Custom Big and Tall Apparel: A Complete Guide for Teams and Businesses

Big and tall is not one size problem, it is two. A tall customer needs extra body length. A big customer needs extra chest and waist width. A big and tall customer needs both, and most apparel programs are built around a single standard block that solves for neither. For a gym, a team, a company, or a fan group building its own merch shop, ignoring this segment means turning away paying customers or handing them a shirt that rides up at the waist. Here is what big and tall actually means in fit terms, what Bear Grips Pro Shops prints for it today, and how to set retail pricing that still leaves real profit on the larger sizes.

Big, Tall, and Big and Tall: The Difference That Actually Matters

Term	What changes	Who it fits
Tall	Extra body length, same chest and shoulder width as standard	Taller frames where a standard hem rides up to the waist
Big	Extra chest, waist, and shoulder width, standard body length	Broader builds where a standard chest size runs too tight
Big and tall	Extra width and extra length together	Taller, broader built customers standard sizing misses on both dimensions

Most big-box retailers only stock one or the other in a given style, which is why a shopper searching for big and tall so often lands on a page with just tall shirts or just wide-cut shirts, not both. A shop that is clear about which pieces solve which problem earns trust fast.

Why Big and Tall Sizing Gets Left Out of Team and Group Orders

The traditional path to team apparel is a bulk print order: pick one cut, guess a size run, commit to twenty-four or fifty pieces upfront. Extended sizes get dropped from that guess more often than any other size, because they sell in smaller numbers and a local print shop does not want unsold 3XL and 4XL stock sitting in a box. The result is a roster, a gym membership, or a fan base where the tallest and broadest built members either skip the order entirely or wear a substitute that does not match the group. Single-piece printing removes the guess. Every size prints on demand, so a shop can list the full range without carrying a single unit of inventory.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

What Bear Grips Pro Shops Prints for Big and Tall Customers

Piece	Brand	Fit note	VIP base
Premium Tall Tee	Hanes	Extra body length, cut specifically for taller frames	$25.88
Comfort Soft Hoodie	Bear Grips	Runs into extended sizes for broader builds	$36.88
Unisex Champion Performance Hoodie	Champion	Heavier weight, structured fit through the larger sizes	$45.88
Men's Premium Cotton Pique Polo	Gildan	Classic cut, extended range	$34.88
Men's Midweight Performance Joggers	Independent Trading Co.	Elastic waist and cuff, forgiving through the hip and thigh	$40.88
Athletic 7" Mesh Shorts	Sport-Tek	Elastic waistband, extended range	$26.88

The Hanes Premium Tall Tee is the one piece in the lineup built specifically for the tall dimension. Everything else in the table solves the big dimension by running a wider standard block through the larger sizes. See the full product lineup breakdown for the complete list, including hats and layering pieces.

Setting Up a Big and Tall Friendly Shop

1. Sign up for the free plan (3 live products) or Self-Service VIP at $59/mo for 200 live products with the lowest base prices.
2. Upload the logo as a transparent PNG.
3. List the Hanes Premium Tall Tee alongside a hoodie, a polo, and a jogger or short. Four pieces cover most of the extended-size demand.
4. Set retail prices using the same markup logic as the standard sizes. Extended sizes should not cost the customer more just because the base runs a few dollars higher.
5. Note the tall or extended fit directly in the product title so customers searching for that fit find it immediately.

Pricing Big and Tall Pieces Without Losing Margin

• The Hanes Premium Tall Tee runs a VIP base of $25.88, about $6 more than a standard tee at $19.88. A $28 to $32 retail price still leaves $2 to $6 of profit per unit.
• Hoodies and joggers carry a similar small step up in base price across extended sizes. Set one retail price for the whole size run rather than a separate higher price for 3XL and 4XL, most shop owners find customers respond badly to a size-based surcharge.
• The default recommended profit is $10 per item. On big and tall pieces this still holds, the base price gap is a few dollars, not the whole margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the actual difference between a tall shirt and a big shirt?

A tall shirt adds body length and keeps the same chest width as the matching standard size. A big shirt adds chest, shoulder, and waist width and keeps the standard body length. Big and tall combines both.

Does Bear Grips Pro Shops carry a shirt built specifically for tall frames?

Yes. The Hanes Premium Tall Tee is cut with extra body length for taller wearers. VIP base price is $25.88.

Do I have to order a minimum number of extended sizes to list them?

No. Single-piece printing means one 3XL prints the same way as a hundred mediums. There is no minimum order and no unsold inventory risk on any size.

Can I set one retail price across all sizes including extended ones?

Yes, and most shop owners recommend it. A flat retail price across the size range keeps the buying experience simple and avoids the appearance of a size surcharge.