This article shows you how to measure the six key fit points of men’s shirts: size, belly fit, sleeve fit, sleeve length, and overall length. present by Mens Shirt Manufacturers
Measurements will vary
Although there are standards for how to measure men’s shirts, there are still variations in where the measurement should begin on the garment.
If you’re providing measurements to a company or comparing measurements to a size chart, first become familiar with how the company measures—and some of the differences between how you measure and how they measure. expect
fit point
This How to Measure for Men’s Shirts guide shows how we measure here at Todd Shelton and is a tutorial for our customers. Please note that other companies may measure differently.
Size (shoulder and bust)
stomach fit
Sleeve fit
Sleeve Length
total length
Size (shoulder and bust)
Your shoulder and chest width determine your size.
We offer 11 sizes, including in-between sizes for fine tuning. 1/2″ across the shoulders and 1″ across the chest separates the size.
How to measure men’s shirts: Shoulders
To measure your Todd Shelton shirt size, you can measure a shirt you already own.
Start with your best fitting shirt through the shoulders. Press all the buttons on the placard. Place your shirt face down on a hard table (not a bed or other soft surface) as shown below. Measure from shoulder point to shoulder point.
Measure again to make sure your measurements are consistent. Match your measurements to the shirt size chart.
Think about how you would change the shoulder fit to improve it.
How to measure men’s shirts: Chest
Chest is measured 1″ below the armhole of the shirt.
Measure your best fitting shirt across the chest – this can be the same or a different shirt you used for the shoulder measurement. Press all the buttons on the placard. Lay your shirt face down on a hard table and measure 1″ below the armhole to mark the 1″ point, then across the shirt (as shown below).
Measure again to make sure your measurements are consistent. Match your measurements to the sizing chart.
When matching your shoulder and chest measurements to the sizing chart, you can see your shoulder and chest match up to different sizes on our shirt size chart. In this case, focus more on the shoulder measurement when choosing your size.
stomach fit
Abdominal fit is the area around your navel. With 4 stomach fit options, you can control how much fabric surrounds your stomach, with each fit separated by 1″ across the shirt in the stomach.
How to measure men’s shirts: Abdominal
To determine your stomach fit, you can measure a shirt you already own.
Start with your best fitting shirt through the stomach. Press all the buttons on the placard. Lay your shirt face down on a hard table, as shown above. Smooth out all creases and folds, especially the hidden folds on the back of the shirt. Measure halfway down the shirt between the armhole and bottom hem.
Measure again to make sure your measurements are consistent. Compare your stomach measurements with
Sleeve fit
Sleeve fit accounts for room in your sleeve, from bicep to forearm. Two sleeve fit options fit all our customers successfully.
If you have larger than average biceps, you will need a standard sleeve fit. If your biceps are average or thinner than average, a slim sleeve fit is a more popular choice.
How to measure men’s shirts: sleeve fit
Sleeve fit is measured across the sleeve, at the elbow. To figure out the sleeve fit you need, you can measure a shirt you already own. Measure the center of the sleeve, as shown above. Compare your measurements with our shirt size chart.
Sleeve Length
Calculating sleeve length requires basic math. To calculate sleeve length, you need to add two measurements: 1) your sleeve length and 2) half of your shoulder width (shoulder width affects sleeve length).
How to measure men’s shirts: Sleeve length
To measure your sleeve length, you can measure a shirt you already own.
Choose your shirt with the best sleeve length. First, measure down the sleeve, from the top of the shoulder seam to the end of the cuff, as shown above. Next, measure across the shoulders (as we mentioned earlier in the article), and divide by 2. Then add those two measurements.
For example, if your sleeve length measured 25″ and half of your total shoulder measurement is 9.5″ – your total sleeve length is 34.5″. We offer sleeve lengths in 1/2″ increments.
Total length
Your height, belly size, and whether you plan to tuck your shirt in (or not) will determine your desired overall length option. We offer 5 overall length options for fine tuning.
If you plan to wear your shirt untucked, we recommend that the end of the shirt hem be at the mid-zip or 1″ below the mid-zip of your jeans or pants.
If you plan to wear your shirt tucked in, you want enough length so that the shirt doesn’t fall open when it reaches over your head.
How to measure men’s shirts: overall shirt
We measure the overall length by measuring the length of the placket. The placket is the part of the shirt that is on the center front, which contains the buttons and buttonholes. The length of the placket is measured from the neck seam to the bottom edge.
To measure your overall length, you can measure a shirt you already own.
Choose your shirt with the best fitting length. Measure from the neckline seam to the bottom of the hem, as shown above. Using the size you determined during the Size (Chest and Shoulder) section earlier in the article, compare your measurements to the size chart.
Think about how you would change the length to make it better.
Length options are also available in 2″ shorter than standard, 1″ shorter, 1″ longer, and 2″ longer. For a complete list of length options measurements, see our shirt size chart.