Boxy, Classic, Oversized: Finding Your T-Shirt Fit

Two tees can both be labelled Large and look nothing alike. The letter tells you almost nothing. Four measurements tell you everything.

The four that matter

Body length — from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem. This decides where the shirt sits relative to your belt, which is the single most visible fit signal on a t-shirt.

Chest width — measured flat, armpit to armpit, then doubled for circumference. The gap between this and your actual chest is the "ease", and ease is what makes a shirt boxy or fitted.

Shoulder seam — where the sleeve joins the body. On a classic fit this sits on the edge of your shoulder. Drop it and the silhouette changes completely, regardless of what the chest measurement says.

Sleeve length — mid-bicep, above the elbow, at the elbow. Short sleeves visually widen the arm; longer sleeves lengthen it.

Change one and you have a different garment with the same size label.

The three silhouettes

Classic

Shoulder seam on the shoulder. Roughly 10–15cm of ease at the chest. Body length reaching just past the waistband, enough to stay tucked in or sit cleanly untucked.

This is the default for a reason. It works on nearly every body, it works under a jacket, and it does not date. If you are unsure, this is the answer.

Boxy

Shorter body, wider chest, straight sides with no taper. The width-to-length ratio is the whole point: the shirt reads as a rectangle.

Boxy works when the hem sits at or just below the waistband. Too long and a boxy tee stops looking intentional and starts looking like a shirt that does not fit. This is the cut most sensitive to getting the length right, and the one where ordering up "for comfort" backfires — you get length, not just width.

Oversized

Dropped shoulder seam — sitting partway down the upper arm — with generous chest and a longer body.

The dropped seam is what makes this read as a designed oversized cut rather than a shirt that is simply too big. A classic-cut tee two sizes up has the shoulder seam hanging in the wrong place and reads as a mistake, because it is one.

Oversized balances best with a slimmer lower half. Volume on top and volume on the bottom is a difficult look to carry.

How to work out your size without guessing

Take the best-fitting t-shirt you already own. Lay it flat, smooth out the wrinkles, and measure:

• Chest: armpit seam to armpit seam, straight across.
• Length: highest point of the shoulder, straight down to the hem.
• Shoulder: seam to seam across the back.
• Sleeve: shoulder seam to sleeve hem.

Now compare those four numbers against the size chart on the product page. Match the measurements, not the letter.

This takes two minutes and is far more reliable than any size calculator, because it compares a garment you have already judged against a garment you have not.

Common errors

Sizing up for comfort. On a classic cut this adds length as well as width. You get a shirt that is both looser and longer, and the longer part is usually what bothers you later.

Ignoring the shoulder. It is the measurement people check last and notice most. A shoulder seam hanging 3cm off the shoulder edge is visible from across a room.

Buying to a number you remember. Sizing varies between brands, between countries, and between cuts within one brand. A Medium in one label is a Large in another.

Forgetting the print. A large chest graphic sits differently on a boxy cut than a classic one, because the available area is a different shape. On a shorter body length, a big graphic can end up crowding the hem.

Shrinkage

Cotton shrinks with heat, mostly in length. Our tees are pre-shrunk, so a cold wash and a line dry keeps them close to the listed measurements. A hot wash and a tumble dry will take length out, and it does not return — which matters most on a boxy cut where the length is already deliberate.

The care guide covers this properly.

If you want one answer

Classic fit, true to your measured chest, worn untucked.

It is the cut that is hardest to get wrong, easiest to layer, and the one that will still look right when the current silhouette cycles out.