What Size Regular T Shirt Do You Wear? (1 Viewer)

[offdee]

the correct size shirt will also have correct sleeve length. it looks awkward because the shirt is too big and he's probably tucking a lot of excess material in to his pants, to boot.

where's @offdee when you need him?

yeah, with your example links, the Blue shirt is waaay too big and sloppy looking.    Black shirt link is probably a little too extreme for guys on here...especially the length. If shirt was a little bit longer (say mid zipper) would be more appropriate for our age group.  But, the overall premise in the notes on that pic are good rules of thumb.     The big one to look for is the seam that connects the sleeve to the shirt...that seam should sit at the end of your shoulder blade.   If that is too low down on your shoulder muscle, than shirt is too big.  If that is too high up on your traps, than shirt is too small.

Look at this seam in the Blue example pic....too low down on shoulder muscle which makes all other proportions too low/big.   If that seam was up where it's supposed to be (maybe 4" higher), than the sleeve length would rise up to mid-bicep which is where it should be.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0108/7802/files/Too_big_polo_shirt_large.jpg

ETA: I'm 6'1", 190lbs and almost exclusively where size Medium shirts. Prefer athletic cut and leave untucked.

 

[EYLive]

In the past 5 years or so, all of my t-shirts have come from either the FFA shirt exchange or free movie promo shirts from my wife's work. So these aren't exactly designer brand fabrics, yet none of them shrink in the wash. Does the expensive stuff shrink more than the cheap stuff?

 

[offdee]

This is kind of what I meant on the first page when I said I went from L to M and it wasn't because I lost weight. I'm 5'11"/6' and weigh between 165-175. I always wore large T shirts and Polo shirts because I felt like I was supposed to. I eventually realized it made me look sloppy and have been going with medium ever since. It's just a better look.

yep, exactly this. 

 

[Doug B]

guys who are around that 6' - 190 - 200 lbs mark that are wearing XL or larger... are you not comfortable with a shirt that fits a bit more snugly?

https://www.petermanningnyc.com/blogs/news/117641924-how-a-polo-shirt-should-fit

After I looked at this link ... I started seeing Peter Manning ads that read "Guys Under 5'10" Discover Great Fit."

Is that a specialty clothier for shorter/thinner men? It's all good if so ... I just think the rules (especially as applied to real-life decision making) are different for bigger men.

Sure, the 5'6" 130-lb guy can wear all kind of snug stuff. No gut to stick out. No arm, shoulder, or chest mass to pull against the fabric. No thick neck to challenge the collar buttons.

Seems like the Peter Manning guy is the equivalent of the 5'10", size 2 female model having something credible to say about how and what plus-sized women should wear.

 

[Doug B]

In the past 5 years or so, all of my t-shirts have come from either the FFA shirt exchange or free movie promo shirts from my wife's work. So these aren't exactly designer brand fabrics, yet none of them shrink in the wash. Does the expensive stuff shrink more than the cheap stuff?

Washing procedures and fabric content (and sometimes weave) will determine shrinkage.

All cotton? Will shrink if washed in hot water (or even warm if the taps aren't balanced) and then dried on high heat. Hanging up wet cotton clothes to dry controls shrinkage a good bit. If they air-dry too wrinkly, you can throw 'em in the dryer for a few minutes to smooth them out.

If you wash most things in cold water, and use an energy-saving drying cycle, or a low-heat cycle ... you can avoid a lot of shrinkage issues. Not 100% of the time, but often enough to make a difference.

And finally, artificial fibers resist shrinkage really well though not all should be machine-washed. Polyester and derivatives are pretty much bullet-proof. Cotton-poly blend is kind of a best-of-both-worlds -- it'll shrink in hot/warm water, but only a very tiny bit.

Denim is kind of a special case. Even though it's all cotton, it only feels shrunken right out of a hot dryer. After wearing it for a bit, the fabric springs back to the size it's supposed to be. Not sure how that happens, but it does.

 

[eoMMan]

yeah, with your example links, the Blue shirt is waaay too big and sloppy looking.    Black shirt link is probably a little too extreme for guys on here...especially the length. If shirt was a little bit longer (say mid zipper) would be more appropriate for our age group.  But, the overall premise in the notes on that pic are good rules of thumb.     The big one to look for is the seam that connects the sleeve to the shirt...that seam should sit at the end of your shoulder blade.   If that is too low down on your shoulder muscle, than shirt is too big.  If that is too high up on your traps, than shirt is too small.

Look at this seam in the Blue example pic....too low down on shoulder muscle which makes all other proportions too low/big.   If that seam was up where it's supposed to be (maybe 4" higher), than the sleeve length would rise up to mid-bicep which is where it should be.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0108/7802/files/Too_big_polo_shirt_large.jpg

ETA: I'm 6'1", 190lbs and almost exclusively where size Medium shirts. Prefer athletic cut and leave untucked.

6'1 190 lbs and MEDIUM?!?!

Not buying that, sorry.  

 

[Bull Dozier]

6'1 190 lbs and MEDIUM?!?!

Not buying that, sorry.  

I'm between 6' and 6'1", 185, not in shape (ie, gut) and can wear some mediums.  Not all of course, as there is a fine line between L and M.  Brands that cut them a little smaller, a M doesn't fit my gut or shoulders.  But brands that run larger (it's a 50/50 split I'd say), a M fits well.  It's definitely a more fitted look, but not painted on tight.

 

[offdee]

6'1 190 lbs and MEDIUM?!?!

Not buying that, sorry.  

No gut and athletic build and usually M's always fits well (not too tight, not too loose).    Usually sway to more quality fabrics, but even the simple Target Mossimo brand t-shirts fit great in M's.   If I had any kind of gut though, I could see a Large would be more appropriate.

ETA per Doug's post above about shrinking.....Nice shirts I always wash on Cold and hang dry (have one of those fold out drying racks that you can fold away into a closet when not using).   Only things I dry are underwear and socks.   Keeps the original sizing more in tact.

 

[mr. furley]

After I looked at this link ... I started seeing Peter Manning ads that read "Guys Under 5'10" Discover Great Fit."

Is that a specialty clothier for shorter/thinner men? It's all good if so ... I just think the rules (especially as applied to real-life decision making) are different for bigger men.

Sure, the 5'6" 130-lb guy can wear all kind of snug stuff. No gut to stick out. No arm, shoulder, or chest mass to pull against the fabric. No thick neck to challenge the collar buttons.

Seems like the Peter Manning guy is the equivalent of the 5'10", size 2 female model having something credible to say about how and what plus-sized women should wear.

i think the takeaway shouldn't be "that guy is skinny and he can wear small clothes". it should be "wear clothes that fit".

what "fits" is really up to the individual.  

some guys like wearing a size too small to show off their nipples.  some guys like wearing a size bigger to hide their perceived flaws. but the general rule that @offdee pointed out about where the sleeve should hit is going to look best.

i get what you're saying, though. it's the same lament many women have about sizing (not trying to offend). there isn't a template that fits everyone but at least having a general guideline and trying on different things will get you closest to looking best.