Does Next Level Apparel Run True to Size? A Size Chart and Fit Guide for Decorators and Bulk Orders

If a client has ever asked whether Next Level Apparel runs small, that question is worth answering before the purchase order goes in, not after the shirts land on your dock.

Next Level builds a more fitted, retail-inspired silhouette than traditional blank apparel brands, and that shows up differently depending on the style, the fabric, and whether the run is unisex, women's, or youth.

This guide walks through the Next Level Apparel size chart style by style so you can quote a job, plan a size run, and answer the sizing question with confidence, whether the buyer is a corporate client, a school, or a retail account.

Next Level runs about half a size to one full size narrower through the chest and body than traditional brands like Gildan. That comes down to design intent: Next Level builds a modern, retail-fitted cut, while brands like Gildan use a boxier, roomier block.

For men's and unisex styles, that means the shirts run true to their labeled size, just with a contemporary, closer fit. When a client is used to a looser tee from another blank supplier, sizing up one solves it. The garment isn't flawed, the cut is just different.

Every Next Level size chart lists two core numbers: body length and body width (sometimes labeled chest).

Body width is measured flat, side seam to side seam or fold to fold, so double that number to get the actual chest circumference. A size Medium listed at 20 inches wide, for example, works out to roughly a 40-inch chest measurement around the body.

Here's what makes the chart easier to apply when you're quoting a job or planning a run:

The Next Level 3600 is the brand's signature 100% combed ring-spun cotton crew and the style most buyers picture when they think of a Next Level tee. It carries a slim, retail-fitted cut that runs true to its labeled size for a modern silhouette.

Because it's 100% cotton, expect a small amount of shrinkage after the first wash, generally a few percent in length and width. If a size falls right on the line between two options on the chart, sizing up gives the fabric room to settle.

The Next Level 6210 shares the same cut and size range as the 3600, so the fit guidance is identical. What changes is the fabric: a 60% cotton, 40% polyester CVC blend that adds a softer hand, a heathered look in most colors, and less shrinkage than straight cotton because the polyester content stabilizes the fabric.

If a client likes the 3600's fit but wants a shirt that holds its shape wash after wash, recommend the 6210. Same size, different fabric.

Tri-blend styles combine polyester, cotton, and rayon, which produces a noticeably lighter, softer, more drapey fabric than either the straight cotton or CVC options. The cut runs slightly slimmer and the fabric has more stretch and recovery, so a true-to-size order in tri-blend often fits closer to the body than the same size in the 3600.

Tri-blend also runs more heat-sensitive during decoration, so if you print or press these yourself, keep temperatures on the lower end of the recommended range to protect the fit and the fabric.

Women's fit falls into two different categories on Next Level's chart, and mixing them up is the most common ordering mistake on group and corporate orders.

Unisex styles worn by women are cut on men's proportions: longer in the body and narrower through the hip than a women's-specific cut. When you're sizing a unisex style for a female end wearer who wants a standard, non-oversized fit, recommend sizing down one from her usual women's size.

Ladies' fitted styles, like the 1510, 3900, or the 6710 tri-blend, use an entirely different block, cut to a women's silhouette with a shaped waist. These can run noticeably smaller through the body than a unisex tee in the same labeled size. Depending on how loose or fitted the finished look needs to be, sizing her up one to two sizes from her usual women's size is a safer starting point than matching her unisex size.

Watch the 6710 in particular. It shares a fabric family with the unisex 6010, so it reads like a tri-blend substitute on a purchase order, but it's cut on the women's block. Quoting it against unisex tri-blend quantities is an easy way to end up with a run that doesn't fit the program.

Youth styles are scaled proportionally from the adult block rather than built on a separate fit model, so they run true to size for the labeled age or size range. The same rule applies: check body width and length against the specific youth style's chart rather than assuming it matches the adult version at a smaller scale.

Fit isn't only a comfort question when the shirt is going under a print or an embroidery machine. A slimmer, more contoured cut changes where a design sits on the body and how much flat print area is available compared to a boxier blank. Keep these in mind when you're building a quote or a production plan:

Fitted. The poly-cotton-rayon blend drapes closer to the body and has more give than the 3600 or 6210, so it sits slimmer and more contoured at the same labeled size. If an end wearer or client wants a roomier feel, recommend the tri-blend one size up from what they'd order in the standard cotton crew.

The cut is the same. The Next Level 6210 (CVC) and Next Level 3600 (100% cotton) share identical size charts and the same slim, retail-fitted silhouette, so no sizing adjustment is needed when switching a client between them.

Where they differ is how the fabric behaves over time:

Base the recommendation on hand feel and print surface instead of fit.

A single-shirt sizing question turns into a bigger risk once it's multiplied across a fifty, two hundred, or two thousand unit run. These five steps keep a bulk or decorated order from turning into a reprint:

This question comes up on nearly every quote. A short, accurate answer holds up better than reassurance alone: Next Level runs true to its labeled size for a slimmer, more fitted cut than boxier blank brands. 

If the client or their end wearers are used to a roomier tee, recommend sizing up one. For a women's program, clarify up front whether the order is unisex or ladies' fitted, since that changes the sizing recommendation entirely. Pointing to the side-by-side fit table below is often the fastest way to settle the question in a client meeting or an email thread.

True to its labeled size, with a narrower cut through the chest and body than a Gildan-style block. Size up one for any wearer expecting a roomier tee.

Fitted. The 6010 sits closer to the body than the 3600 or 6210 at the same labeled size. Order one size up when the client wants a relaxed look, and note that the 6710 is the women's tri-blend rather than a unisex option.

None. The 6210 and 3600 use the same block and the same chart, so a client can move between them without changing the size run. Only fabric behavior changes.

Confirm the fit family first, since unisex, ladies' fitted, and youth sit on different blocks. Order a sample in the most common size, measure it flat, then add a one-up and one-down buffer per bulk size.

Getting a size run right the first time protects the margin on the job and the relationship with the client. Before the next order goes to production, pull the exact size chart and spec sheet for the style in the 2026 Next Level Apparel Catalog, or use the Distributor Locator to confirm which supplier near you carries the size run and fabric blend the job needs.