Next Level vs True Classic Tees: Is the Retail Brand Worth More?

February 25, 2026 6 min read By Cameron Wells

Quick Answer

True Classic is a direct-to-consumer retail brand; Next Level is a wholesale blank brand meant to be printed with your own design.
Fabric feel between the two is often compared as similar in the fitted-tee category, but True Classic sells finished branded shirts, not blanks.
Printing your own design on a Next Level blank lets you build your own brand instead of reselling someone else's.
Bear Grips Pro Shops prints Next Level styles with your logo, no minimum order, and you keep the full margin.

Table of Contents

Different business models
Comparison table
Build your own brand instead
Frequently Asked Questions

True Classic built a large following as a direct-to-consumer fitted t-shirt brand, and the comparison to Next Level comes up because both are known for a similarly close, athletic-leaning fit. The comparison is not quite apples to apples though: True Classic sells you a finished shirt with their branding, while Next Level is a wholesale blank meant to carry your logo. Here is how to think about the difference.

Two Different Products, Not Just Two Brands

Buying a True Classic shirt gets you their brand, their sizing, their finished product, sold at their retail price. Printing on a Next Level blank gets you a similar fitted-tee category of fabric, but with your own logo and your own brand built on top, sold at whatever price you choose.

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

Next Level (as a printable blank) vs True Classic (as a finished brand)

	Next Level (blank, printed by you)	True Classic (finished branded shirt)
Whose brand is on it	Yours	True Classic's
Can you print your logo	Yes	No
Who sets the retail price	You	True Classic
Fit category	Fitted, athletic-leaning	Fitted, athletic-leaning

Build Your Own Brand Instead of Reselling Theirs

If what appeals to you about True Classic is the fitted, modern feel, a Next Level tee printed with your own logo through Bear Grips Pro Shops gets you into a similar fit category while building your own brand equity instead of promoting someone else's. You keep the full margin on every sale, and your customers remember your name, not a brand you resold.

Build Your Own Brand on Next Level Blanks

Print your logo on a Next Level tee, set your own price, keep the margin.

Start Free

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy True Classic shirts and resell them with my logo?

True Classic shirts come pre-branded with their own labeling. For a shirt built to carry your own logo from the start, a wholesale blank like Next Level printed through Bear Grips Pro Shops is the direct path.

Is Next Level fabric similar to True Classic?

Both are generally known for a fitted, athletic-leaning cut, though the exact fabric composition differs by specific product.

Why print on a blank instead of buying a finished branded shirt?

Printing your own design on a blank means you build your own brand, set your own price, and keep the full margin, rather than promoting another company's name.

Cameron WellsCustom Apparel and POD Industry Writer

Cameron has been writing about the custom apparel and print on demand industry for seven years, with a background in e-commerce operations. He covers platform comparisons, no-minimum vendors, and what is changing for small custom merch businesses.