hand and a slightly lived-in tone. An enzyme wash softens the surface further, while acid and stone washes add a faded, vintage look that suits creative teams.

For color, the program offers 40 core colors plus Pantone matching, so the body, thread or ink can follow your brand guide. Neutral bodies such as black, gray, navy or oatmeal are easy to wear outside work, and the brand color can then go into the logo itself.

How do you collect sizes from staff without guesswork?

Size collection is the step most likely to stall an order. A simple process keeps it moving:

• Share the size chart with chest and length measurements, and suggest people compare it with a hoodie they already own.
• Use a short survey. If you will hand out from stacks sorted by size, keep it anonymous; if each gift will be bagged by name, keep the answers private to one organizer.
• Set a firm reply date well before sample approval, and assign a default size for anyone who does not answer.
• Order a few extras in the middle sizes for new hires, late replies and exchanges.

What if your team is smaller than 50 people?

Textile orders start from 50 pieces per style. If your staff list is shorter, there are practical ways to reach it:

• Combine staff and client gifts in the same style, with the same logo.
• Choose one style rather than splitting the budget across two.
• Add spares for people who join during the year, or for events and trade shows.

For a handful of standout pieces, genuine leather is another route, with lower minimums, as covered below.

How do you make a hoodie feel like a gift, not a uniform?

Presentation does a lot of the work. Private label details that suit a holiday gift include:

• A woven neck label with your company name in place of a standard label.
• Hang tags carrying a short thank-you note or the year.
• Names on the sleeve or back, in embroidery or vinyl.
• Garment bags or boxes, so each piece arrives ready to hand over.

Ask for these in the same quote as the garments, so the packaging is planned with production rather than added at the end.

What about leather gifts for senior staff or key clients?

Some companies add a few standout gifts for leadership or key clients, and genuine leather works well here. For a few individual pieces, fully custom leather jackets are quoted from $199 to $499 and can carry your logo, embroidered or embossed. For a group, leather orders start at 10 pieces per style, sizes mixed as needed.

Classic shapes make dependable gifts: browse men's leather bomber jackets or leather vests for ideas, and our leather jacket gift guide has more on choosing a jacket for someone else. Leather lead time is confirmed in writing with the quote, so raise it at the start rather than in December.

FAQ

How early should we order holiday hoodies for staff?

Early October is a comfortable start for a December hand-out. Textile turnaround is 2–4 weeks once the sample is approved in writing, and you also need time for sizes, artwork, the sample itself and shipping.

What is the minimum order for custom hoodies?

Textile orders start from 50 pieces per style. A smaller team can reach that by combining staff and client gifts in one style. Genuine leather orders start from 10 pieces per style.

Can you match our brand colors?

Yes. Choose from 40 core colors or ask for Pantone matching for your brand colors, then confirm the result on the sample before production starts.

Are duties included when the order ships?

Orders to US addresses ship duties paid. For other destinations, freight, duties and taxes are agreed up front in the quote, since rules vary.

Custom hoodies for employee holiday gifts are easy to get right when the schedule starts from the hand-out date and the details are settled early. Share your logo, headcount and date through our custom hoodies and team apparel program, and we will help you plan it from there.