How to Size a Dress Shirt
The dress shirt remains one of the most powerful selections in the male wardrobe arsenal. A sharp-looking dress shirt fits a man well. Fit trumps color, pattern or fabric when it comes to the impression a man makes in his shirt. The finest designer shirt looks wrong when it sags or pinches at the neck. Sleeve length make a man appear ridiculous or unkempt if the cuff rides above the wrist bone or hangs on the hand. Details matter in dressing well. Mistakes in shirt fit create the wrong impression. Use expert tips to size dress shirts to fit well. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Measure the wearer for a new shirt. Use a cloth tape measure to determine neck size. Pilot Shirts recommends measuring to where the collar buttons, and adding 1/2-inch for comfort, or a full inch for a loose fit.
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Measure sleeve length. Hold the end of the tape measure at the top of the arm on the shoulder seam. Bend the elbow of the arm you're measuring and run the tape over the elbow to below the wrist bone. That's the rounded bump at the outside of the wrist (away from the torso) just above the hand.
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Check the size tag on the best-fitting dress shirt if you are replacing a ready-made shirt that fits well. The first number refers to neck size, the next set of number refers to sleeve-length. The double buttons on some dress shirt cuffs allow adjustment to show a shorter sleeve length. The standard for dress shirt sleeve length requires that they show 1/2 inch below the sleeve of a suit jacket.
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Note the name of the manufacturer of the shirt that fits well. Some retailers offer more than one shirt cut, including "fitted" "athletic" or "trim cut" for slim men or shirts designed for portly or husky men and "long" shirts for tall men, though the terms vary from one company to another.
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Use the neck measurement and the sleeve measurement as a guide to selecting the proper size dress shirt for yourself or as a gift for someone.
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Tips & Warnings
Try on a number of dress shirts. Men with lean builds and muscularity will find the best fit in athletic cut shirts or shirts from European designers. These cuts fit closer to the body and taper at the waist. Average and husky men will find a better fit in American shirts due to the straight cut through the torso.
Look into retailers for big and tall or short sizes to find shirts cut for these specific body types. Cuffs that fall too low or ride high don't look good on anyone, nor do shirts that strain at the buttons.
Check the retailer's return policy before ordering. Most catalog and online companies won't pay return shipping.
Check tips on fit in catalogs and on websites. Retailers prefer to avoid returns and will answer questions to assist shoppers in ordering the correct size.
