Do Gildan 5000 shirts run big or small?

They run true to the chart but boxy. The cut is straight through the body rather than tapered, so it reads larger than a fitted tee in the same nominal size. If your crowd expects a slimmer shape, size down or choose the Softstyle 64000 instead.

Is the chest measurement the shirt or the person?

Both are on this page and they are labelled. The garment table is the shirt laid flat, measured an inch below the armhole, so it is half the way round. The body table is the person, measured all the way around. Mixing the two is the most common way a bulk order goes wrong.

What is the difference between the Gildan 5000 and the 2000?

Weight and hand. The 2000 Ultra Cotton is 6.0 oz, the 5000 Heavy Cotton is 5.3 oz. The measurements are otherwise identical through the body, so the choice is about how substantial you want the shirt to feel, not about fit.

Does the Gildan 5000 shrink?

It is cotton, so expect some shrinkage in a hot wash and a hot dryer, mostly in the length rather than the width. Wash cold and tumble low where the fit matters.

Home Resources Size Charts GildanGildan 5000 Size Chart

Gildan 5000 Size Chart

Heavy Cotton™ 100% Cotton T-Shirt. Brands publish two different tables and call both a size chart, so both are below and each says which it is.

Garment measurements

The shirt itself, laid flat on a table. Chest is measured across, one inch below the armhole, so it is half the way round.

Size	Body length at back	Chest	Sleeve length from centre back
S	28"	18"	15 5/8"
M	29"	20"	17"
L	30"	22"	18 1/2"
XL	31"	24"	20"
2XL	32"	26"	21 1/2"
3XL	33"	28"	22 3/8"
4XL	34"	30"	23 5/8"
5XL	35"	32"	25"

Body length at back: Measured from high point shoulder to finished hem at back.
Chest: Measured across the chest one inch below armhole when laid flat.
Sleeve length from centre back: Measured from centre back neck to shoulder point to sleeve hem.

Body measurements

The person, not the shirt. Chest is measured all the way around the fullest part with the tape horizontal.

Size	Chest
S	36" – 37"
M	38" – 40"
L	42" – 44"
XL	46" – 48"
2XL	50" – 52"
3XL	54" – 56"
4XL	58" – 60"
5XL	62" – 64"

Chest: Measure under the arm and around the fullest part of the chest with arms down, keeping the tape horizontal.

Transcribed from the Gildan Heavy Cotton™ 5000 spec sheet, read September 16, 2026. Brands revise their specs; measure a sample before a large run.

Fabric and construction

5.3 oz, 100% US cotton
99/1 cotton/polyester in Ash; 90/10 in Sport Grey and the Antique colours; 50/50 in the Heather colours
Non-topstitched classic width rib collar, taped neck and shoulders
Classic fit, seamless body

What the numbers mean in practice

The two tables describe the same shirt. A size L is 22″ across the chest laid flat and fits a 42″–44″ chest on a person — the garment figure is half the way round, so doubling it and allowing for ease gets you the other one.

Body length is what decides whether a print sits where you drew it. A 5XL is seven inches longer than a small, so a design placed the same distance below the collar lands very differently at the two ends of a run.

This is Gildan's classic fit: straight through the body, not tapered. Someone used to a fashion-cut tee will read the same nominal size as large, which is the most common surprise on a mixed order.

The 47 colours we stock

A distributor carries a subset of what a mill offers, so this is our range rather than the brand’s full palette — 47 colours in S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL.

Antiq Irish Grn
Antque Cherry Rd
Ash Grey
Azalea
Black
Blackberry
Cardinal Red
Carolina Blue
Charcoal
Coral Silk
Daisy
Dark Chocolate
Dark Heather
Forest Green
Garnet
Gold
Graphite Heather
Heather Navy
Heather Sapphire
Heliconia
Indigo Blue
Irish Green
Kiwi
Light Blue
Light Pink
Lime
Maroon
Military Green
Natural
Navy
Old Gold
Orange
Purple
Red
Royal
Russet
Safety Green
Sand
Sapphire
Sky
SOrange
Sport Grey
Tennessee Orange
TOrange
Violet
White
Yellow Haze

From our catalogue export of September 15, 2026. Colours come and go; the store is the live answer.

Common questions

Do Gildan 5000 shirts run big or small?: They run true to the chart but boxy. The cut is straight through the body rather than tapered, so it reads larger than a fitted tee in the same nominal size. If your crowd expects a slimmer shape, size down or choose the Softstyle 64000 instead.
Is the chest measurement the shirt or the person?: Both are on this page and they are labelled. The garment table is the shirt laid flat, measured an inch below the armhole, so it is half the way round. The body table is the person, measured all the way around. Mixing the two is the most common way a bulk order goes wrong.
What is the difference between the Gildan 5000 and the 2000?: Weight and hand. The 2000 Ultra Cotton is 6.0 oz, the 5000 Heavy Cotton is 5.3 oz. The measurements are otherwise identical through the body, so the choice is about how substantial you want the shirt to feel, not about fit.
Does the Gildan 5000 shrink?: It is cotton, so expect some shrinkage in a hot wash and a hot dryer, mostly in the length rather than the width. Wash cold and tumble low where the fit matters.