Alstyle T-Shirts: A Printer's Guide to the Alstyle 1301 and 1304

We print the Alstyle range alongside the rest of our custom printed t-shirts for brands, bands, businesses and events across the UK. Most of these orders are screen printed, which we recommend from 20 units per design, while smaller runs or full colour designs can be printed with DTG from 8, with a standard turnaround of six to seven business days from artwork approval.

In this guide

• About Alstyle Apparel
• Alstyle and American Apparel
• Alstyle 1301 Heavyweight Short Sleeve T-Shirt
• The 1304 Long Sleeve T-Shirt
• The Best Ways to Print Alstyle T-Shirts
• Tear-Away Labels and Relabelling for Your Own Brand
• Alstyle Compared With Other Blank T-Shirt Brands
• Who the 1301 and 1304 Suit Best
• Alstyle Printing Minimums, Turnaround and Price
• How to Order Your Printed Tees, From Quote to Delivery
• Alstyle T-Shirt FAQs

About Alstyle Apparel

Alstyle Apparel, which is often shortened to AAA, is an American maker of blank apparel with California heritage. That West Coast background shows in the range: relaxed fits, soft cotton and a colour palette that is geared towards sun faded and surf inspired shades which sit nicely alongside the core blacks, whites and navies.

What made Alstyle a printer's favourite was consistency. A batch of 1301 garments ordered this year prints and fits the same as a batch ordered last year or the year before, which matters when a brand is building a range or reordering a best seller. With their tear-away labels as standard it is easy to see why so many skateboarding and surf brands chose Alstyle as the base for their own collections.

In 2016 Alstyle joined the Gildan family of brands, moving it alongside some of the biggest names in blank clothing while keeping its own identity with its heavyweight, classic style.

We were one of the first printers in the UK to stock the Alstyle core t-shirt range, and the 1301 and 1304 are still very strong sellers.

Alstyle and American Apparel

If you have searched for the Alstyle 1301 recently, you will likely have seen it listed as the American Apparel 1301. Gildan also owns American Apparel, and since late 2023 it has been moving Alstyle styles, including the 1301 and 1304, under the American Apparel label.

The important part for anyone ordering or reordering is that the style numbers have not changed. The American Apparel 1301 Unisex Heavyweight Cotton Tee is the same heavyweight, tear-away label t-shirt the brand built its name on, so whichever label you see, we will make sure you get the garment you are looking for.

As it stands, some batches arrive with an Alstyle neck label and some with an American Apparel one, but the t-shirt itself is identical. And because the label tears away, it makes no difference to the finished garment once your own branding is stitched or printed in, as the brand is now essentially your own.

Alstyle 1301 Heavyweight Short Sleeve T-Shirt

The 1301 is the core of the range and the one most people are referring to when they talk about Alstyle t-shirts. It is a classic, relaxed fit tee in a 6oz cotton fabric, which converts at around 205gsm, so it has a satisfying weight without feeling stiff and wooden.

• Fabric. 100% cotton in most of the colours, with a small amount of polyester in the heather shades for a soft marl finish.
• Construction. A set-in rib collar, shoulder to shoulder taping and double needle stitching on the sleeves and hem, so it holds its shape wash after wash.
• Label. A tear-away neck label, ready for your own branding.
• Sizes. Small to XL, with 2XL available in black.
• Colours. Over 30 shades, from black, white and heather greys to burgundy, cream, sand, celadon, powder blue, mint and safety green.

Alstyle 1301 Colours

Colours on screen are a guide only, so ask us if you need to match a shade exactly.

The smooth, tightly knitted surface is what makes the 1301 a pleasure to print on. Screen printing ink sits flat and clean, fine lines stay crisp, and bold colours come out bright, especially when every ink is mixed to your Pantone references. Because it is cotton, the 1301 also takes direct to garment printing beautifully when a design has too many colours to screen print, or when you are looking for a smaller run.

Get an Alstyle quoteor call 0208 064 1315

The 1304 Long Sleeve T-Shirt

The 1304 is the long sleeve version of the 1301, made from the same heavyweight cotton with the same rib collar, taped shoulders and tear-away label, finished with ribbed cuffs and available in 25 colours. It is a great choice for autumn and winter merchandise, and for brands that are looking for a long sleeve to sit alongside a short sleeve tee in the same fabric and colour.

Alstyle 1304 Colours

Colours on screen are a guide only, so ask us if you need to match a shade exactly.

Long sleeves of course open up an extra print position. Not every printer has the equipment to print down the sleeve, but we do, with both screen printing and DTG, across a print area of up to 10cm wide by 38cm high. A logo on the chest, a large back print and a line of text running down the arm turn a simple long sleeve into a piece of real merch.

The Best Ways to Print Alstyle T-Shirts

Both styles work with every method we offer. The right one depends on your design, your quantity and the finish you are looking for.

Method	Best for	Minimum order
Screen printing	Bold designs in a few colours, larger runs and exact Pantone matching	20 units
Direct to garment	Full colour and photographic designs, and smaller runs	8 units
Direct to film	Full colour designs with bright colours on dark garments	8 units
Embroidery	Small chest logos with a premium, stitched finish	8 units

For something that really stands out, a raised puff print or an oversized jumbo print on the back both suit the heavier Alstyle fabric well. If you are not sure which way to go, our guide to DTF vs DTG printing explains the difference, and we will always recommend the method that gives your design the best result.

Tear-Away Labels and Relabelling for Your Own Brand

Tear-away labels have always been one of the main reasons clothing brands choose Alstyle. The neck label comes away neatly, leaving no irritating tag behind, so the t-shirt is ready to carry your brand instead of the manufacturer's.

We can add a printed neck label with your logo, size and care details, or stitch in a woven label, so the finished tee looks and feels like your own product. Our guide to t-shirt relabelling covers the options in more detail.

Alstyle Compared With Other Blank T-Shirt Brands

Alstyle strikes the perfect balance between price and performance: a heavier, classic American style tee at a price per unit that works for merch and larger print runs. If you are comparing it against other ranges we print, this is how they tend to compare.

Brand	Style	A good fit for
Alstyle	Classic, relaxed heavyweight cotton tee	Merch, bands, skate and surf brands, and larger runs
AS Colour	Modern, fashion led fits in premium fabrics	Clothing brands and retail ranges
Independent Trading Co	Heavyweight streetwear basics, best known for hoodies	Streetwear and premium merch
Stanley/Stella	Organic cotton with a sustainable focus	Eco conscious brands and businesses

For a wider look at the options, our round up of the best clothing brands to personalise compares weights, fits and print methods across the blanks we print most. If you want a boxier, drop shoulder shape, take a look at the best oversized t-shirts for screen printing.

Who the 1301 and 1304 Suit Best

• Clothing brands. A consistent heavyweight blank with a tear-away label is the ideal starting point for your own clothing range.
• Bands and artists. It is a classic merch stand tee, and our guide to t-shirt printing for bands covers the rest of your merch.
• Skate, surf and streetwear labels. The relaxed fit and California roots are exactly why so many board brands use it.
• Businesses and events. A durable, good value tee for staff, launches and events.

Alstyle Printing Minimums, Turnaround and Price

Screen printing is recommended from 20 units per design, and DTG, DTF and embroidery start at 8 units. The standard turnaround is six to seven business days from artwork approval, with express turnaround available when the date is tight. Every order is printed in house and sent out on tracked delivery anywhere in the UK. A dedicated Account Manager handles your order from start to finish, and 30/60 day credit terms are available for businesses.

The price per tee comes down to the quantity, the number of colours in a screen printed design, the number of print positions and the shirt colour, since a dark tee needs a white base layer under a screen print to keep the colours bright. A one or two colour front print on 50 or more 1301s is about as cost effective as custom t-shirts get, and our guide to keeping t-shirt printing costs low has more ways to bring the unit price down. Once your tees arrive, our wash care guide explains how to keep the print looking sharp.

How to Order Your Printed Tees, From Quote to Delivery

Four steps from first enquiry to delivered order, with one point of contact the whole way through.

Alstyle T-Shirt FAQs

What is Alstyle?

Alstyle, often spoken about as AAA, is a blank apparel brand that built its name on heavyweight cotton t-shirts with tear-away labels. It joined the Gildan family of brands in 2016 and has long been a favourite with screen printers, clothing brands and skate and surf labels.

Is Alstyle now American Apparel?

Partly. Since late 2023 Gildan has been moving Alstyle styles, including the 1301 and 1304, under the American Apparel label. The style numbers have stayed the same, so the 1301 is still the same heavyweight cotton tee whichever label it carries.

What weight is the Alstyle 1301 t-shirt?

The 1301 is a 6oz per square yard t-shirt, which works out at around 205gsm. Most colours are 100% cotton, with a touch of polyester in the heather shades.

How does the Alstyle 1301 fit?

The 1301 has a classic, relaxed fit with a set-in rib collar and taped shoulders. It runs true to size for a traditional t-shirt, and it comes in sizes from Small to XL, with 2XL available in black.

Which print method suits Alstyle t-shirts?

Screen printing will suit most designs, because the smooth, tightly knitted cotton gives the ink a clean, flat surface, so solid colours print really bright and fine detail stays crisp. For full colour or photographic artwork, or runs under 20, direct to garment printing works very well on the 100% cotton colours.

Can you print down the sleeve of the Alstyle 1304?

Yes. We screen print or direct to garment print down the sleeve of the 1304 long sleeve t-shirt, with a print area of up to 10cm wide by 38cm high.

What is the minimum order for custom printed Alstyle t-shirts?

Screen printing is recommended from 20 units per design, and direct to garment printing, DTF printing and embroidery start at 8 units. The standard turnaround is six to seven business days from artwork approval, with express turnaround available on request.

Should I choose Alstyle or AS Colour?

Choose Alstyle for a classic, heavyweight American style tee at a sensible price per unit. Choose AS Colour if you want a more modern, fashion led fit or a wider choice of premium cuts. We print both, and can send you the options side by side.

Please get in touch if there is something you don't see here. Email hello@1worldprint.co.uk or call us on 0208 064 1315.