Since 2006 I have been in the garment and textile printing industry customizing apparel for all occasions and creating a streetwear brand. Most streetwear brand use "blanks" for their clothing brands and my course is no different. There are many hoodie blanks on the market and choosing the best one is definitely no walk in the park. First you have to determine the functionality you are looking for as well as price point that you want to stay in. Prices for blank hoodies range from as low as $4.00 on the low end and up to $10.00 or more on the higher end of the market. The blank apparel brands that are most commonly used for west coast streetwear brands are Gildan, Next Level, American Apparel, AAA Alstyle, Pro-Club, Pro-5, Cotton Heritage and many more. I personally like to use the company Cotton Heritage for it's quality and color consistancy along with loose fitting functionality. You have to keep in mind the different material blends. Most blank hoodies have a cotton to polyester ratio indicated on the tag itself and some not, so you have to be mindful to know this important detail. The blank hoodies with more polyester than cotton are usually stretchier and exhibit more shrinkage after the first initial wash. The blank hoodies with more cotton than polyester will have less stretch but longer lasting quality compared to the latter. The most common cotton/polyester material blends that are the best for screen printing and heat transfer vinyl are: 80/20, 65/35, 50/50, although results will vary depending on your needs and printing process. The best place to scout these brands are in the Fashion District in Los Angeles, California and there are also lots of screen printing and garment supply companies in this district and is definitely where I would recommend anyone looking for a blank apparel supplier for their clothing brand or custom printing shop. So overall quality and price, my choice would be the 80/20 blend for a premium quality product.
