Blank outerwear: buyer's guide

A jacket order has to work in two places: on the person in the weather, and under your press or needle. A sideline jacket for a fall season, a staff soft shell, and a lined work coat for a winter crew are all outerwear. They suit different temperatures and take a logo in different ways. So choose the layer for the climate first, then choose the decoration the fabric can carry.

Which styles does this guide cover?

These twelve styles span different weights, fibers and jobs.

• Independent Trading Co. EXP54LWZ Lightweight Windbreaker Full-Zip. 2.5 oz, 100% polyester mesh, men's. Best for sublimation and heat-applied vinyl.
• Independent Trading Co. EXP54LWP Lightweight Quarter-Zip Windbreaker Pullover. 100% polyester mesh, unisex. Best for sublimation and vinyl, and it takes embroidery too.
• Holloway 229534 Packable Quarter-Zip Jacket. 2.5 oz, 100% polyester, men's. Best for sublimation and vinyl on a jacket that packs down.
• Team 365 TT73 Zone Protect Lightweight Jacket. 1.77 oz, 100% polyester, unisex. Best for sublimation and vinyl.
• Augusta Sportswear 3100 Coach's Jacket. 2.1 oz, 100% nylon, men's. Best for vinyl and DTF transfers.
• CORE365 CE702 Prevail Packable Puffer Vest. 1.2 oz, 100% polyester, men's. Best for sublimation and vinyl.
• Harriton M990 Full-Zip Fleece. 7.9 oz, 100% polyester fleece, men's. Best for embroidery.
• Harriton M990W Full-Zip Fleece. 7.9 oz, 100% polyester fleece, women's. Best for embroidery.
• CORE365 CE708 Techno Lite Three-Layer Knit Tech-Shell. 8 oz, 100% polyester interlock, men's. Best for embroidery, sublimation and vinyl.
• Team 365 TT80 Leader Soft Shell Jacket. 9 oz, 96% polyester / 4% spandex, men's. Best for embroidery, sublimation and vinyl.
• DRI DUCK 5350 Motion Soft Shell Jacket. 10 oz, 100% polyester, men's. Best for embroidery.
• DRI DUCK 5020 Cheyenne Boulder Cloth Hooded Jacket. 12 oz, oversized fit, hooded, with a quilted tricot lining, men's. Best for embroidery.

How warm does the jacket need to be?

Go by fabric weight: it's the plainest guide to warmth on a shell or a fleece, and this list falls into three bands.

• 1.77–2.5 oz: windbreakers, packables and the coach's jacket. Use them for wind and cool mornings, or over a hoodie.
• About 8–10 oz: the Harriton fleeces, the CE708 and both soft shells. Use them as the main jacket for fall and mild winters.
• 12 oz: the DRI DUCK 5020. Use it for crews who work outside when it turns cold.

The light band is very light. At 2.5 oz, the EXP54LWZ is a light layer for cool mornings and windy fields. When it gets colder, it goes over a hoodie.

The DRI DUCK 5020 sits on its own. It adds a hood and a quilted lining, and the oversized cut leaves room for layers underneath.

The CE702 puffer vest doesn't follow the weight bands. In a puffer, the fill does the warming, so its 1.2 oz fabric weight doesn't tell you how warm it is. As a vest, it covers the core and leaves the arms free.

Shell, soft shell or fleece?

Each one feels different on the wearer. A light shell is thin fabric built to cut the wind and weigh little. A soft shell is heavier and has more body, so it reads more like a uniform piece. The TT80 adds 4% spandex, which gives it some stretch when the wearer reaches or swings.

Fleece is the soft, brushed option. The Harriton M990 and M990W come in men's and women's cuts of the same fabric, so a mixed staff order can match. If the job calls for that warmth without a zip front, a fleece pullover may fit better. See how to choose a blank pullover hoodie or the crewneck sweatshirt guide.

Can I embroider it?

Weight decides embroidery. Every style at 7.9 oz and up has the body to hold a stitched logo: both Harriton fleeces, the CE708, the TT80, the 5350 and the 5020.

Under 3 oz, embroidery gets harder, because thin fabric can pucker under a dense stitch. The EXP54LWP windbreaker takes embroidery more easily. On the lightest jackets, keep stitch counts low or switch to a transfer. If you're stitching a light shell anyway, our guide to the best blanks for embroidery covers stabilizer and density.

Can I sublimate it or use vinyl?

On the polyester styles, yes. They're polyester, so sublimation and heat-applied vinyl both go down cleanly. DTF transfers work on every style here. As a general rule, sublimation shows best on light colors.

The Augusta 3100 is the one to plan around. It's nylon, so sublimation isn't an option, but vinyl and DTF both work. Nylon generally wants a vinyl or adhesive made for nylon and a lower press temperature, so run a test press first.

Will screen print work?

It can, but on every style here it takes more care than a transfer or a stitch. On dark colors, polyester dye can bleed into light ink. A low-cure ink with a bleed-blocking underbase is the usual fix.

Which jacket fits which job?

For an embroidered staff jacket, start with the Team 365 TT80. At 9 oz it holds a left-chest logo without sag, and the spandex gives it stretch for people who move all day. It's 96% polyester, so it also takes sublimation and vinyl. You can add a name or number on the back and keep the same jacket.

For the other jobs:

• Race, school event or giveaway: Holloway 229534, which packs down, or Team 365 TT73, sublimated or with vinyl.
• Coaching staff on the sideline: Augusta 3100 with vinyl or DTF.
• Branded staff or corporate jacket: Team 365 TT80 or CORE365 CE708, embroidered.
• Matched men's and women's staff fleece: Harriton M990 and M990W.
• Outdoor crew in cold weather: DRI DUCK 5020.
• A layer over company polos: CORE365 CE702 vest with a transfer.