T-Shirt Size Chart: How to Measure and How Many of Each Size to Order

A T-shirt size chart lists a chest measurement and a body length for each letter size, and the only chart that counts is the one for the exact shirt you are ordering. This T-shirt size guide covers adult and youth T-shirt sizes, shows real measurements for two of our blank tees, explains how to measure a shirt in two minutes, and gives you a paper worksheet for how many of each size to order for a group. The same size label can fit differently from one style to the next, so treat every number here as belonging to the shirt it was published for.

How to Read a T-Shirt Size Chart

Every table below is a US T-shirt size chart, so every number is in inches. A chart has letter sizes on one axis (S, M, L, XL and up) and measurements on the other. Most charts give at least two: chest and body length. Some add sleeve length, which is measured from the center of the back to the end of the sleeve.

Two details trip people up. First, the chest number on a chart is usually the shirt itself laid flat, not a measurement around a person. Second, the chest figure on a chart does not tell you which size fits a body. For that you need a T-shirt fit guide, a separate body-chest table that some makers print. Below you will find both kinds for one shirt, so you can see how they differ.

Unisex T-Shirt Size Chart: Two Tees Side by Side

Unisex shirt sizing means one cut sold to all adults, and it is usually straighter through the body than a fitted women's tee. The tables below are the measurements the makers publish for two of our blank tees. Chest is the shirt laid flat and measured 1 inch below the armhole. Body length runs from the high point of the shoulder to the hem. Use them as an adult T-shirt size chart for these two styles only.

Soft Jersey Unisex Tee, XS to 5XL

This tee runs from 16 1/2 inches across the chest at XS to 32 inches at 5XL. These measurements are for our soft jersey unisex tee. Source: the maker's specification sheet, which notes that measurements are subject to change.

Core Cotton Tee, S to 6XL

This tee runs from 18 inches across the chest at S to 33 inches at 6XL, and its chart adds sleeve length. These measurements are for our core cotton tee. Source: the maker's specification sheet. Body length is measured at the back from the high point of the shoulder to the finished hem.

Two Tees, One Lesson

The same letter size can measure differently from one style to the next, so always use the chart for the exact tee you order. Compare the tables. From S through 4XL the two tees match on chest and body length. At 5XL they part ways: the soft jersey tee is 32 in across the chest and 35 in long, while the core cotton tee is 31 in across and 34 1/2 in long. That is a small gap, but it means a 5XL shirt size chart is only useful when it comes from the style you plan to order, not from a general table.

Which Size Fits Your Chest?

Measure around the fullest part of the chest with arms down and the tape level, then find that number in the fit guide below: on our core cotton tee, 38 to 40 inches is a Medium and 41 to 43 inches is a Large. The flat chest numbers in the tables above describe the shirt; this guide, which the maker publishes on the same page as its specification sheet, matches a person to a size.

Source: the same maker's specification sheet. These ranges belong to this shirt. Another style can draw the lines in different places.

What About a Women's Fit?

Measure a shirt she already likes and compare it with the flat chest number on the chart for the tee you plan to order. A women's T-shirt size chart for a fitted cut reads differently from the unisex tables above, so do not borrow numbers across styles.

Here is a real example. These measurements are for our women's eco short sleeve tee, taken flat in inches. Chest is measured across the chest 1 inch below the armhole, front body length from the high point of the shoulder to the front hem, and sleeve length from the center back of the neck to the sleeve hem. The maker allows a tolerance of plus or minus half an inch. Source: the maker's size guide.

Compare the Medium with the unisex tables above: this women's Medium is 19.25 inches across the chest and 26.5 inches long, while both unisex Mediums are 20 inches across and 29 inches long. That is why a women's cut often fits closer and shorter than the same letter size in a unisex tee.

How to Take T-Shirt Measurements

Lay a shirt that fits well flat, measure across the chest 1 inch below the armholes, then measure from the top of the shoulder to the hem. Taking T-shirt measurements takes two minutes and a flexible tape. Pick a shirt that fits the way you want the new one to fit, and follow these steps.

1. Lay the shirt flat on a table and smooth out the wrinkles.
2. For the chest, measure straight across the shirt about 1 inch below the armhole, from one side seam to the other.
3. For shirt length, measure from the high point of the shoulder, next to the collar, down the back to the bottom hem.
4. Write down both numbers and find the row on the chart that is closest to them.
5. If the numbers land between two rows, size up. A shirt that is slightly roomy still gets worn; one that is tight usually does not.

To check a person instead of a shirt, use the body-chest method from the fit guide above: tape around the fullest part of the chest, arms down, tape level all the way around.

How Many of Each Size to Order for a Group?

Ask everyone for their size first, order the counts you get, and add a few spares in the sizes that came up most. A survey beats any formula, because it uses the sizes your people actually wear. Always include 2XL and up, even if only one or two people ask.

Here is a T-shirt size breakdown calculator you can do on paper. Copy this worksheet, leave the cells blank, and fill it in as sign-ups arrive.

The steps take five minutes:

1. Put a size question on the sign-up form, and link to the size chart for the style you have chosen so people can check a shirt they own.
2. Close the list on a date, and add up each size in the second column.
3. Add a few spares in the sizes that came up most. A late joiner or a shrunk shirt is easier to cover from spares than from a second order.
4. Add each row across to get the number to order, and check that the Order column adds up to your total.

That is the whole T-shirt size calculator. If you cannot collect sizes at all, say so when you order and talk to us about a mix, rather than leaning on a formula from a website. Keep the worksheet and reuse it next time, adding each event's counts to the notes.

Youth T-Shirt Sizes for Family and School Groups

Youth T-shirt sizes are a separate range with their own labels. Our youth crew T-shirt runs XS to L, and this is the youth T-shirt size chart its maker publishes. The sheet labels the measurements as garment specifications: chest 1 inch below the armhole and length from the high point of the shoulder. It does not print units, but the "1 inch below armhole" label shows the numbers are in inches. Source: the maker's specification sheet.

A youth L on this shirt is 17 inches across and 23 inches long, while the adult S tees above are 18 inches across and 28 inches long. The biggest jump between the two ranges is in length, so a tall kid in a youth L may be better off in an adult S.

When you are unsure, measure a shirt the child already wears and compare it with the adult S row, or ask a parent on the sign-up form.

Should I Order Youth Sizes for a Family or School Event?

Only if you know kids will be there. Add youth sizes for the kids you expect, keep the rest of the order adult, and let the sign-up form say who needs which. Do not add youth shirts to an adults-only order just in case.

Common Size Questions

How Do I Know My T-Shirt Size?

Measure a shirt that fits you well, then match those numbers to the chart for the shirt you are buying. Lay it flat, measure across the chest and from the shoulder to the hem, then find the row on the chart closest to those two numbers. That is how you calculate T-shirt size for any style. If you fall between sizes, size up.

What Is the Typical Size Chart for a T-Shirt?

A typical chart lists letter sizes (S, M, L, XL, 2XL and up) against chest width and body length in inches. There is no single universal chart, so use the one for the specific style you are ordering.

Is L Size 40 or 42?

Neither number is a letter size: 40 and 42 are chest measurements in inches. On this shirt, our core cotton tee, a body chest of 41 to 43 inches is a Large, so 42 fits an L while 40 is a Medium. Laid flat, the large T-shirt measurements for the same tee are 22 in across the chest and 30 in long. Other styles differ, so check the chart for your shirt.

Is a Size 40 Shirt M or L?

On our core cotton tee, a 40 chest is a Medium, because M covers a body chest of 38 to 40 inches and L starts at 41. So 40 is an adult medium shirt size on this style only. Each maker draws the line between M and L in its own place, so measure a shirt that fits and compare it to the chart for the style you order.

Do Unisex Shirts Run Like Men's Sizes?

Mostly yes: a unisex tee is one straight cut sold to all adults, so it sizes much like a men's tee. Unisex tees are cut straighter than fitted women's tees, so some women pick a size down. Check the flat chest number on the chart against a shirt you already like rather than relying on a rule. If you want a closer fit, look for a fitted cut with its own chart.

Frequently asked questions

What does 2XL mean on a size chart?

2XL means two sizes above XL, and it is often written XXL. On our core cotton tee, a 2XL measures 26 inches across the chest laid flat and 32 inches long, and it fits a body chest of 47 to 49 inches. Check the chart for your style, since the numbers change from one tee to the next.

How much bigger is each T-shirt size?

On both tees in this guide, each step from S up to 4XL adds 2 inches to the flat chest width and 1 inch to the body length. Above 4XL the steps get smaller on the core cotton tee, so read the exact rows instead of assuming the pattern holds.

Is the chest number on a chart around the body or across the shirt?

On a garment chart, the chest number is usually the shirt laid flat and measured straight across. Double it to get the distance around the shirt. A body-chest fit guide, like the one above, is a tape measurement around a person, and the two should not be mixed up.

What is the difference between a 5XL and a 6XL?

On our core cotton tee, a 5XL is 31 inches across the chest and 34 1/2 inches long, and a 6XL is 33 inches across and 35 inches long. The fit guide puts 5XL at a body chest of 58 to 60 inches and 6XL at 61 to 63 inches.

Pick One Style, Then Order Every Size in It

Once you have your size count, pick one style and order every size in it, so the whole group gets the same fit and the same print. Browse custom short sleeve T-shirts, custom T-shirts for groups, long sleeve T-shirts or the wider range of promotional apparel.

For design and timing, read our T-shirt design ideas for bulk orders and how long production takes. If the shirts are for staff, see our new hire welcome kit ideas, and for events, our trade show swag ideas.