What shirt size am I?

The importance of knowing your own shirt size

Finding a shirt that fits is the most important part of the buying process. That can be no matter when you shop for shirts at brick

-and-mortar stores but if you order online, choosing a fit shirt can be a gamble because shirt sizes vary from company to company. As a result, knowing how to measure your shirt size is important as it can help ensure that you order your shirt in a suitable size as well as help you if you ever choose to order a custom-sized shirt or ask a tailor to alter one for you. 

Shopping online has changed consumer behavior recently. It is believed that surfing the web and buying clothes online can help people to save a ton of cash as long as they know how to grab the right size. Here, Printerval will share with you tactics to know the right shirt size and to measure it by yourself. 

How to get the right shirt when shopping for shirts online?

Measure Yourself

First and foremost, you should measure your shirt size by yourself. You can measure your bust, waist, and hips. For bust, you measure around your chest. For your waist, you measure around your belly button. And for hips, you measure around your hip bones. 

After finishing, remember to write down the numbers and keep them handy when you are ready to start buying clothes online.

Read Up on Sizing Information

Most online clothing retailers have a section of their website devoted to sizing information, which can be a lifesaver when you are spending money on items you can not try on. It is necessary to check it carefully because this information can help you to determine which size would fit your measurements best.

In addition, read the shop policy carefully before buying items there. Some important policies include return, shipping, etc. 

Know the Difference

In fact, unless they are unisex shirts, the measurement of men’s and women’s shirts are separate. Even when it comes to women’s shirts, some stores sell “misses” sizing, while others focus on “juniors”. As a result, it is important to know the difference between the shirt size measurements. 

For instance, “ misses” is the traditional sizing for women’s clothing which uses even numbers to denote fit, such as 2, 4, 6, and 8. “Misses” clothes generally have more room in the bust and hips which are great for hourglass figures. Meanwhile, “juniors” clothing is denoted by odd numbers and has less room cut for the hips and bust so it is better for smaller frames, trendier tastes, and boyish shapes.

Write It Down

Taking notes never lets you down because that can be useful in many situations, as a result, you can save your sizing file on the computer and use it when you shop online. For example, when you have success with a certain brand, you enter the brand and the size you wear into a simple Word document for the next time buying. 

Customers of shirts are usually loyal to one brand or several brands, perhaps you are not an exception.  

Order More Than One

A good online shop is one that contains a clear and generous return policy. When shopping online for shirts, remember to avoid sizing snafus by ordering two of the same garment in different sizes from a website with a return policy you trust. Then, If it is necessary, you can send back the one that doesn’t fit. However, you should ensure that the store offers refunds for returns, not store credit, so you get actual money back once you have returned the item.

How to measure your shirt size?

Taking Basic Measurements

Keep your body relaxed while taking your measurements 

Remember not to puff out your chest, suck in your belly, or flex your muscles, making sure that the measurements will be accurate and you can have a perfect shirt. 

You can also have someone help you take your measurements.

Measure chest, waist, and hips

Remember to measure around the widest part of your chest, the narrowest part of your waist, and the largest part of your hips. 

Take additional measurements for the collar and sleeve, if needed

If you are buying a man's dress shirt, it is essential to take additional measurements for the collar and sleeve. Depending on the stores, some brands can have custom neck sizes and sleeve lengths. 

For collar measurement, you wrap the measuring tape around the base of your neck and remember to keep it loose enough so that you can slide 2 fingers under it.

For sleeve measurement, if the shirt is casual, you can measure from your shoulder down to your wrist or wherever you want the cuff to be. But if the shirt is dressy or formal, you should measure from the back center of your neck, over your shoulder, and down to wherever you want the cuff to end.

Bring your measurements with you when you buy your shirt

It is necessary to compare your measurements to that of the shop you are shopping at. Keep in mind that different stores use different sizing charts, so your size may change depending on where you go. For instance, you could be a size "medium" at one company but a size "large" at another.

Measuring a Dress Shirt

Find a dress shirt that fits you well and close all of the buttons and spread the shirt out on a flat surface

This tactic is useful not only for measuring a button-up men's dress shirt but also for other styles of shirts too.

Then you find a flat surface such as a table or hardwood floor and spread the shirt out on that surface, smoothing out any wrinkles. You have to ensure that all of the buttons on the shirt are closed, including the collar and cuffs.

Measure just below the armpits for the chest size

By finding the seams where the sleeves attach to the shirt and you place a measuring tape across the shirt just below these seams. 

Take the waist measurement across the narrowest part of the torso

Find the spot on your shirt where your waist would be, then measure across it, from the left side seam to the right side seam. You should keep in mind that this can be a little hard to find on men's shirts but more evident on women's shirts and fitted shirts.

Pull the tape across the bottom hem for the hips and take the length measurement in the back, from collar to hem

After flipping the shirt over and smoothing out any wrinkles, you place the measuring tape at the bottom edge of the collar, right where it connects to the shirt as well as pull the measuring tape straight down towards the bottom edge of the hem.

Take the shoulder width measurement in the back, right across the yoke

Keep the shirt spread out with the back facing you and place the measuring tape at the left shoulder seam. 

If you are confused with the shoulder seam, it is the area where the sleeve connects to the body of the shirt.

Measure from shoulder seam to the cuff for the sleeve measurement

Put the end of the measuring tape at the shoulder seam where the sleeve starts and pull the tape towards the bottom edge of the cuff. There are some places requiring you to start the measurement at the back center of the collar instead.

Spread the collar and cuff flat before taking their circumference

Open up and spread the collar flat, then place the measuring tape against the stitch holding the button to the fabric and pull the tape across the collar towards the buttonhole. 

Record anything else that the tailor or seamstress requests or take your measurements with you when you go shopping.

Shirt size measurements at Printerval

As a trusted online shop for clothing, Printerval provides you all the shirt sizes you need. Apart from specific shirt size measurements for different kinds of shirts including t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, etc, Printerval also offers you specific sizes for men, women, and even kids. In particular, each product on Printerval will be attached to a table of full sizes for you to compare and choose from. Here are an example:

Shop online for your unique and elegant shirts right now on Printerval.com!