Custom Made Polos: A Style Guide to Collars, Panels and Minimums

This guide compares our designs the way buyers do: by collar, by panel and by trim. Every style is a starting point, and every colour change shows on a free digital mockup before anything is cut. Keep our polo styles from 20 pieces and polo styles from 50 pieces open as you read.

What Are Custom Made Polos?

A custom made polo is built for your order from fabric to finished shirt, not a stock blank with a logo added. Ours are cut, sewn and embroidered in Vietnam by our own production team.

Because the body, collar, cuffs and panels are cut as separate pieces, we can sew them in your colours: a navy body with a sky blue collar, or a white yoke on a forest green shirt. Every one of our polo shirts made for a team is inspected before packing, and if a polo does not match the approved mockup, we remake it free.

Prefer to design your own colour scheme from a blank page? The Fully Custom Embroidered Polo is made for that, and our guide to fully custom polos covers the process. This post stays with our ready-made designs.

Our Polo Styles at a Glance

Our range falls into solid polos, contrast and striped collars, contrast panels, piping and shaped collars, and long sleeves. The table shows a live example of each family and the minimum per design.

All our custom embroidered polos come in sizes XS to 3XL and use the same fabric, so a front desk team in Heart Collar polos and a field team in Work Shoulder Block polos still look like one company. Minimums count per design: two different simple-collar styles means 20 of each.

Solid and Single-Colour Collars: The Easiest Start

A solid polo puts all the attention on your logo, and one contrast colour on the collar and cuffs adds a finished look without changing the minimum. Both start at 20 pieces per design.

The Solid Colors polo is the one we suggest when a team has never had a uniform: one body colour, your logo on the left chest, done. It is also the easiest to reorder for new hires, because there is only one colour to match.

The Contrast Tipped polo shows how far a single extra colour goes: a beige body with a chocolate brown collar and cuffs looks tailored at a reception desk. Note the name, though. "Tipped" in a product name does not decide the minimum. This collar is one solid colour, so it starts at 20. What counts is whether the collar carries separated stripes.

Most styles are short sleeve. For cold mornings, warehouses and outdoor work, the Long Sleeve Custom Embroidered polo and the Long Sleeve Work Polo use the same pique with cuffed sleeves, and both start at 20.

Tipped Polo Shirt or Striped Collar: Why Some Start at 50

Our production team makes collars with two or more separated stripes from 50 pieces per design, so every striped collar polo shirt starts at 50. A collar in one contrast colour, or one edge line plus a collar colour, stays at 20.

The Stripe Tipped polo, navy with red and white stripes around the collar, and the Classic Tipped polo, black with two white stripes, are the clearest examples. A striped tipped polo shirt looks sharp in a group photo and at a trade show, which is why clubs and event teams ask for it.

If your group is between 20 and 49 people and you love that look, you have two honest options: order 50 and keep the spares for new staff, or keep your colours and move to a single-colour collar, which brings the minimum back to 20. Our customer service team checks every collar against this rule when your quote request comes in.

Contrast Panels, Piping and Color Block Styles

Panels change the look, not the minimum. A shoulder, side, yoke or color block polo starts at 20 if its collar is plain or has one edge line, and at 50 if the collar has separated stripes.

Panels are where custom made polo shirts really differ from a blank. The Angular Panel polo sets a white angled panel across the shoulders of a red body, and the Work Shoulder Block polo puts white blocks on the shoulders of a navy shirt. Both keep a simple collar, so both start at 20.

A two tone polo shirt with a striped collar is a different case. The Two-Tone Panel polo, a white body with green raglan sleeves, and the Staff Side Panel polo both pair their panels with striped collars, so they start at 50. The shoulder panel, yoke and color block polo designs are listed with our styles from 50 pieces. Want a panel look at 20? Ask for the same panels with a plain collar.

Piping is the quietest detail: a thin contrast line along the shoulder. The Shoulder Piping polo starts at 20. The Heart Collar polo swaps the usual pointed collar for a shaped contrast collar, a softer look for a spa or boutique hotel front desk, and it starts at 20 too.

20 or 50 Pieces? Check the Collar

Count the separated stripes on the collar. None, or one edge line, means 20 pieces per design. Two or more separated stripes means 50. Body panels and piping do not change it.

Sizes can be mixed inside a minimum, so 20 polos can be five S, eight M, five L and two 2XL. Larger orders get volume pricing, and the per-piece price drops as the quantity rises. Not sure about a design? Check the collar in the product photos, or ask us.

Fewer Than 20? Our Sublimated Polo Starts at 1

For a group under 20, we suggest the Custom AOP Polo: your design is sublimated edge to edge on a polyester polo, from a single piece at $35.95, in men's and women's fits from S to 4XL.

Plenty of buyers search for embroidered polo shirts no minimum. We do not offer that: our embroidered polos are cut and sewn in batches that start at 20 per design. The Custom AOP Polo starts at 1 piece because the design is printed into the fabric. It can also print a striped collar, a color block or any panel as part of the artwork, so a crew of six can still have the look.

It is a different shirt: performance fabrics in 150, 170 or 230 GSM (the women's fit comes in 150 and 170), with the logo printed rather than stitched. Orders of more than 20 sublimated polos get a lower per-piece price. Our guide to embroidered vs sublimated polo shirts compares the two side by side.

Fabric, Sizes and Price for Every Style

All our embroidered polo shirts use the same CVC pique, 65% combed cotton and 35% polyester, in sizes XS to 3XL. Ready-made styles are listed from $29.95 and the Fully Custom polo from $34.95, with no setup fees.

These are list prices per polo and include your logo embroidered on the left chest, free file preparation, the digital mockup within 24 hours and unlimited revisions. Larger orders get volume pricing: send your style and quantity through our contact page for a quote.

Pique is the classic polo knit with a fine textured surface that gives embroidery a steady base. To pick the right size, have each person lay a polo they already like flat, measure across the chest below the armholes and compare it with the size chart on the product page. To keep the logo looking new, wash cold, inside out, and do not iron directly on the embroidery.

How to Order Custom Made Polos

Pick a style, check its minimum, send your logo, approve the free mockup, and your polos arrive 12 to 18 business days later. Ordering is made easy: you send what you have and our team builds the layout.

Step 1: Choose a style

Browse our styles from 20 pieces or from 50 pieces, or start from the Fully Custom polo and choose your own colours.

Step 2: Check the collar and your count

A plain or one-line collar starts at 20 pieces per design, a collar with two or more separated stripes at 50. Under 20 people, choose the sublimated polo from 1 piece.

Step 3: Send your logo and colours

Upload or email your logo with your body, collar and panel colours. Vector files work best, and a high-resolution PNG or JPG also works.

Step 4: Approve the free mockup

A digital mockup arrives within 24 hours. Revisions are free and unlimited until you approve.

Step 5: Production and delivery

We cut, sew and embroider your polos, inspect each one and deliver in 12 to 18 business days after approval, shipped worldwide with tracking.

Custom Made Polos FAQ

Quick answers to what buyers ask us most often when choosing a polo style.

What is the minimum order for custom made polos?

20 pieces per design for plain, single-colour and one-line collars, and 50 per design when the collar has two or more separated stripes. Sizes can be mixed within the minimum.

Why do striped collar polos start at 50 pieces?

Our production team makes collars with separated stripes from 50 pieces per design. Choose a single-colour collar and the same body and panels start at 20.

Can I order embroidered polos for fewer than 20 people?

No. Embroidered polos start at 20 pieces per design. For smaller groups, our sublimated Custom AOP Polo starts at 1 piece at $35.95.

What fabric are your custom made polo shirts?

A CVC pique of 65% combed cotton and 35% polyester. Every embroidered style uses the same fabric.

What sizes are available?

XS to 3XL for every embroidered style. The sublimated polo comes in S to 4XL in men's and women's fits.

How much do custom made polos cost?

Ready-made styles are listed from $29.95 (XS) to $41.95 (3XL), and the Fully Custom polo from $34.95 to $46.95. Larger orders get volume pricing, and there are no setup fees.

Can I change the colours of a ready-made style?

Yes. Body, collar, cuff and panel colours can be changed, and you see every change on a free digital mockup within 24 hours.

How long does delivery take?

12 to 18 business days after you approve the mockup, shipped worldwide with tracking.

What if the polos do not match the approved mockup?

We remake them at no cost under our remake-it-free guarantee. Just tell us within 14 days of delivery.

Fortera Apparel Team
forteraapparel.com | support@forteraapparel.com