Gildan vs Port & Company: Comparison of Fabrics, Price, Quality & Size Options

Some statistics show Gildan as the prime holder, about 80%, of the North American printwear market. Meanwhile, Port and Company from the SanMar Corporation has been consistently ranking among the top suppliers, generating millions in sales annually. This makes the comparison between the two brands a frequent topic among buyers looking for quality, price, and availability that match their business needs.

Founded in 1984 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Gildan grew into a global leader in blank apparel. With at least 26 production facilities across multiple countries, Gildan’s vertically integrated supply chain essentially allows the brand to control every stage of manufacturing, including yarn spinning and finishing. This enables Gildan to maintain consistent quality and remain very competitive in pricing. As a matter of fact, there aren’t many brands at a similar scale that can offer apparel at prices like Gildan can. A few styles from Gildan are among the bestsellers in our wholesale t-shirts and wholesale sweatshirts collection. 

Port & Company, a brand under SanMar Corporation, was launched in 1998. The brand was meant to offer apparel of exceptional value, and it’s continued to do it for decades now. Like Gildan, Port & Company also leads as a source of solid value blank t-shirts in the wholesale apparel industry. 

When it comes to variety, Gildan apparel offers a broad and versatile catalog that fits diverse needs while still keeping its promise of competitive pricing and quality. 

The most popular options in their collection include

They provide over 70 colors in some lines and a mix of adult, youth, and women's fits.

Port and Company wholesale apparel keeps it straightforward with focused lines like

Many of these styles, including Port and Company pullovers, come in a range of variants, including tall and youth sizes. The brand is particularly praised for the color palette, with several dozen color options for core styles. This makes Port & Company t-shirts really popular among wholesale buyers and is one of the biggest reasons why the Port & Company PC54 continues to receive positive reviews.

Gildan’s fabric options range widely, featuring:

Thanks to their control of cotton sourcing and yarn spinning facilities, Gildan achieves a high level of consistency across products.

Port & Company focuses on providing durable and comfortable fabric blends:

Port & Company continues to focus on fabrics suited for everyday wear, while still earning a reputation for offering some of the best blank apparel for printing and decorations at low prices. They also offer accessories. Port and Company hats at ShirtsBargain offer budget-friendly headwear that makes high-value promotional tools.

Gildan’s production facilities and vertically integrated manufacturing allow them to keep their prices very competitive, no matter where you buy blank Gildan products from. In ShirtsBargain, Gildan products are competitively priced, with many popular styles offered at exceptionally low prices. Gildan t-shirts for adults go as low as $2.15 per piece, and sweatshirts are available for as low as $7.06 per piece in ShirtsBargain.

You can’t name a lot of wholesale apparel brands like Port & Company that offer low-priced but high-value clothing consistently. While Gildan also has premium options that command mid- to reasonably high prices, Port & Company mostly keeps the prices low on all its styles compared to similar styles from other brands. Port and Company t-shirts go as low as $2.09 per piece for adults, $9.38 per piece for Port and Company polo shirts, and $6.77 for sweatshirts.

Gildan is widely praised for its quality consistency. Styles like the Gildan 2000 are known for enduring repeated wash cycles while maintaining shape and durability, even with their low price tag. They perform excellently across all decoration methods, including screen printing, heat transfer, and embroidery.

Port & Company delivers good quality for the price. Some industry feedback notes occasional construction inconsistencies, like uneven collars or slight sizing variations, in about 1 in 100 garments, but this is balanced by their value pricing. Their shirts generally hold up well for screen printing and feature tear-away labels for easy rebranding.

Choosing between Gildan and Port & Company comes down to your wholesale apparel priorities. If you want consistent quality with an extensive product range at reasonable prices, Gildan leads. For those focused on domestic convenience, comfortable styles, and value-priced blanks, Port & Company delivers solid options.

At ShirtsBargain, we offer both brands to fit the diverse needs of wholesale apparel buyers in the United States. Both Gildan and Port & Company continue to be trusted names in blank apparel, backed by decades of manufacturing and distribution expertise. And if you want more, you can explore excellent alternatives like District and Sport-Tek for top-quality clothing. Explore their collections with us and find the perfect match for your business needs.