The collar must touch your neck when buttoned closed, and you should be able to place two fingers between the collar and your neck, without feeling any discomfort. If you can barely breathe and you can’t place any fingers between your neck and collar – too tight!
In this post
Stick a finger or two between your neck and the collar. Our Stylists say if you can comfortably fit more than one finger in-between the collar and your neck, it’s too big. Others insist you can have room for two, but no more. But ideally, there should be no noticeable gaps when you’re fully buttoned.
A fitted shirt will feel snug, but not too tight. Your chest should “fill out” the shirt in a way where your body is discernible under the fabric. Note: If the buttons pull when you’re standing still with your arms down, it’s too tight.
As tight or snug as possible without being uncomfortable. You should be able to fit 1-2 fingers between the collar and your neck when it is buttoned. You should not have a large gap showing between the collar and neck. Heavier men should make sure their necks are not puffing out over the top of the collar.
How Loose Should a shirt be?
It should sit against your shoulders at the base of your neck, with an inch or so of give. If you can see your pecs or collarbones, it’s too loose.”
Button up the shirt and lay it flat on the ground with the back of the shirt facing up. Place the measuring tape at the seam where the collar band attaches to the yoke (the fabric that sits across the shoulders) and measure straight down the middle of the back of the shirt to the hem at its longest point.
The optimal length in the back should be 1 inch below the “butthigh”. The front length of the shirt should fall to the crotch point but no shorter than 1 inch above the crotch point. The optimal front length for a hybrid link is to the front crotch point.
The back of your collar should land on the back of your neck, without a large gap (a finger should fit in comfortably). A large gap between your neck and your collar is a sign that the shirt is too large for you.
What to do if a shirt is too big?
1. Side Seams. One of the best, most professional ways to resize a too-big shirt of any kind is to cut away the excess material at the side seams and re-sew the seams in a closer, more fitted shape. This process does require a sewing machine, pins, matching thread, and a bit of sewing experience.
Is it better to wear tight or loose shirt?
As long as you have a full range of motion, tight clothing is the way to go.” Experts say that compression clothing can increase blood and lymphatic flow which can boost your performance in the gym – by allowing for oxygen to be delivered more efficiently to your muscles.
Should my shirt be tight or loose?
A tee shouldn’t be too loose, or it’ll hang awkwardly and make you look shapeless. Too tight and it’ll show your least flattering contours — even if you have a perfectly toned torso, you might look a bit showy in a tight tee. If you’re slim, choose a t-shirt with a tailored torso so you’re not swallowed up.
Are shirts meant to be tight?
The buttons should lay flat and there should be about 2-3 inches of extra fabric on each side of your body so that you can move comfortably. Your shirt should be snug, but not tight under your arms and across your back.
Both casual button up shirts and dress shirts can be shortened by an experienced tailor. This may not be an issue for true dress shirts, as you’ll wear these tucked into your pants. But if a casual button up is too long to wear untucked, you can have it shortened.
Why are dress shirts so baggy?
Your dress shirt may be baggy simply because you have bought the wrong size for your body. Knowing your shirt size at the start can really help you to pick a shirt that is right for you and prevent you from wasting money on one that won’t flatter your body.
How do you make shirts less baggy?
Set your washing machine settings to the hottest water possible. Wash the shirt on a regular wash cycle. If you bought a new shirt and want to shrink it before wearing, washing the shirt on hot will tighten the fibers and reduce its size slightly.
The button-down collar is hotly debated as either too traditional or too casual, but we think it is a classic all-American collar that will never go out of style.
The basic answer is a button up shirt is any shirt that has buttons running up the front; a button down shirt is the same but has additional buttons on the collar.