Ringer
Garment — one of 28 in the glossary
A t-shirt whose collar band and sleeve cuffs are knit in a contrasting colour to the body, a look borrowed from 1970s athletic wear and permanently in and out of fashion since. The contrast trim is part of the garment rather than an applied detail, so it cannot be recoloured. For a decorator the relevant part is colour coordination: the print has to work against both the body colour and the trim, and a design that runs wide will collide with a cuff. Ringers are usually cut closer than a basic tee, so size accordingly.
Contrast knitted in
A ringer has its collar band and sleeve cuffs knitted in a colour contrasting with the body. The trim is part of the garment, not applied afterwards.
The look comes from 1970s athletic and gym wear and has cycled in and out of fashion ever since.
Because it is knitted rather than printed or bound on, the trim colour cannot be changed. You choose from the combinations the mill makes.
Designing around two colours
Artwork has to work against the body colour and the trim colour at once, which narrows the palette more than people expect.
A design that runs wide will collide with a cuff, and a design that runs high will sit against the collar band.
The safest approach is a design that references one of the two colours deliberately, so the trim reads as part of the piece rather than as competition.
Fit
Ringers are usually cut closer than a basic tee, following the athletic styles they come from.
That means the size run behaves differently from a standard blank of the same nominal size.
Check the chart rather than assuming a ringer medium matches the same brand's basic medium.
Common questions
- What is a ringer t-shirt?
- One with the collar band and sleeve cuffs knitted in a colour contrasting with the body. The look comes from 1970s athletic wear.
- Can you change the trim colour on a ringer?
- No. The contrast is knitted into the garment rather than applied, so you choose from the combinations the mill produces.
- Do ringer tees run small?
- They are usually cut closer than a basic tee, following the athletic styles they derive from, so check the chart rather than assuming the same fit as a standard blank.
See also
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