Shirt sizes – Men

In US and Britain, Dress shirts have two different measurements, your neck size and your sleeve length, both in inches. See how to take the measurements here. In Europe/EU, only neck sizes are used.

When you have your neck measurement, round it up to the nearest whole or half size. For example, if your neck measures 16.3, choose a 16.5 collar.

Add an extra inch to your sleeve measurement, and round this up to the nearest even number.

There are also different fits, Slim, Athletic, Regular and Full. Slim is tight around the chest and sides. The athletic fit (also called tailored fit) is tighter at the waist, but leaves more room for the chest. The regular is the standard fit and quite loose, and the full size the loosest.

Getting the correct shirt fit

• Check the cuff size. When you button the cuff, it shouldn’t be able to slip over your wrist.
• The collar should fit snugly around your neck, but not too tight. You should be able to fit one or two fingers between your neck and the collar when it’s buttoned.
• Make sure the shirt fits properly over your shoulders. The shoulder seams should sit on the edge of your shoulders, where your arms meet your torso. If the seams are too far off your shoulders, the shirt will look too big; if they’re too tight, the shirt will feel uncomfortable.
• Tuck the shirt and stretch your arms over your head. The shirt should be long enough not to get untucked, but not so long that it bunches up or looks baggy when you move.
• The shirt should fit comfortably across your chest, without pulling or stretching when you move your arms.
• The sleeves should be long enough to cover your wrist bone, but not so long that they bunch up or create wrinkles. You should be able to move your arms freely without feeling constricted, and when you bend your arm, the cuff shouldn’t slide up your forearm.