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Dress Shirt Sizing: Neck, Sleeve & Fit
Neck and sleeve numbers decoded — how to measure once and order the right size every time.
Dress Shirt Sizing Guide: Neck, Sleeve & Fit
Buying a dress shirt online feels like a gamble only if you skip the tape measure. Two numbers — neck and sleeve — determine whether a shirt looks tailored or borrowed, and both take about three minutes to get right. This guide walks you through measuring at home, decoding fit types, and knowing what a tailor can fix versus what means you ordered the wrong size.
How to Measure Your Neck
Your neck size is the single most important number in dress shirt sizing, because collars come in half-inch increments and everything else flows from them.
The two-finger method
Wrap a soft measuring tape around the base of your neck, right where a collar would sit — just above the Adam's apple, below the jawline. Keep it snug but not tight. Slide two fingers between the tape and your neck; the reading at that point is your collar size. If you land between half inches, round up. Most of our dress shirts run in neck sizes from 14.5 to 18 inches.
Common mistakes
Don't measure over a thick sweatshirt or with the tape angled down your back. Measure in the evening or after a meal if you want the more generous (honest) reading — necks swell slightly through the day, and a collar that's perfect at 8 a.m. shouldn't strangle you at 8 p.m.
How to Measure Your Sleeve
Sleeve length is measured from the center of the back of your neck, over the shoulder, down the outside of a slightly bent arm, to the wrist bone. Stand relaxed — shoulders back, arm bent about 45 degrees at the elbow, as if you were checking a watch.
The easy shortcut
If you own one shirt that fits well, lay it flat and measure from the center back of the collar to the end of the cuff. That's your sleeve length. Our dress shirts typically pair sleeves 32–34 inches with smaller neck sizes and 34–37 inches with larger ones.
Where the cuff should land
A well-sized sleeve ends right at the wrist bone, letting about a half inch of cuff show past your jacket sleeve. If the cuff rides up when you raise your arms, the sleeve is too short; if fabric pools over your hand, it's too long.
Fit Types: Slim, Classic, Relaxed
Fit describes the body of the shirt — how much fabric sits between you and the buttons.
Slim fit
Cut close through the chest, waist, and sleeves. Slim is the right call if you have a narrower build or prefer a clean, tucked-in line with no billowing. If the buttons pull even slightly when you're sitting, you need a size up or a different fit.
Classic fit
A comfortable middle ground with room through the body and a slightly fuller sleeve. This suits most builds and is the safest choice for your first shirt in a new brand. Back darts can give a classic fit a more tailored waist without going full slim.
Relaxed fit
Generous through the body and sleeves, meant for casual wear or layering — think flannels over henleys. Don't buy relaxed for the office unless your workplace leans very casual.
You can shop all three across our dress shirt collection, from slim oxfords to relaxed flannels.
Collar Styles Explained
Button-down
The casual classic. Collar points fasten to the shirt, keeping everything in place without a tie. Best with blazers-off looks, chinos, and weekend wear.
Spread
The collar points angle outward, framing the tie knot. A wider spread suits wider tie knots and rounder faces; a narrower spread flatters narrower faces. This is the office standard.
Point and semi-spread
The middle ground between button-down and spread — versatile with or without a tie, and the safest choice if you only own one dress shirt.
Cuff Types
Single-button barrel cuffs are the everyday default — one button, one clean fold. Adjustable cuffs with two button positions give you a little extra room for a watch or a thicker wrist. French cuffs (for cufflinks) are a formal step up and best reserved for suits.
What to Tailor vs. What to Return
A tailor can fix a lot, but not everything.
Tailor-friendly fixes
Shortening sleeves, taking in the body sides, nipping the waist, and shortening the shirt length are all inexpensive alterations that turn a good shirt into a perfect one.
Deal-breakers
Shoulders that sit past your shoulder edge, a collar that gaps or chokes, or a shirt that pulls at the chest — these are structural. Return and re-size instead of altering, because the cost of fixing them approaches the cost of the shirt.
Trying Shirts On: The Checklist
When the shirt arrives, run this five-point check before you remove the tags:
1. Collar: button it fully — two fingers should fit between neck and collar. 2. Shoulders: the seam sits at the edge of your shoulder, not on the arm or the collarbone. 3. Chest: pinch an inch or two of fabric at the side; less than an inch is tight, more than three is baggy. 4. Sleeves: cuffs end at the wrist bone with arms at your sides. 5. Length: tucked in, the shirt shouldn't balloon at the waist when you sit — about 2–3 inches of fabric below the belt line is plenty.
If two of these fail, the size or fit is wrong. If one fails, a tailor visit might be worth it. And remember: between sizes, size up for shirts — fabric can be taken in, but it can't be added.