When you’re looking to kit out your netball team, it’s easy to think of it as one job: pick a dress and add some patch bibs. But match tops or dresses and training tops do very different things. They’re made differently, they wear differently, and getting the right one for each situation means your players are comfortable and your kit lasts longer.
A match top carries your club’s colours, crest, identity and normally velcro for your bibs. It’s worn once a week, washed once a week, and needs to look sharp all season. A training top is the one that gets put through its paces – worn two or three times a week, through indoor heat and outdoor cold, and washed constantly. It needs to dry quickly, breathe well, and hold up without fading or pilling.
The fabric reflects that. Match tops are fully sublimated – the design is dyed directly into the fabric for a smooth, professional finish. Training tops focus on breathability and durability, often with cut-and-sew construction or lighter mesh panels where players need the most movement.
All our netball tops come with velcro as standard. Our standard format is four L-shaped corner patches, which keeps the bib secure without shifting during play. Standard bib sizing is 8″ x 8″ with 6″ high letters, but we can adjust to your club’s requirements if needed.
All our netball tops and dresses are sublimated. The entire design becomes part of the fabric – no thread, no bulk, no raised edges. It gives players full freedom of movement, and the design won’t crack or peel after dozens of washes. It also means your tops and dresses have the same feel and finish, so the whole kit is consistent. It’s also great for adding sponsors logos and any personalisation for no extra cost.
We use 100% polyester for both match and training tops. It breathes, it washes well, and it holds colour throughout the season. If your club wants something lighter for training, we’re happy to talk through alternatives, but polyester is the standard for a reason – it works.
Training tops need to work under layers. Your players go from a heated indoor court to a cold corridor and back again, so a training top that bunches under a midlayer or rides up under a bench coat is a problem. Fit matters here – get the shoulder seam in the right place and the top sits properly under whatever goes over it.
A netball top isn’t just a dress without the skirt. The armhole, shoulder width, and body length are all different. Tops sit higher under the arm and taper differently because they’re pairing with skorts, skirts, shorts or leggings. It’s worth checking sizing with someone actually wearing the top and bottoms together – mismatched sizing between the two is a common frustration.
Our standard turnaround for custom netball tops is 4–6 weeks. You’ll work with us on design, and we can send a sample if you’d like one (£50 + VAT, refundable on order). MOQ of 10 for best value, but we accept smaller orders if needed, which is great for new members joining mid season.
If you’re looking to add training tops to your squad or refresh your match kit, we’d love to help. Every design is custom – your colours, your crest, your brief. Our netball tops page has all the details on styles and options, and our contact page is where you can start a conversation with us.
Match Day, Training, and Everything in Between When you’re looking to kit out your netball team, it’s easy to think of it as one job:
The victorious #LooeGC Team. Photos credit: Tamsyn Ellis (Looe Rowing Club). With pre season for the #GigRowing World Championships well underway, we catch up with
Follow us on social media to keep up to date with all our latest news.
