Sweatshirt Sizing: How to Pick Your Size

Do not buy by the letter. Buy by the width figure on the size guide. A medium in one sweatshirt can be four inches wider across the chest than a medium in another, and the letter on the label tells you nothing about which. The reliable method takes two minutes: measure a sweatshirt you already like flat on a table, then find the size whose numbers match. Everything below is how to do that properly.

Why the same letter is not the same size

Letter sizes are not standardised. Each garment is cut to its own block, and the block is set by the maker and the intended fit, not by any shared rule. So the only thing that carries across is the measurement.

Two of ours make the point. Laid flat, the Heavyweight Crewneck Sweatshirt measures 24 3/4 inches across in medium. The Box Logo Premium Hoodie measures 21 inches across in medium. Same letter, nearly four inches of difference.

Push it further. The crewneck in a small is 22 3/4 inches across. The hoodie in a large is 23. Within a quarter of an inch of each other, three letters apart. Neither guide is wrong. They are different garments with different fits, and the letter is simply a label.

Measure something you already own

You need a sweatshirt you already like the fit of, a tape measure and a flat surface. No need to measure yourself. Every figure in this article is in inches, and each product page carries the same guide in centimetres if you would rather work that way — just stay in one unit throughout.

1. Lay the garment flat, front up. Smooth out the creases and square up the sides so it is not stretched or bunched.
2. Width. Measure straight across from one underarm seam to the other, in inches. Keep the tape flat and level. Write the number down.
3. Length. Measure in inches from the highest point of the shoulder, just beside the collar, straight down to the bottom hem.
4. Compare those two numbers to the size guide on the product page and pick the size that matches, or the nearest one above if you are between.

That is it. Because you measured the garment rather than your body, you are comparing like with like, which is what makes the answer dependable.

One caution on sleeves. Sleeve length is measured from different starting points by different makers, and the guides say so: our crewneck guide lists sleeve length plainly, while our oversized tee guide specifies from centre back. Compare a sleeve figure to another figure measured the same way, or leave sleeves out of the decision and go on width and length.

What our fit descriptions mean

Each product page states the intended fit in a line above the size guide. It is worth reading, because it tells you what the pattern is trying to do before the numbers confirm it.

• Relaxed fit. Roomy through the body and cut for layering. The Heavyweight Crewneck is relaxed, which is why its width figures run generous.
• Modern fit. A more tailored look than a regular fit. The Box Logo Premium Hoodie is cut this way, so it sits closer to the body at the same letter.
• Oversized. A deliberately wide silhouette meant to drape. The Heavyweight Oversized T-Shirt is a relaxed, oversized cut in a men's pattern.

Fit and weight work together. Heavier fleece stands away from the body and holds a boxier shape, so a relaxed heavyweight reads larger than the same measurements in a thin fabric. We covered the weight side of this separately in what GSM means on a sweatshirt.

Our numbers, side by side

Width across the chest, laid flat, in inches, as published on each product page. The guides name the column slightly differently, so the labels are given as they appear.

• Heavyweight Crewneck Sweatshirt (width, S to 2XL): 22 3/4 · 24 3/4 · 26 3/4 · 28 3/4 · 30 3/4. Body length 27 to 31. Relaxed fit.
• Box Logo Premium Hoodie (chest width, S to 3XL): 20 · 21 · 23 · 25 · 26 1/2 · 28. Body length 27 to 32. Modern fit.
• Heavyweight Oversized T-Shirt (shirt width, S to 2XL): 20 · 22 · 24 · 26 · 28. Body length 26 to 32 1/2. Relaxed and oversized.

Every product page carries its own guide in both inches and centimetres, and the page is the version to trust if it ever differs from this one. Size ranges differ too: the hoodie goes to 3XL, the crewneck and the tee stop at 2XL.

When to size up, and when not to

Sizing up is a decision about the silhouette you want, not a way of correcting for a brand.

• Size up if you want a boxier shape than the pattern gives, if it will go over a hoodie or a thick jumper, or if your measured width sits between two sizes and you would rather have the room.
• Stay with your measurement if the fit is already relaxed. A relaxed heavyweight one size up tends to drop the shoulder seam well down the arm and lose its shape rather than gain room.
• Check length as well as width before sizing up. Each step adds about an inch of body length, and on a crewneck that is where a larger size shows first.

If you are still between two sizes after measuring, send us the two numbers and we will tell you which one we would pick. You can see the full range in men's streetwear and women's streetwear.

The letter on the label is a convenience. The tape measure is the answer.