LDS Young Men Shirt Ideas: Custom Shirts They’ll Actually Want to Wear

Let's be honest.

Getting a group of teenage boys to agree on a shirt design can be an adventure all by itself.

One guy wants something funny.

Another wants something that looks like a vintage outdoor brand.

Someone wants a giant graphic.

Someone else says, "That's cringe."

And eventually the adult in charge is wondering why choosing a T-shirt has become a three-week project.

If you're a stake Young Men presidency member, a stake youth council member, a bishopric member, a ward Young Men president, or a Young Men adviser, you probably have plenty of other things to worry about.

Fortunately, creating a great Young Men shirt doesn't have to be difficult.

At WeakThings, we create LDS apparel for Latter-day Saints—and we can create something completely custom for your group.

Let the Young Men Have a Say

The adults may be organizing the activity, campout, temple trip, or Youth Conference.

But the Young Men are going to wear the shirts.

That means their opinion matters.

Rather than guessing what they will like, give them something real to react to.

We can create an initial design based on your idea, and then you can share it with the youth council or the Young Men helping plan the event.

They can suggest changes.

Maybe the graphic needs to be bigger.

Maybe the font needs to change.

Maybe they want a different color.

Maybe they have a completely different idea.

That's okay.

The design process is supposed to be collaborative.

What Kind of Young Men Shirt Are You Looking For?

The great thing about custom apparel is that there isn't one "Young Men" look.

Your group might want something completely different from the stake down the road.

Here are a few directions that can work particularly well.

Cool and Modern

Bold typography, interesting graphics, clean layouts, and a shirt that looks like something the guys would choose at a clothing store.

Vintage Outdoor

Think mountains, trails, campfires, rivers, old-school typography, and the kind of design that could have come from an old outdoor company.

This can be especially good for campouts and high-adventure activities.

Funny

Sometimes the best Young Men shirt is the one that makes everybody laugh.

An inside joke from the group can be turned into something only your Young Men understand.

Those shirts can become some of the most memorable.

Scripture-Based

A scripture doesn't have to look like a traditional Church graphic.

Take the message and build a design around it.

Bold typography, artwork, symbols, or a modern interpretation can turn a scripture into a shirt the Young Men actually want to wear.

Rejoice in Christ

The current youth theme is another excellent starting point.

But you don't have to put the exact same artwork on every youth shirt.

The message can be interpreted in a style that fits your group.

A more rugged design might work for a high-adventure group.

A bold graphic might fit your Youth Conference.

A simple design might be something they continue wearing after the event.

The message stays meaningful.

The design can have personality.

Young Men Shirt Ideas for Different Church Events

A custom shirt can make a great addition to almost any youth activity.

Young Men's Campouts

Outdoor artwork is an obvious direction.

Mountains, rivers, trails, campfires, coordinates, wildlife, or a custom phrase can all become part of the design.

High Adventure

This is where a vintage outdoor or adventure-inspired design can really work.

Think less "Church activity shirt" and more "shirt you'd buy at an outdoor store."

Youth Conference

Your stake youth council might want something tied directly to the conference theme.

The youth can help determine the style, while WeakThings handles the actual artwork.

Trek

A Trek shirt can go in a traditional pioneer direction—or it can take a completely modern approach.

The key is finding something that represents your specific group.

Temple Trips

A temple trip doesn't necessarily need a traditional temple graphic.

A scripture, phrase, coordinates, or simple symbolic design can create something much more wearable.

Service Projects

A service shirt can be straightforward, funny, meaningful, or all three.

And if the group comes up with a memorable phrase during the project, there's always the possibility of putting it on the shirt afterward.

Start With an Idea, Not a Design

One of the biggest misconceptions about custom shirts is that you need to know exactly what you want before contacting a designer.

You don't.

You can start with:

"We want something about our stake's Youth Conference theme, and the Young Men want it to look cool."

That's enough to start a conversation.

We'll ask questions and help turn that idea into a design.

The Young Men Shirt Questionnaire

Here are the kinds of questions we'll use to get started.

What's the event?

Campout, high adventure, Youth Conference, Trek, temple trip, service project, or something else.

What's the theme?

Give us the scripture, phrase, youth theme, or concept.

What should it feel like?

Cool, funny, rugged, vintage, modern, athletic, outdoorsy, bold, minimal, or something completely different.

What colors should we use?

Tell us what you like—and what you don't.

What should be on the shirt?

A phrase? Scripture? Mountains? A date? Stake name? Ward name? An inside joke?

What should we avoid?

Sometimes knowing what you don't want is just as useful.

Is there a WeakThings design you like?

Show it to us.

It can simply be inspiration for the style you're after.

We Can Start From Scratch

You don't have to choose an existing WeakThings shirt.

Our existing designs are there to give you ideas.

If you like the look of a particular design, we can use it as inspiration.

If you want something completely different, we'll start from scratch.

That's the advantage of working with a designer rather than simply choosing a pre-made shirt.

Your group gets to create something that actually belongs to them.

Let the Youth See the Design

Once we've created the first version, you can send the design to the youth council or the Young Men helping with the event.

That's when the fun starts.

Maybe they love it.

Maybe they want changes.

Maybe somebody has an idea that makes it substantially better.

We can make the changes.

The goal isn't to force everyone to accept the first version.

The goal is to get to a final design that the group is excited about.

LDS Apparel Made by Latter-day Saints

WeakThings isn't a generic custom T-shirt company that occasionally makes Church shirts.

LDS apparel is what we do.

We're members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we create apparel around the faith, scriptures, humor, culture, and experiences of Latter-day Saints.

That means we're comfortable with both sides of youth apparel.

We can make something meaningful.

And we can make something that makes the Young Men laugh.

Sometimes those are the same shirt.

Group Orders Made Simple

Once the design is finished, ordering is straightforward.

1. Tell us your idea.

2. Complete the questionnaire.

3. We create the design.

4. Share it with the youth.

5. Request changes.

6. Approve the final design.

7. Order your shirts.

Custom group orders have a 12-shirt minimum.

You don't need a graphic designer in your ward.

You don't need to spend hours searching for the perfect existing shirt.

And you don't have to settle for something generic.

You bring the idea.

We'll build the shirt.

Ready to Create Your Young Men's Shirts?

Browse WeakThings for inspiration, explore our Rejoice in Christ apparel, or learn more about custom LDS group orders.

Whether you're organizing a stake-wide event or simply trying to get shirts together for your ward's Young Men, we'll help you turn the idea into something the youth will actually want to wear.

Weak Things Become Strong.