Which Clothing Brands Are Actually Best for Promotional Apparel? (Honest Comparison)

If you’ve ever tried choosing branded clothing for your business, you’ve probably hit the same wall everyone does. They all look fine online

1. They all claim to be “premium.”
2. They’re all priced differently.

And yet once they arrive, some get worn weekly, others live in the back of a drawer, and a few don’t survive their third wash. After supplying thousands of tees, polos and hoodies across Australia, we’ve learned this the hard way: Brand choice matters more than people realise.

This is our honest, experience-based breakdown of the clothing brands we work with most at Cubic Promote — ranked not by hype, but by feel, fit, durability, colour availability and real-world outcomes.

How We’re Ranking These Brands (So You Know This Isn’t Guesswork)

Before we get into the list, here’s how we assess apparel internally: 

• Fabric feel (out of the box and after washing) 
• Fit consistency across sizes 
• Durability (how well it holds up after repeated washes) 
• Colour range availability 
• Value for money at scale 
• Customer feedback and reorder rates 

This applies equally to:

• T-shirts (Shop T-shirts here)
• Polo shirts (Shop Polo Shirts here)
• Hoodies (Shop Hoodies here)

Different garments, same performance patterns. 

Top Tier: AS Colour & Stormtech

These two brands sit at the top, but they get there via slightly different strengths. AS Colour is the benchmark for modern promotional apparel: 

• Premium fabric feel 
• Excellent drape and structure 
• Consistent sizing 
• Huge colour range 
• Garments people actually want to wear 

It’s the go-to when: 

• brand perception matters 
• Staff are client-facing 
• apparel is worn regularly, not just once 

Stormtech, on the other hand, shines in: 

• technical garments 
• premium hoodies and outerwear 
• structured fits 
• performance fabrics 

If AS Colour is “everyday premium,” Stormtech is “corporate performance premium.” 

Strong Corporate Performer: James Harvest 

James Harvest sits just below the top tier — not because it’s weak, but because it’s more traditional. The trade-off?  Slightly fewer colour options and less fashion-forward cuts. What it does well: 

• Clean, professional styling 
• Consistent quality 
• Strong polos and corporate pieces 
• Reliable sizing 

It’s ideal for: 

• corporate offices 
• conferences 
• sales teams 
• Organisations that want a polished look without going streetwear 

Dependable and Practical: Biz Collection (Fashion Biz) 

This brand quietly does a lot of heavy lifting. It’s not trying to be trendy — it’s trying to be dependable. And it succeeds. 

Strengths: 

• Reliable across large rollouts 
• Corporate-friendly cuts 
• Good consistency 
• Easy to reorder 

It’s commonly chosen by: 

• councils 
• education providers 
• service organisations 
• Teams need uniform consistency across locations 

Budget Workhorses: Winning Spirit & Identitee 

These brands are popular for one reason: value. They’re great when: 

• quantities are large 
• Budgets are tight 
• Garments are worn occasionally 
• longevity isn’t critical 

Entry-Level Budget Option: Gildan

Gildan often gets dismissed too quickly — and that’s not entirely fair. If cost is the primary driver, Gildan does the job — just don’t expect it to feel like AS Colour after a year of use. 

Pros: 

• Very competitive pricing 
•  Surprisingly forgiving fit (we actually rate its fit slightly higher than some mid-tier brands) 
• Works well for significant, one-off events 

Cons: 

• Fabric feel is more basic 
• Durability drops after repeated washes 
• Not ideal for long-term daily wear 

The Dark Horse: OC Apparel 

This one surprises people. If colour choice isn’t critical and you want a premium feel without premium pricing, OC Apparel is one of the smartest picks we offer.  OC Apparel delivers: 

• Fabric quality on par with AS Colour 
• Excellent durability 
• Strong value for money 

So why isn’t it top of the list? Two reasons: 

• Smaller colour range 
• Lower brand recognition 

Durability Matters More Than You Think 

Durability isn’t just about fabric strength — it’s about how a garment looks after 10, 20, 30 washes. If your team wears apparel weekly, durability should weigh heavily in your decision.  In our experience: 

• AS Colour, Stormtech, and OC Apparel hold their shape and finish best
• James Harvest and Biz Collection perform well with regular care
• Winning Spirit and Gildan show wear sooner, especially in high-use environments

Colour Range Comparison (From Widest to Narrowest) 

When Colour matching matters — events, brand guidelines, campaigns — this order is important: 

• AS Colour 
• Winning Spirit 
• Biz Collection 
• Gildan 
• OC Apparel 
• Stormtech 
• James Harvest 

This is often the deciding factor for large corporate or council projects. 

How the Brands Stack Up Overall?

So Which Brand Should You Choose? 

Here’s the honest shortcut: 

• Want the best overall? AS Colour
• Want premium performance gear? Stormtech
• Corporate polish? James Harvest
• Reliable large rollouts? Biz Collection
• Best value-to-quality ratio? OC Apparel
• Budget events? Winning Spirit or Gildan

There’s no “wrong” choice — only the wrong choice for your use case. 

Special Mention – Sporte Leisure 

We have a special brand which we resell. It is called Sporte Leisure. We have not mentioned it on this list because this brand only makes Polo Shirts for Golf. Sporte Leisure golf shirts are famous, and for good reason. In our opinion, they make the very best golfing shirts in the business. This includes all the European and American brands. 

Why We Talk Clients Through This First?

At Cubic Promote, we don’t push brands — we match them to outcomes. The right apparel gets worn more, lasts longer, reduces complaints, and protects your logo. Importantly, you save money over time.  If you’re unsure which brand fits your team, event or budget, we’ll walk you through it — honestly. 

Get in touch with our team to explore apparel options, request samples, or build a rollout that actually works in the real world. Because when it comes to branded clothing, the details matter — and we’ve already made the mistakes, so you don’t have to.