T-shirt sizing and fit: Asian, European and US size charts explained

The most common complaint from new importers is not fabric and not printing. It is sizing. The reason is simple: a size letter means nothing on its own. There is no global standard forcing factories to make L a particular size, and every factory works to its own measurement chart. The answer is not in the letter; it is in the numbers.

Why does a Chinese size differ from a European one?

Asian charts are built on the average body measurements of their own markets, and they run roughly a full size smaller than European and US charts. In practice, a t-shirt labelled L on a domestic Chinese chart can be a European M, and in some markets closer to an S. Export-focused factories know this and will produce to European or US charts on request, but they do not do it by default. You have to ask for the chart you want, in writing, attached to the contract.

Which measurements must the chart contain?

• Chest width: measured flat from underarm to underarm. The single most important number.
• Body length: from the highest shoulder point to the bottom hem.
• Shoulder width: from one shoulder seam edge to the other.
• Sleeve length: from the shoulder seam to the sleeve opening.
• Sleeve opening width: critical on oversized cuts.
• Neck opening width and depth: often forgotten, then a source of complaints.
• Bottom hem width: this decides whether the body is straight or tapered.

All seven are stated in centimetres for every size. Without them you cannot reject goods, because there is nothing written to hold the factory to.

Common fits

Classic fit: relatively wide and straight, with the shoulder seam at the bone. The traditional cut for promotional and workwear tees. Slim fit: narrower at the waist with a shorter sleeve, common in youth retail. Oversized fit: the shoulder drops below the bone, the body is wider and the length proportionally shorter; it needs fabric above 190 grams or it looks limp. Boxy fit: width close to length, common in fashion-led tees.

What tolerance is acceptable?

No production run is without variation. The industry norm is one to one and a half centimetres on chest and length, and less on the smaller measurements. What matters is that the figure is written into the contract, because without it any deviation becomes a matter of argument rather than measurement. Require also that tolerance is measured after the first wash rather than before, since shrinkage only appears once washed.

Shrinkage and size distribution

Untreated cotton typically shrinks 3% to 5%, mostly in length. Ask for pre-shrunk fabric and fix the permitted shrinkage after three washes. Size distribution should come from your sales data, not from instinct: in many markets the weight sits on the middle sizes, and ordering equal quantities of every size is an expensive mistake that ends as dead stock at the extremes.

How to prevent sizing problems before production

Ask for a production sample in three sizes rather than one: the smallest, the middle and the largest. Measure them yourself against the chart, then wash them once and measure again. This step takes a day and prevents the most expensive problem in importing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ask for a known brand's size chart? You can give the factory a reference garment to measure and build from, which is the fastest and most accurate method.

How many sizes should I produce? Four or five is a practical start, expanding later on sales data.

We send you a written measurement chart and samples in three sizes before production starts.