# To size a dress shirt, you just need to measure the neck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414 "2005-12-13T14:44:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jill\_s\_Fruitcake\_Mine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jill\_s\_Fruitcake\_Mine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jill_s_Fruitcake_Mine)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/21 "2005-12-13T22:47:15Z")
What I’ve always wondered is why they allow things to be mislabeled in size (The euphemism is “These run large/small”. Seems to me there are laws about labeling for size of dog food cans, where it has to be within a narrow range of what’s stated. The same should apply to clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/22 "2005-12-13T22:54:23Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > I am an engineer also. I have noticed that almost nobody is wearing suits to interviews in southern California. > > But if your are going to the touble to wear a suit you should do it correctly. That sounds like good advice, thanks. I could probably stand to wear a long-sleeve shirt for the duration of an interview. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/23 "2005-12-13T23:05:49Z")
I’m 6’4" and a little lighter than **Invisible Wombat** but when family approach me about buying shirts, I always suggest they go for the Extra Long variety. Marks & Spencer do a ‘2" longer’ variety that seems to have set the standard. But the d\*mn things have two buttons at the bottom and no button-hole. Yes, I know they’re supposed to be spares, but if the guy’s 2" longer in the sleeve and body, he needs that extra button-hole. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/24 "2005-12-14T01:35:04Z")
Ack! Short-sleeved dress shirt! With a suit! :eek: Get over to Nordstrom and splurge on one nice dress shirt. Their signature store brand shirts are great quality and always $39.50 IIRC. And if it helps win you over to the long-sleeved side of the Force- you will get laid a LOT more often if you ditch the short-sleeved dress shirt. I’m just sayin’… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/25 "2005-12-14T02:48:57Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > Right. You should get a properly-sized long-sleeved shirt - which means you need to know your sleeve length. They aren’t any more expensive than a short-sleeve. And, in fact, most shirt-makers don’t even offer a short-sleeve version in their better quality shirts. Any even half-competent menswear shop, including such entry-level stores as J.C. Penney, will have a guy who can measure you. I used to work in menswear. Measuring for shirts is easy. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/26 "2005-12-14T03:48:36Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > I was gonna say he should meet me after school on the playground so I can take his lunch money. > > –Cliffy Or like Michael Douglas in _Falling Down_ and no one will take your lunch money but I have to admit he looked pretty geeky. The shotgun wasn’t enough to overcome the birth control glasses. Never wear a tie with a short sleeve shirt. **Revtim** , depending on your size you might try a fat basatard, I mean big tall shop. You can get dress shirts sized for neck and sleeve in a big cut that will ease the strain on those belly region buttons. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/27 "2005-12-14T19:50:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > …I always suggest they go for the Extra Long variety. Me, too. I hate reaching for something overhead and having my shirt come completely untucked. Do you wear extra-long ties, or just tie them so the small end is really short? I can get away with that on some ties, but others just look funny when the knot isn’t where they intended it to be. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/28 "2005-12-14T22:47:07Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > I am an engineer also. I have noticed that almost nobody is wearing suits to interviews in southern California. Or in Silicon Valley. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a short sleeve “dressy” shirt in anything but S,M,L. But I agree, wear a long sleeve shirt, suit or no. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/29 "2005-12-15T01:45:23Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > Right. You should get a properly-sized long-sleeved shirt - which means you need to know your sleeve length. They aren’t any more expensive than a short-sleeve. And, in fact, most shirt-makers don’t even offer a short-sleeve version in their better quality shirts. Any even half-competent menswear shop, including such entry-level stores as J.C. Penney, will have a guy who can measure you. > > Also, to be properly attired, the cuffs of shirt sleeves should be just visible beyond the jacket when your arms are in their natural resting position hanging at your sides. > > I recommend the Roberto Villini line available at any S&K Menswear shop (also available thru [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) now I see). These are an excellent value in a mid-price men’s dress shirt. Usually between forty and fifty bucks and offered in a wide variety of colors and fabrics. I’ve got probably 15 or 18 of 'em hanging in my closet that I’ve bought over the last five, or so, years. You will also want to take the shirt to your local dry cleaner to be washed and pressed prior to wearing it. A nice crisp freshly pressed dress shirt is essential to looking sharp. The wrong shirt, or a poorly pressed one, can make even an expensive and well-tailored suit look bad. And shine them shoes, too. > > Here, these are on sale even. Forty-five bucks marked down to fifteen. I have all three of these. These, although they’re 100% cotton, aren’t made of the nicest, or softest fabric, but the colors are really excellent, especially the burgundy. The gold one is more brownish-green than the picture shows, so you might wanna beware of that one. > > [http://www.skmenswear.com/skmenswear/1000\_shop/1120\_cat\_catalog.asp?dept\_id=9&display\_dept\_id=63](http://www.skmenswear.com/skmenswear/1000_shop/1120_cat_catalog.asp?dept_id=9&display_dept_id=63) hell, for low cost cotton (yes, please, 100% cotton, or it will look bad in two washes), you should check out Lands End. For $50, you could get a dress shirt at Brooks Bros ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/30 "2005-12-15T07:49:08Z")
If you are going to get a dress shirt, I have 1 recommendation: Nordstrom’s They have these SmartCare dress shirts (100% cotton) which are very nice, but wrinkle free. I have a closet full of them. I can wash and dry them in the machine and they come out unwrinkled, no ironing needed, with the nice pleats/creases (or whatever you call them on a shirt) around the cuff and 2 in the back. Very easy. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414/31 "2005-12-15T16:43:32Z")
Hee. SpouseO’s very tall, but not big. However, I thought I’d try one of those big and tall stores this Christmas for some sweaters. Apparently, it’s not an either/or type of store - you need to fit both descriptions before you can shop there. Back to Eddie Bauer and hoping that the XL Talls fit, again, for me. I love **Padeye** ’s description of these types of stores. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-size-a-dress-shirt-you-just-need-to-measure-the-neck/335414.md?page=1)