How to Order Custom Club Swimwear: A Guide for Committees

If you've just been handed the teamwear job at your club, this is for you.

It usually lands on one person — often the same person who does the canteen roster — and it comes with no handover, no template and a season that starts sooner than anyone admits.

The good news is that you don't need to know anything about swimwear manufacturing to get it right. You need a clear timeline, accurate sizing and one person keeping the decisions moving.

We've been making custom swimwear for surf clubs, swimming clubs, swim schools and private schools since 2003. Here's how the process works, what to prepare and how to make your next club order as straightforward as possible.

Start further out than feels necessary

Custom swimwear involves more than manufacturing time. You'll need time for design, approvals, collecting sizes, confirming the final order and production.

Once your design is approved and sizes are locked in, production usually takes four to six weeks.

Working backwards from your first meet or the start of the season, a realistic timeline is:

Your club swimwear timeline

10–15 weeks before
Get in touch, discuss what you need and request a quote.

8–12 weeks before
Work through the design, garment options and artwork.

6–8 weeks before
Approve the final design and organise your squad sizing.

4–6 weeks before
Finalise quantities and sizes, then production begins.

Season starts
Your finished teamwear arrives and you're ready to go.

The stage that most often takes longer than expected isn't production. It's collecting sizes.

Chasing forty families for measurements is genuinely harder than making forty suits, so give yourself plenty of time. A month for collecting and confirming sizes is much more realistic than trying to do it in a fortnight.

Practical rule: if you want suits for the start of summer season, start the conversation before the previous season ends. Planning ahead gives you more time to get the details right and avoids unnecessary express freight.

Work out what you're actually ordering

Clubs often start with “we need new suits” and discover halfway through that they actually need several different things.

Sorting this out before requesting a quote makes the whole process easier.

Core competition kit

Race suits for women, jammers or racers for men, in your club colours and design.

This is usually the non-negotiable part of the order.

Training gear

Training suits are often made from a hard-wearing chlorine-resistant fabric and may use a simpler version of the competition design.

It's worth considering training and competition suits separately because training gear gets used much more frequently and may need replacing more often.

Caps

Custom swim caps are a simple, high-visibility way to bring your club branding together.

They're also one of the easiest pieces of teamwear to add to an existing order.

Apparel

Tees, hoodies, parkas and bags can be added to your club range.

You may choose to order apparel separately, but let your supplier know if it's coming so your colours and artwork work consistently across the whole range.

Junior sizing

If you have a junior squad, decide early whether they're getting the same design.

Children's sizing has its own considerations, particularly when you're ordering several months before the season begins.

Sublimation or screen printing?

Both are useful, but they suit different jobs.

Sublimation

Sublimation puts the design into the fabric itself. The dye becomes part of the fibre, so it won't crack or peel and it handles full-coverage patterns, gradients and detailed artwork without adding weight or stiffness.

It's the right choice for:

• Full-coverage club designs

• Complex artwork

• Gradients

• Multiple colours

• Designs that cover the whole garment

Screen printing

Screen printing applies ink to the surface of the garment.

It's well suited to a simple logo on a plain suit — for example, a club crest on the hip or a name across the back.

It's generally best for:

• Simple logos

• Fewer colours

• Plain garments

• Smaller areas of branding

If you're not sure which method is right for your club, describe what you want and we'll recommend the best option.

A club crest on a plain navy suit and a full-coverage geometric design are very different manufacturing jobs, so the right method can change the price and finish.

The design process — and what to send

You don't need a graphic designer on the committee.

Our in-house artists can build a custom club design from scratch, or work from an existing concept.

The more information you can provide at the beginning, the smoother the design process will be.

Your logo or crest

A vector file is ideal:

• .ai

• .eps

• .svg

• .pdf

If all you have is a JPG pulled from your website, that's okay. Tell us early. It can usually be redrawn, but allowing time for this will keep the project moving.

Your club colours

If you know your Pantone references, send them through.

“Our blue” can mean a lot of different blues, so the more specific you can be, the better.

Previous kit

Photos of your current or previous teamwear are useful — particularly if there are elements you love or definitely don't want to repeat.

Association requirements

Tell us about any association or affiliation requirements early.

Some organisations have rules around logo placement, sponsor panels or required markings.

One decision-maker

This is one of the simplest ways to keep a project moving.

Nominate one person to collect feedback and approve the design rather than sending every revision to the entire committee.

You can absolutely get input from the group. Just let one person bring that feedback together.

You'll receive artwork proofs to approve before anything is made.

Check the spelling of your club name on the final proof. Then check it again.

Sizing a squad — the part worth getting right

Getting the sizing right is one of the most important parts of a custom order.

Unlike a design revision, you can't change a garment once it has been manufactured.

Don't collect dress sizes

A member's usual clothing size isn't a reliable guide for sports swimwear.

Swimwear is cut differently to everyday clothing, so we recommend collecting actual measurements or, even better, using a size kit.

A size kit contains physical samples that can be tried on by members before the final order is placed. It gives swimmers a much better idea of how the garment should feel and can save a lot of uncertainty when you're ordering for a whole squad.

Remember torso length

For one pieces, torso length is particularly important.

Someone who is long in the body may need a larger size even if their bust and hip measurements fall within a smaller size.

This is one of the easiest measurements to overlook, and one of the most important for getting a comfortable fit.

Allow for junior growth

A twelve-year-old measured in March may be a different size by September.

For junior squads, talk to families about allowing some room for growth, or consider whether a mid-season reorder might be appropriate for children who grow quickly.

Consider ordering spares

A small buffer of common sizes can be incredibly useful.

Spare suits can cover:

• New members joining mid-season

• Replacement garments

• Incorrect measurements

• Unexpected growth

It's often much easier and more cost-effective to have a few common sizes available than to arrange a small production run later.

Confirm the final order in writing

Before production begins, make sure you have one final record showing:

• Member name

• Garment

• Size

• Quantity

Have it signed off by whoever is responsible for the order.

Custom garments are made specifically for your club, so returns and exchanges work differently from standard retail purchases. Make sure you understand the custom-order policy before production begins.

Budget, minimums and payment

Don't assume your club is too small for custom teamwear.

Our minimums are designed to work for smaller clubs as well as larger squads, so ask rather than assume.

When you're getting a quote, it's worth asking about:

• Quantity breaks and whether pricing changes at certain order sizes

• Whether design and artwork costs are included

• Whether members can order individually against your club design

• Whether payment is made by the club or individual members

• Freight and whether delivery is to one location or split

• Lead time for repeat orders once your design is on file

Fabric: worth a moment's thought

For clubs training regularly in chlorinated pools, fabric choice can make a significant difference to how long teamwear lasts.

Our fabric is a recycled Italian yarn, regenerated from post-consumer waste including fishing nets, clothing and carpet. Its construction makes it 4.5 times more resistant to chlorine and sunscreen than standard swim fabric.

For a club, that's not just an environmental point — it's a budget one.

Suits that fade or lose their shape quickly become a recurring expense. When you're comparing quotes, it's worth asking what fabric each supplier uses and how it performs in chlorine.

The cheapest suit isn't necessarily the cheapest option if it needs replacing twice as often.

Five things that make club orders easier

1. Start early.
Allow around ten to fifteen weeks for the whole process, rather than only allowing for the four-to-six-week manufacturing window.

2. Use measurements or a size kit.
Don't rely on members' everyday clothing sizes.

3. Nominate one decision-maker.
Keep committee feedback organised through one person.

4. Consider a small buffer of common sizes.
It can make replacements and new-member orders much easier.

5. Ask about minimums.
Don't assume your club is too small. Send us your numbers and we'll tell you what's possible.

Ready to get your club started?

Send us a rough idea of what you need — your club name, approximate numbers, garments you're looking for and when you need them.

We'll come back with a quote and a realistic timeline.

We design, print, cut and sew everything at our Tweed Heads South studio. That means when something needs changing, we can change it.

We currently supply clubs and schools across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.

START YOUR CLUB ORDER →

Or email clubs@kozii.com to get the conversation started.

We'd love to hear what you're planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does custom club swimwear take?

Production usually takes four to six weeks once the design is approved and final sizes and quantities are confirmed.

For the complete process — including design, approvals and collecting sizes — allow around ten to fifteen weeks.

What's the minimum order for custom teamwear?

Our minimums are designed to be achievable for smaller clubs as well as larger squads.

Send us your approximate numbers and what you're looking for, and we'll confirm what's possible for your club.

Do we need a designer to create our club design?

No.

Our in-house artists can build the design for you. Send us your club logo or crest, your colours and any design ideas or requirements you have.

A vector logo is ideal, but if you only have a JPG, let us know and we'll advise you on the best way forward.

What's the difference between sublimation and screen printing?

Sublimation dyes the design into the fabric itself, so it won't crack or peel and is ideal for complex, full-coverage artwork.

Screen printing applies ink to the surface and is well suited to simpler logos and designs with fewer colours.

If you're unsure which is right for your club, we'll recommend the most suitable option based on your design and budget.

Can members order individually once we have a club design?

This depends on how your club order is set up.

If you'd like members to be able to order individually, mention it when requesting your quote. It can affect how payment, ordering and delivery are organised.

How do we size a whole squad?

We recommend using a size kit rather than asking members for their usual dress sizes.

Collect actual measurements, including torso length for one pieces, and allow for growth when sizing junior members.

A small buffer of common sizes can also make replacements and new-member orders much easier.