How to number shirts so they last.

July 26, 2007 5:37 PM

Okay, lets put our Macgyver gloves on and help me figure out how to number uniform shirts for the long haul.

I am trying to think of a way to number shirts so that the numbering stays through a number of washings. The shirts themselves are black and I would prefer to keep the numbering to the tags on the shirts or on the inside of them somewhere. I have been using "permanent" marker on the tags but the numbers always fade after a couple of washings and I am left trying to interpret a blur of text. One thing I thought of would be to use clear tape over the tag and clip off the overhanging edges but I wanted to see if there were any other creative suggestions out there. SO?

posted by occidental to clothing, beauty, & fashion (13 comments total)

Absolute best way is to embroider the tags... Well, best if you're good at embroidery, or know someone who is. (You might be able to get this done for you.)
posted by anaelith at 5:44 PM on July 26, 2007

When you say "permanent" marker, do you mean a sharpie, or a special fabric marker? I use a fabric marker on my daughter's clothes and it seems to stand up to repeated washings better than the sharpie does (it certainly blurs much less). The fabric markers are available at craft stores (e.g., AC Moore, Michaels, etc. in the US northeast); you write with it and then wait 24 hours or so before laundering it (as I recall; it comes with instructions).

You might also have some luck with iron-on something, or fabric paint, or something like that---ask people at a craft store or fabric store. And of course, if you're really frustrated, there's always learning embroidery.
posted by leahwrenn at 5:44 PM on July 26, 2007

Embroider the numbers on using white thread.

Or iron little numbers onto the tag.
posted by The World Famous at 5:46 PM on July 26, 2007

Take them to a little sew shop and get embroidered tags for them. If you shop around you should be able to find 'em for seriously a couple bucks per shirt.
posted by kavasa at 5:47 PM on July 26, 2007

If you're preparing these uniforms for someone else (family, friends, etc.) you want to put the number somewhere other than the tag, since many people remove tags because they cut their skin to shreds. Use the fabric-specific markers leahwrenn mentioned, but put the number on the inside of the waist, behind a pocket, or somewhere else that won't show.

Embroidery can be expensive and is usually stiff and contains sharp edges (from the interfacing used). Consider if you want something sharp and hard digging into the back of your (or whoever's) neck.
posted by watsondog at 5:52 PM on July 26, 2007

Are you numbering them in order to rotate them? If so, get some colored embroidery floss, and stitch an "X" on the tag of the shirt - do it in ROYGBIV order or something, and you'll always know if you take R off, O is next, or something like that.
posted by ersatzkat at 6:05 PM on July 26, 2007

When I've had multiple work shirts in the past, I went to the fabric store and found snaps or buttons to mark the different shirts, and added them to the shirttail right at the bottom. I got really lucky once and actually found small snaps (the kind you can put on with a cheap crimper) that were number 0-9...
posted by pupdog at 6:17 PM on July 26, 2007

Little roman numerals would be easy to embroider into the tags.
posted by Widepath at 6:19 PM on July 26, 2007

Find an inside seam that can't be seen. Then take a Q-tip and make dots with bleach on the seam up to the number you want for each shirt. Be careful not to use too much.
posted by jamjam at 6:28 PM on July 26, 2007

A fairly cheap easy way to do this would be get a twink pen (tippex, white out, correction fluid, hopefully one of these makes sense?) and draw small numbers on the inside of the shirt, preferably near the waistline or somewhere else non-obvious. It would fade and might make the material a bit weird just there, but it should remain legible for ages and you should be able to make the numbers small and unobtrusive. Roman numerals are a great idea and would be easy to read even if it's a bit messy or faded.

Proper fabric paint is awesome, the kind you iron on to set. My boyfriend has a 13+ year old shirt he painted up that still gets worn and washed and the paint looks great (the teeshirt not sop much these days). Sometimes it comes in a kind of paint pen I think. That could also be used to make the numbers, they would definitely last and the material shouldn't go stiff and weird. The main brand round here is Fas (I think) but there are a others too. However you'd need to go to a craft store to get it and it's not really cheap, whereas twink pens can be bought from a supermarket for little money.

I've always found that markings on the tag fade much faster than on the shirt material. I think it's too slippery and the ink can't set into the fibres, also the tag itself tends to shred over time. If you can sew on little cotton bias binding tags of your own (permanent marker sticks to that stuff well) or somehow write on the shirt itself, you should have better luck.
posted by shelleycat at 6:37 PM on July 26, 2007

I have things marked with laundry markers that I've had for 10 years. Number's still there, totally visible.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:26 PM on July 26, 2007

Embroidery would be the best.

What material are the tags? If they're nylon, you can cut notches into them and then pass the flame from a lighter over it to seal the ends.
posted by porpoise at 8:13 PM on July 26, 2007

How about a simple paper hole punch? The number of holes corresponds to the number of the shirt. Assuming the tags are large enough to accommodate several holes.
posted by TheAnswer at 11:43 AM on August 16, 2007