Getting custom team kit made in Lahore
What to specify when you get team shirts stitched in Lahore: fabric, printing, sizing and lead times, and the mistakes that ruin a kit.
· 5 min read
A team that plays together every week eventually wants a kit. In Lahore that is an easy thing to arrange and a surprisingly easy thing to get wrong — the shirts arrive a size out, the print cracks after four washes, or they turn up the day after the tournament.
Most of that is avoidable by being specific up front. Here is what to specify.
Fabric: match use, not print quality
The cheapest polyester takes a print beautifully and plays badly — it holds heat, it clings, and after a summer of tape-ball it smells permanent. What you want is a moisture-wicking knit with some weight to it. Ask what the fabric is, not just what it costs, and ask to feel a sample before committing a whole squad.
- Ask for a sample shirt before ordering the set. Every reputable outfit in Lahore will do this.
- Weight matters more than brand names. Very light fabric is cheap for a reason and goes see-through when wet.
- For cricket, consider that whites show everything. A slightly heavier fabric is worth it.
Printing: what actually survives
| Method | Holds up | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sublimation (dyed into the fabric) | Best — cannot crack or peel | Full-colour designs, numbers, whole-kit runs |
| Heat transfer / vinyl | Good if applied well, peels if not | Names and numbers added to existing shirts |
| Screen print | Good, stiffens over time | Simple one or two colour crests, larger runs |
If names and squad numbers are going on the back, decide before the shirts are made rather than after. Adding them later is a second job at a second price, and the alignment rarely matches across the set.
Sizing: the mistake that ruins the most kits
Do not collect sizes over WhatsApp as S / M / L. Sizing is not standard between suppliers in Lahore, and half your squad will guess. Get the actual size chart in inches from whoever is stitching, and have people measure a shirt they already own.
- 1Ask for the supplier's chest and length measurements in inches.
- 2Circulate those, not letter sizes, and collect a number per player.
- 3Order two or three spares in the most common size. Someone always joins, and someone always loses theirs.
Lead time: work backwards from a fixture
A custom set is typically a one-to-three week job in Lahore depending on quantity, printing method and how busy the season is. The failure mode is not a supplier being slow, it is a team ordering three days before a tournament and then being disappointed.
Agree the delivery date against your actual fixture, in writing, and build in a week of slack. If a supplier will not commit to a date, that is useful information.
A short checklist
- Sample shirt seen and approved
- Fabric confirmed, not just price
- Printing method agreed — sublimation for a full kit
- Sizes collected in inches from the supplier's own chart
- Names and numbers decided before stitching, not after
- Delivery date agreed against a fixture, with slack
- Two or three spares ordered
Floodlit cricket and football in Township, Lahore — Rs 2,500 an hour, one rate all night, open 4 PM to 3 AM every day.