Wear orange. It's the official colour of Harmony Week, the Australian Government's yearly celebration of the country's cultural diversity, and wearing something orange is the simplest way to show your support. Plenty of people still call it Harmony Day. Below is what the colour stands for, then practical ideas for dressing a team or a class, whether you want ready-printed tees or orange shirts with your own logo.
Why orange, and when it falls
The official Harmony Week site says "Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week" and that "Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations." It also links the colour to "the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect". The week's message is "everyone belongs".
In 2026, Harmony Week ran from Monday 16 March to Sunday 22 March. It included 21 March, the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Check harmony.gov.au for the next year's dates before you lock in a day.
Ideas for workplaces
- An orange day. Ask everyone to wear something orange, whether that's a tee, a polo or a bandana. It's easy for anyone to join in, including people who'd rather not buy anything new.
- Matching printed tees. Our Harmony Day range has printed designs such as Rainbow, Aussie Flag, Diversity Heart and Everyone Belongs, on orange or black 100% cotton tees. Adult sizes are S to 3XL plus 5XL, kids 2 to 16, and babies 00 to 1, so a whole family or staff group can match.
- Something smaller. The same range includes bandanas, tote bags and drink bottles, which suit people who want to take part without changing their shirt.
- Orange in your own uniform. If your team already wears a polo, see whether that style comes in orange. Some ranges list it in men's, women's and kids' sizes (there's a short list further down).
- Hi vis rules don't take the day off. On a site that requires hi vis, a Harmony Day tee doesn't replace it. Check with your supervisor before anyone swaps their usual gear.
Ideas for schools
- An orange free-dress day, if it fits your school's dress policy. Plain orange tees and the printed kids range both work.
- Staff and students in the same design. Because the printed range comes in kids and adult sizes, teachers and students can wear the same print.
- Plain orange tees for younger and older kids. Our AS Colour listings include Orange in the Kids Staple Tee 3005 (sizes 2 to 6) and Youth Staple Tee 3006 (8 to 16), as well as the adult Staple 5001 and Womens Maple 4001. Our AS Colour team tee guide compares those styles.
- Collect sizes, don't guess them. Children in the same class can be several sizes apart, so ask for each child's size rather than ordering by year group.
Orange shirts with your own logo
If you'd like an orange shirt you'll wear again, start from a plain style and add your logo. These list Orange on our site:
| Style | Who it's for | Sizes in Orange |
|---|---|---|
| AS Colour Staple Tee 5001 | Adults | XS to 5XL |
| AS Colour Womens Maple 4001 | Women | XS to 3XL |
| Aussie Pacific Hunter 1312 | Men | S to 5XL |
| Aussie Pacific Hunter 2312 | Women | 6 to 26 |
| Aussie Pacific Hunter 3312 | Kids | 4 to 16 |
| JB's 210 Polo | Adults | 2XS to 5XL |
| JB's Kids 210 Polo 2KP | Kids | 2 to 14 |
The table stops at 5XL for both men's polos because of what their listings say. The Hunter 1312 listing says "Up to 5XL in all colours, 7XL in White, Black and Navy", and the JB's 210 offers its sizes above 5XL in a short list of colours that doesn't include Orange.
Tee or polo: what each one gives you
- Printed Harmony Day tees. The listings say "100% cotton" and give no fabric weight or fit, so check sizes against a tee you already own. They suit a one-off day where the design carries the message. Each design is a separate listing on orange or on black, so choose the orange one if you want the colour of the week. Adult sizes skip 4XL.
- AS Colour Staple 5001 and Maple 4001. Both are listed as "Mid weight, 180 GSM" combed cotton, "Preshrunk to minimise shrinkage" and suited to screen printing, DTG and embroidery. That makes a plain orange tee an easy base for a school or community logo. The limit is the look: a tee reads as casual, which may not suit a front counter.
- Hunter polos. A 210gm 65% polyester, 35% cotton pique knit "for a corporate look and feel", which the listing also calls "Soft and breathable" and "Snag resistant fabric for longevity". An orange Hunter can stay in a reception or retail uniform long after Harmony Week. The catch is that the polyester blend feels different from a pure cotton tee.
- JB's 210 polos. The same 65/35 blend at 210gsm, described as "easy care and reduced pilling". The kids' 2KP starts at size 2, which helps when the youngest students want to match the staff.
Before you settle on a design, check how your logo looks on orange. A logo that's mostly orange or red can fade into the shirt, so a white or black version of it often reads better. To decide between a stitched and a printed logo, see our embroidery or printing guide. If it's a new logo for embroidery, we'll send you a sample to approve before the order goes ahead.
When to order
Harmony Week arrives soon after the long summer break, so it pays to sort out sizes and artwork early in the year. Printed tees and plain garments with your logo both depend on artwork being approved and garments being available, so if you're working to a date, put it in your enquiry and we'll confirm whether it's achievable. For a step-by-step on logo files, sizes and proofs, see how to order embroidered work shirts.
Planning orange shirts for your team or school? Tell us the styles, sizes and logo you have in mind on our custom workwear enquiry form.
