District Hoodies vs Port and Company Hoodies
By: ShirtsBargain Posted on: Dec 4, 2025Picking blank hoodies wholesale shouldn't feel like guesswork. Especially when different people expect different things from the hoodies they are buying in bulk. For example, team hoodies are typically expected to have performance features. Decorators want their hoodies to take prints well and deliver excellent comfort for wearers. Many organizations want hoodies that come in various sizes while fitting their budget.
District and Port & Company both deliver with their blank hooded sweatshirt offerings, but both brands do it differently. Let's break down what actually matters when you are choosing between District hoodies and Port and Company hoodies.
Brand Overview: District vs Port & Company Hoodies
District specializes in fashion-forward apparel, including retail merchandise pieces. Their hoodie lineup mostly leans towards modern cuts and contemporary styling. This is evident in many of their styles, like the District DT6100 V.I.T. Fleece Hoodie and the DM139 Perfect Tri Long Sleeve Hoodie, which are brand top-sellers in ShirtsBargain. District hoodies work well for wearers who want their outfit to keep them comfortable and look good anywhere. Like most brands under SanMar Corporation, District offers clothing that can take customization really well. Most styles feature tear-away labels and ring-spun cotton faces, making them excellent choices for screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG), and embroidery. Color selections are rather wide - often 25+ options per style.
Port & Company, arguably the more popular brand of the two, offers hoodies in all their major sweatshirt lineups, including:
- Performance Fleece
- Core Fleece
- Essential Fleece
- Fan Favorite Fleece
Think of any purpose, and the brand will have a hoodie for the same. For example, the PC590H pullover with moisture-wicking for teams, the PC78H mid-weight year-round style, tie-dyed hoodie styles like the PC146, and even the budget-friendly 50/50 cotton-poly PC90H hoodie - you name it, they have it.
This is why Port & Company hoodies show up in nearly every blank apparel catalog and are often compared with Gildan. The brand isn’t known for just their blank sweatshirts and hoodies either.
Port & Company t-shirts also lead in the wholesale apparel market, with iconic styles like the PC54.
Which Brand Offers The Better Kind of Fabric
The most popular fabric choice when it comes to hoodies is cotton-polyester blend, particularly the 50/50 split, which typically offers a good balance between softness and durability, provided the fabric is of good quality. A hoodie with more cotton in its fabric blend feels softer but is more prone to shrinkage. If the polyester content is higher, the hoodie will be more durable and less prone to shrinkage. Cotton-poly blends work for most climates and activity levels.
Both District and Port & Company offer cotton-polyester blend hoodies of excellent fabric and construction quality. The latter offers a wider range of color options, however.
You also have to consider the performance vs. comfort trade-offs at some point. A Port & Company 100% polyester hoodie, like the PC590H performance fleece, may be good at moisture wicking and for light warmups, but it can feel slick compared to cotton blends. Sure, high-grade polyester can be breathable, but it can’t compare to the breathability of cotton. Port & Company might have a slight edge on cotton-poly hoodie styles. But District hit the sweet spot with their tri-blend hoodie, like the super soft DM139 Perfect Tri and the Perfect Tri DT355 French Terry Hoodie. The rayon adds drape and softness. These work great for fan gear or team merch that people actually wear.
When it comes to fabric weight, both brands offer lightweight and midweight options with specific styles that work year-round.
District vs. Port & Company: Customizability of Blank Hoodies
Customizability is something both brands excel in, with every hooded sweatshirt style offered by the two being very decoration-friendly. You just have to choose the right fabric for the decoration you have in mind. With more color options and budget-friendliness, Port & Company hoodies appeal better to buyers who want blanks for customizing. District offers trendier styles, a reasonable range of color options, modern cuts, and superior comfort, but at higher price points typically.
While both brands offer excellent blank hoodies for customization, it's essential to understand the best practices for screen printing on hoodies, embroidering hoodies, heat transferring, and DTG printing to ensure your designs look professional and last through countless washes. Our custom apparel guide can get you started on the right track. For further guidance, you can also contact our friendly Customization Team.
Use Cases: Matching Hoodies to Purpose
- Game Day and Sideline Wear: Both brands offer styles that could be great picks for game day. Players will find the Port & Company's performance fleece really good for pre-game warmups and sideline wear. For teams that want a more polished look during travel or team events, District hoodies offer better style options.
- Training and Practice Gear: Some of our customers use hoodies from both District and Port & Company as training gear. From the feedback we gathered from them, District hoodies last longer, though Port & Company is still a decent option for teams with budget constraints. We recommend hoodies with higher polyester content for practice and lightweight hoodies for active training.
- Team Merch and Fan Apparel: When selling hoodies to fans, parents, or alumni, comfort and style trump pure performance. This is where District shines with their tri-blend and cotton-heavy hoodies. These sell better as merchandise currently, as people actually wear them outside of team contexts. The softer hand feel and better drape matter more when hoodies compete with retail options. Port & Company's core fleece is preferred more for budget-friendly team stores or fundraising sales. The lower price point of these hoodies promises better margins or more affordable options for families.
When District Makes Sense
Choose District when fashion matters as much as function. If your team prioritizes modern aesthetics, wants hoodies that double as streetwear, or needs standout merch for retail sales, District delivers.
When Port & Company Wins
Pick Port & Company for straightforward comfort and value. If your priority is budget-conscious bulk ordering, wider color varieties, or reliable availability, Port & Company checks those boxes. Their performance fleece line genuinely performs, and their core fleece offers solid quality at competitive prices. For teams ordering large quantities (100+ pieces) or needing to reorder throughout a season, Port & Company hoodies wholesale won’t disappoint.
OR you can go for both.
Use Port & Company performance fleece for practice and warmups where function dominates. Get District hoodies for team travel, fan gear, or special occasions where appearance matters more.
Ordering Tips for Buyers
- Always order samples before placing bulk orders. Check the actual fit as sizing can vary between brands and styles
- Test decoration methods on your chosen hoodie style
- Account for size distribution, as not everyone wears medium or large
- Order from ShirtsBargain during seasonal sales to get blank hoodies at the absolute best wholesale prices
- Plan for lead times as custom decorated hoodies from ShirtsBargain typically need 7-14 business days from artwork approval to delivery. Add more time during peak seasons (back-to-school, holidays). If you need hoodies for a specific event, start the process at least 4-6 weeks out.
At ShirtsBargain, we offer decoration services on both District and Port & Company blank hoodies. We specialize in embroidery and DTG.
Bottom Line
District brings style and variety. Port & Company delivers comfort, variety, and value. Both brands produce quality hoodies that work for teams, clubs, and organizations. And the best styles from both brands have the lowest wholesale pricing in ShirtsBargain. Base your choice on whether you prefer a fashion-forward appearance or straightforward functionality, premium positioning, or budget optimization.
But you don’t have to overthink it either. Both brands make solid hoodies. They also lead in the wholesale t-shirt segment. And there are other brands in our collection, like Gildan, that offer budget-friendly blanks, and Next Level Apparel, which offers quality comparable to and often exceeding District. We can help you with samples and test decorations to make things easier. If you need something more than hoodies from either of these brands, you can find the right style from our wholesale apparel collection. Both these brands also offer widely praised t-shirts.
Ready to explore a range of competitively-priced blank apparel from District and Port & Company in ShirtsBargain? Let us set you up with the best deals on wholesale blank apparel and bulk apparel decoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are District and Port & Company hoodies pre-shrunk?
Not all styles are pre-shrunk. We recommend checking the product details on product pages.
Are cotton-poly blend hoodies from District and Port & Company suitable for DTG printing?
DTG works best on 100% cotton hoodies or hoodies with higher cotton content in their fabric blend. We recommend going for cotton-poly blend hoodies with more cotton content (ideally more than 70% cotton) for good results. DTF can provide better results on blends, generally.
Will hoodies from District or Port & Company shrink?
Cotton, being a natural fiber, is prone to shrinkage. But these brands are reputed for excellent construction quality, which minimizes the shrinkage of cotton significantly. Still, to get the best out of your District or Port & Company hoodie with cotton in the fabric, we suggest washing in cold water only and air drying. For specific instructions, you can check the garment’s care label.
Are tear-away labels important for customization?
They are important only if you want to relabel the garment.
What’s the minimum order for blank hoodies in ShirtsBargain?
There is none. ShirtsBargain has no minimums. You can order one or many dozen blanks at low wholesale prices.
Can you embroider the hood of District hoodies?
Yes. But embroidering the hood requires expertise. ShirtsBargain specializes in apparel embroidery, and we recommend sturdy three-panel hoods for the best embroidery results.
What is the best color for screen printing hoodies?
Light colors. You can also screen print on dark colors, but this requires special inks, and the results may not always be the same as you expect, unlike on light colors.
Do District and Port & Company offer moisture-wicking hoodies?
Yes. Both brands offer specific hoodie styles featuring moisture-wicking and quick-drying traits.
Can I mix different hoodie styles from any brand in one order?
Yes. You can add any color, any style, and any size from any brand within the same order. Bulk discounts, if any, will be automatically applied for each style and size for each brand.
Do District and Port & Company hoodies come in youth sizes?
Some styles do. Port & Company is known for offering several variants of their top sweatshirt styles, including youth sizes and tall sizes.
Can hoodies take customizations in multiple areas?
Yes. The blank hoodies from leading brands you will find in ShirtsBargain can be customizations at multiple locations. We have done customizations on the sleeves, back, front, and hood.