One of the biggest mistakes men make when wearing dress shirts, is wearing the wrong size. The collar doesn’t fit right, the sleeves are either too short or too long, and the waistline of the dress shirt doesn’t compliment the body type that it covers. Many men guess their size and never bother to take a few minutes to get fitted properly. The beauty of sizing in men’s dress shirts is that once you have been properly measured, you can almost always be certain a shirt will fit perfectly by looking only at the size tag and never actually trying it on. This makes dress shirt shopping even a piece of cake for the laziest of all shoppers. Once you know your size you can even order them on the internet and never fight the crowds at your local mall. Here is what you need to know about finding the perfect size dress shirt.

General Information on Men’s Dress Shirt Sizing

Most men’s dress shirts are measured by the width of the neck at the collar. For most men, the measurement of their neck coincides nicely with the proper sleeve length and breadth of the rest of the shirt. Another thing to consider when finding the perfect fitting dress shirt is to think about the style you prefer. If you like a more form fitting shirt to accentuate an athletic frame, go for a more tailored style shirt. If you have a heavier frame, the cut of a standard “American” dress shirt will probably fit the bill.

About Measurement Numbers Used in Sizing

British and U.S. sizes are actually identical for men’s dress shirts. The number you see listed on the sizing tag refers to the number of inches around the circumference of your neck. Small dress shirts are sized between 14 and 15. A medium size dress shirt is between 15 ½ and 16 ½. Large dress shirts are between size 17 and 18 and anything larger than an 18 would be considered extra large.

Japanese and European sizes are also based on the circumference on the neck, but they are listed in centimeters instead of inches. If you know your British/U.S. size, simply multiple it by 2.54 to get your Japanese/European size. If you are in a hurry and don’t have a calculator handy, you can add 22 to your British/U.S. size and then round that number up for a good guesstimate of your Japanese/European size.

Korean sizes are different than both of those listed above. To find you Korean size, you will just need to add 2 to your British/U.S. size.

Be sure to do a good measurement of the circumference of your neck before you go shopping, or find a good tailor to do the measurement for you. Always remember the rule that there are 2.54 centimeters to an inch to make easy conversions from British/U.S. sizes to Japanese/European sizes. This will ensure you know what to buy whether you are shopping in New York, London, Milan, or Tokyo.

If your collar size is above an 18, you may find yourself frustrated shopping at standard men’s stores because your size is not readily available. There are amazing specialty stores for “big and tall” men that will have your size on hand. A few men have very non-standard proportions and find that choosing shirts based solely on their neck size do not work. The best option if you just don’t fit the standard mold is to find a good tailor to work with. Usually you will still purchase dress shirts based on your neck size, but a good tailor can get the rest of the shirt to fit your body type perfectly.