College farewell merchandise is the apparel produced for outgoing batches at IITs, IIMs, NITs, BITS, IIITs, and state universities — typically Classes of 2026, 2027 (final-year UG and PG cohorts) ordering jointly through batch representatives. The Indian custom apparel market saw 39% year-on-year growth in hoodie sales in 2024, driven jointly by fest and farewell seasons — making farewell the second-largest institute apparel category after fest.
What batches typically order
Class of 20XX Tee
The default farewell piece. 180 GSM cotton sinker oversized tee for accessible-tier batches; 220 GSM French Terry oversized for premium batches. Front carries the batch year and college mark; back panel typically carries the classmate signature collage.
Class Hoodie
The keepsake piece. 330 GSM cotton 3-thread fleece pullover hoodie with embroidered "Class of 26" chest crest and DTF-printed back graphic. Worn at the farewell event itself and kept for years after — the hoodie that survives ten winters.
Batch Varsity Jacket
The premium tier — common at IIMs and IITs where batch reunion budgets are higher. 330 GSM cotton 3-thread fleece varsity with embroidered batch year on the chest, college mark on the sleeve. Limited-edition runs.
Personalisation that turns a tee into a keepsake
Farewell merch is identity merch — every piece is a permanent record of who graduated together. The personalisation moves that transform "another batch tee" into something classmates actually keep:
Class of 20XX on the back in large block type — the single biggest signal of farewell purpose. Standard on tees, hoodies, and varsities.
Signature print collage on the back panel — every classmate's signature scanned, vectorised, and printed across the back of the tee. Higher-effort but produces the most photographed farewell tee at the event.
Individual names per piece — DTF supports per-piece text variations at no setup cost beyond the roster spreadsheet. Common pattern: name on the upper back, "Class of 26" below.
Embroidered chest crests instead of DTF for the hoodies and varsity — embroidery survives many years; print starts to look tired earlier. Standard on premium batch hoodies and all varsity jackets.
Roll number, hostel, branch, or wing on the sleeve — micro-personalisation that classmates remember. The same wing in the hostel can carry matching sleeve labels.
How batch reps procure
Farewell procurement is run by batch representatives or the outgoing CR (class representative), often jointly with one or two classmates handling collection of design preferences and size data. The procurement window is shorter than fest because the design depends on classmate input that takes 2–3 weeks to collect — signatures, name spellings, sizing data. Lock the vendor before collecting the data, not after.
Most batches order in two cycles: a primary order for everyone attending the farewell event, then a top-up reorder dropshipped to classmates who were absent or who joined the order late. Individual address dropship to classmates is the dominant fulfillment model — outgoing batches scatter across cities and countries within weeks of graduation, so per-classmate dispatch matters more here than in any other institute use case.
Order Snapshot
Metric |
Detail |
|---|---|
Buyer | Batch representatives, class CRs, farewell committees (final-year UG and PG cohorts at IIT, IIM, NIT, BITS, IIIT, state-uni) |
MOQ | Quote-confirmed |
Typical Quantity | Across tees + hoodies + varsity in the same production cycle |
Lead Time | Quote-confirmed (production + per-classmate dropship committed in writing) |
Peak Season | March–April (UG/PG farewells); secondary December–January for half-yearly board batches |
Common Product Mix | Cotton sinker oversized tee + 330 GSM cotton 3T pullover hoodie + dual-tone or single-tone varsity (premium batches) |
Print + Finish | DTF (signature collage, back graphic, individual names), embroidery (chest crest, batch year), per-piece personalisation per roster |
Payment Terms | Standard advance / dispatch milestones; registered batch accounts negotiate institute-tier terms |
Fulfillment | Bulk pickup at the venue (for attendees) + individual dropship to classmates across India + select international (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) |