{"id":3118,"date":"2026-04-29T16:14:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T20:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/?p=3118"},"modified":"2026-04-29T16:14:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T20:14:49","slug":"drop-your-t-shirt-size-isnt-harmless-rethinking-choice-in-branded-merch-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/drop-your-t-shirt-size-isnt-harmless-rethinking-choice-in-branded-merch-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDrop Your T-Shirt Size\u201d Isn\u2019t Harmless: Rethinking Choice in Branded Merch Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert<\/em>
\u201cDrop your t-shirt size.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one of the most common messages managers send when it\u2019s time to roll out company swag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sounds harmless. Easy. Efficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Asking for Sizes Is More Personal Than You Think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve normalized it, but asking someone for their clothing size in a work setting is\u2026 personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Why do we pretend it isn\u2019t?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sizing can bring up all kinds of feelings\u2014about body image, fit preferences, or even past experiences with ill-fitting corporate apparel. And when it\u2019s framed as a group ask, it often feels less like a choice and more like an expectation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where even well-intentioned branded merchandise programs start to go sideways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good Branded Merch Respects the Person Wearing It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best branded merch strategies aren\u2019t just about logos, design, or product quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re about respecting the individual experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because great swag isn\u2019t just something people receive\u2014it\u2019s something they choose to wear<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And choice is everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Problem With One-Size-Fits-All Swag Programs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When companies default to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Bulk ordering apparel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Collecting sizes via Slack or email<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Sending the same item to everyone<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    They\u2019re optimizing for logistics\u2014not people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The result?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Items that don\u2019t fit quite right<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Styles people wouldn\u2019t pick for themselves<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Pieces that never get worn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      And most importantly, a subtle shift from \u201cthis is a gift\u201d to \u201cthis feels mandatory.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Give People Control: The Better Way to Do Company Swag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      If you want your branded merchandise to actually land, give people options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Instead of asking for sizes, try this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Send employees to a curated company swag store<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Let them choose the item they actually want<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Let them pick their preferred fit and size<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Let them opt out entirely if merch isn\u2019t their thing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        A strong custom merch program gives people autonomy\u2014because that\u2019s what turns a branded item into something they genuinely enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Choice Turns Swag Into Something People Actually Wear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        When people choose their own merch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • They pick styles that match their taste<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • They select fits they feel comfortable in<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • They\u2019re more likely to wear it outside of work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          And that\u2019s the goal of any effective branded merchandise strategy:
          create swag that lives beyond the office.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Mandatory Fun Doesn\u2019t Work (and Never Has)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          The second you take choice away, you change the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          What could have been a thoughtful, brand-building moment starts to feel\u2026 weirdly required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          And nobody has ever felt good about mandatory fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The Future of Branded Merch Is Personal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          If you want your company swag to resonate, it has to feel intentional\u2014and optional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Because the best branded merchandise programs don\u2019t just distribute products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          They create experiences people actually want to be part of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          And it starts with something simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Let people choose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert\u201cDrop your t-shirt size.\u201d It\u2019s one of the most common messages managers send when it\u2019s time to roll out company swag. It sounds harmless. Easy. Efficient. But it\u2019s not. Why Asking for Sizes Is More Personal Than You Think We\u2019ve normalized it, but asking someone for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hide_page_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3118"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3120,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3118\/revisions\/3120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}