# Men, we're facing a crisis with button up shirts **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033 "2014-11-19T02:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/1 "2014-11-19T02:20:25Z")
The whole skinny fad (which I loathe) is now infecting the design of button up shirts. I’m 5’10", about 180 lbs, a bit of a gut, but not too much. I just bought 3 shirts at The Gap and have to return all three. I put each on and each feels like the shoulders/chest will tear if I were to bend down to button my shoes. This is getting crazy! I bought a Nautica shirt last fall (2013) that was on the trim side, but still room enough to move in. Then I bought a Perry Ellis shirt last January and it felt even more snug, but still enough room left that it is comfortable. Then last April, I bought 2 shirts at Express, and yep, even more snug. After two washings, they’re at the point where I don’t feel comfortable wearing them. Now tonight with those damn Gap shirts. No where on them does it say slim fit. I even asked the woman at the checkout and she assured me they weren’t slim. And these 3 shirts I bought were all large and from two different styles. So what is a guy to do? I bought an LL Bean shirt last summer that was a “classic” fit. Sorry, but that thing is too far in the other direction. I feel like I have a tent draped over me. All my adult life I have been able to go into a clothing store and grab a size L button up shirt and be happy (this even when I was heavier). Evidently those days are long gone. What’s a guy to do? ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/2 "2014-11-19T02:28:03Z")
Get yourself measured, go online and compare your measurements to various sizes of shirts? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/3 "2014-11-19T02:29:45Z")
Try on shirts before you buy them? ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/4 "2014-11-19T02:31:16Z")
> [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](#): > > Try on shirts before you buy them? I’m ok with having to return the shirts. I’m just frustrated that more and more retailers are selling shirts that only snug. I can tell you now that The Gap does not have a shirt that will fit me the way I want (and always enjoyed). ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/5 "2014-11-19T02:34:06Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > Get yourself measured, go online and compare your measurements to various sizes of shirts? I could do this, but I’m not really going for dress shirts (I think I’m a 16 neck, 34/35). I just want to grab a size L like I have for the past 20 years and be good to go. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find an L that isn’t snug tight. I guess I could take up heroin and have it work itself out. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/6 "2014-11-19T02:36:31Z")
You can have shirts made to your specific measures for about what those gap shirts cost you. Maybe a little more. But they’d fit exactly right. It’s amazing what difference a truly well fitting shirt makes. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/7 "2014-11-19T02:38:41Z")
Careful, you’re perilously close to being an old curmudgeon. Back in my days a large shirt was a goddamn LARGE SHIRT! You either have to find your measurement and find what size correlates or hope that you get lucky. It’s all up to you. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/8 "2014-11-19T02:40:34Z")
You need to start adding Xs to the size of shirts you’re wearing. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/9 "2014-11-19T02:44:21Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > Careful, you’re perilously close to being an old curmudgeon. > > Back in my days a large shirt was a goddamn LARGE SHIRT! > > You either have to find your measurement and find what size correlates or hope that you get lucky. It’s all up to you. Get the hell off my lawn. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/10 "2014-11-19T02:46:06Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > You need to start adding Xs to the size of shirts you’re wearing. I just took an old Gap shirt out of the back of my closet. I bet I bought this over 10 years ago. Tag says L. Put it on and it fits perfect! It’s this damn skinny trend that’s screwing it all up. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/11 "2014-11-19T02:50:32Z")
My work was just handing out t-shirts. Apparently I’m a large. I’m 5’7" and 150 pounds. How in the hell is that ever a large? ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/12 "2014-11-19T02:52:27Z")
Shirts in the past were baggy as all get out. Slim cut shirts fit better. This doesn’t mean SMALLER shirts, but it does mean not having fabric flapping around your waist. [![](https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/1/5741362/il_340x270.642018548_82lr.jpg) ](https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/1/5741362/il_340x270.642018548_82lr.jpg) Look at those arms. Way too baggy. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/13 "2014-11-19T02:53:18Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > My work was just handing out t-shirts. Apparently I’m a large. > > I’m 5’7" and 150 pounds. How in the hell is that ever a large? Wash it and run it through the dryer once. It’ll be a medium. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/14 "2014-11-19T02:53:47Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > I just took an old Gap shirt out of the back of my closet. I bet I bought this over 10 years ago. Tag says L. Put it on and it fits perfect! > > It’s this damn skinny trend that’s screwing it all up. There’s really only two choices: Wear shirts that have the \*right \*tag but are too tight - or wear shirts that have the \*wrong \*tag but fit. Godspeed to you. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/15 "2014-11-19T02:57:26Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Wash it and run it through the dryer once. It’ll be a medium. Sure, I did and it fits perfectly. Am I really a large though? What the hell do really large people do? There’s no way in hell I’m a large yet that’s what I need to buy. I suppose that really large people look for XXXL or something. I’m a fairly small guy at 5’7" and 150 pounds. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But that sure sounds like a medium to me. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/16 "2014-11-19T02:58:16Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > There’s really only two choices: Wear shirts that have the \*right \*tag but are too tight - or wear shirts that have the \*wrong \*tag but fit. > > Godspeed to you. An XL will look ridiculous. No one told me getting older would be so difficult… ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/17 "2014-11-19T02:58:26Z")
I’m actually really happy with the slim fit thing over the past few years. Button downs still don’t fit like custom or anything off the rack, but a medium slim fit is much better than either a small or a medium was five years ago. So, uh, one in favor. The odd thing is that I wouldn’t really call myself “slim”… but “classic” button downs have always had way, way too much fabric around the waist. (I’m either a small or a medium for T-shirts depending on brands and I’m around your size at 5’8" 155, **Leaffan** - not sure what’s going on with T-shirts up there!) ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/18 "2014-11-19T03:00:18Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Sure, I did and it fits perfectly. Am I really a large though? What the hell do really large people do? There’s no way in hell I’m a large yet that’s what I need to buy. I suppose that really large people look for XXXL or something. > > I’m a fairly small guy at 5’7" and 150 pounds. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But that sure sounds like a medium to me. Sizes really make no sense. I also tried on 3 different pairs of pants tonight (different companies, too). All were size 36/30. One was too loose in the waste (could pull them down while buttoned). One was too tight and could barely button. One fit normally, so I bought them. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/19 "2014-11-19T03:02:52Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Sizes really make no sense. > > I also tried on 3 different pairs of pants tonight (different companies, too). > > All were size 36/30. > > One was too loose in the waste (could pull them down while buttoned). > > One was too tight and could barely button. > > One fit normally, so I bought them. Now that’s interesting, because pant size in inches seems to be very consistent for me. I’ll try them on, but I can almost be guaranteed that a 32/30 will fit just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033/20 "2014-11-19T03:18:24Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > Shirts in the past were baggy as all get out. Slim cut shirts fit better. This doesn’t mean SMALLER shirts, but it does mean not having fabric flapping around your waist. > > [https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/1/5741362/il\_340x270.642018548\_82lr.jpg](https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/1/5741362/il_340x270.642018548_82lr.jpg) > > Look at those arms. Way too baggy. 34 year old guy here. Yes. Yes. Yes. I hate older button ups because they are so goddamm baggy, too much fabric in the arms and don’t cut at the waist. I’m 5’9" and weigh 165. I don’t have a gut really but am not ripped. Pretty well proportioned. I absolutely cannot go back to wearing button up shirts that are older than 3-4 years because they are cut so unshapely. In order for a button up to look right you need to at least slightly fill out the chest. Old shirts that was impossible for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-were-facing-a-crisis-with-button-up-shirts/705033.md?page=2)