As I was telling you in my previous article with general tips to choose clothes that fit, here’s the first of three posts talking more in details about how to select clothes your size for men. Before dwelling upon bottom clothes and accessories (spoiler alert !), let’s start by speaking about T-shirt, shirt and other top clothes.
T-Shirt and Polo Shirt
As a T-shirt is an item made of light fabric and not very structured, it is very important that it is close to your body, so that it is truly worn, and not “borne”. It might surprise you, but more than for any other garment you possess, it genuinely is your body that shows it off ; it is thus of utmost importance for it to fit you perfectly. Say goodbye to those long and loose T-shirts (except if you’re looking for a nightgown), and be careful to the shoulders (the seam should fall right on your bony protrusion at the end of your shoulder, called the acromion). It is need for you to fill the T-shirt at lease a bit, and that you do not float in it. If you’re not certain about it, try a T-shirt on in your usual size, as well as in lower size, one after the other in order to realize the size differences for one specific cut. Finally, do not hesitate varying collars and choose them wisely depending on your morphology. For example, a deep collar will reveal much more of your pectoral muscles and your chest hairs, a Tunisian collar will let you play with its opening, etc… All of this is of course also true for the polo shirt, which is not that far from a T-shirt, except it has a more formal and rigid collar and, traditionally, a piqué cotton fabric.
Shirt
Smart and structuring, the shirt is an unavoidable part of the masculine wardrobe, essential to start forging an elegant style. There are, for ready-to-wear shirts, a few information to consider when choosing a shirt : its size, its fit, sometimes the length of its sleeves.
The size of a shirt is indicated, if France, Italy and Germany, by an even number generally somewhere between 38 (S) and 46 (XXL). This is the “collar size”, that is to say the neck’s girth in centimeters (measure it right above your Adam’s apple). A shirt is the correct size if, with the top button closed, you can only insert one finger between the collar and your neck ; that way, the collar will not warp when you put a tie or a bow-tie on. Note that Anglo-Saxon brands usually use inches instead of centimeters (to convert centimeters to inches, just multiply this value by 0.4 ; to go from inches to centimeters, multiply by 2.5). Finally, you have to know the S-XL to centimeters equivalency: XS=35-36, S=37-38, M=39-40, L=41-42, XL=43-44, XXL=45-46…
With regard to fitting, adapt it to your morphology. Cuts are generally said “straight”, “fitted”, or “slim”. The first one falls straight (hence the name), thusly hiding any unflattering plumpness and fitting a big frame. The fitted cut, and even more the slim cut, will highlight a nice muscle structure or a flat belly. You understand now that you ought to chose the right fit for your body, and if you’re not sure about it, once again, try multiple shirts ! Additionally, the length of the shirt has a sizable importance depending on how you will wear it (in or out of your pants, as an overshirt, …). Pay close attention to it, a dressed shirt will have to be a bit longer that a casual one, as you’ll tuck the first one in your pants, which might not be the case of the second.
Finally, the sleeves’s length is the last detail to consider. The shirt’s cuffs should end right at the birth of your thumb when your arm is straight down. To measure your ideal length of sleeves, take a tape measure and use it to get the length of your arm between the fall of your shoulder (once again, start right on the acromion) and the birth of your thumb, it’s as simple as that.
Sweater, Cardigan, Jacket and Coat
French sizes for tops usually go from 40 to 58, a number that represent the width of the piece of clothing once put flat, in centimeters, at chest level ; notice that we are not directly interested by the girth. To know your size for sweaters, cardigans, jackets and coats, measure your chest’s girth, right under your bust, and cut that number in half. Do however keep in mind that, depending on the type of clothing and the season at which you’ll wear it, you might have multiple layers of clothes under it. Thus, a winter coat or a dressed parka that you’ll wear with suits might need to be slightly bigger than a mid-season casual jacket.
Generally speaking, for all pieces for clothing for the upper body, the further an item is from the chest, the wider and the longer it can be. On the opposite, be careful not to wear a coat or heavy jacket that would be too short above a suit which jacket would be longer. It is visually horrible, so try to anticipate when you buy that type of items used in precise outfits. Being ok at shoulder and chest level is not enough, you have to have a more comprehensive vision of how you will wear it. In order to help you do so, try as much as possible to go shopping while dressed as you would be dressed when wearing the piece of clothes you’re looking for. For example, wear a shirt and smart shoes if you’re looking for a new suit, it’ll be easier to decide if it’ll suit you well when worn.
Here’s another important point about pieces of clothing that you can close (with buttons or a zipper) is to try it both closed and opened, and play with it a bit. Moreover, if it has buttons, do not close that last button. You might not have noticed it yet, but it’s a detail that is hardly ever neglected by the great names of fashion, and with good reason. Letting that button opened has many benefits. The main one is physical; your hips are wider than your torso, and letting it close do not flatter your silhouette. It gives the unconscious impression that you’re someone that’s inhibited, just as if you were wearing a shirt buttoned-up all the way to the top without a tie. The second reason concerns your comfort; that damn button hinders you. It gets too tight when you bend down, is on the brink of popping when you sit down a bit too fast, and it makes your clothes riding up. Finally, one last notable reason has to do with style; by opening this button, you’ll let your belt appear. This allows you to play and coordinate its color or material with another piece of your outfit, or simply add a fun element to your outfit without it going unnoticed.
This post is also available in: French
