# Why is it so motherfucking hard to find size M t-shirts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2007, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202 "2007-06-24T08:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/1 "2007-06-24T08:57:31Z")
Am I the only one who has this problem? I’m 5’8" and have broad shoulders and chest and a “wrestler’s” build. A size S shirt is way way too tight around the chest and under the arms, totally impossible to wear comfortably. A size L shirt will hang off of me as if I just raided Shaq’s closet. Only a medium shirt will both look good and fit comfortably on my body type. Yet, I can’t ever FIND size M t-shirts when I look for vintage shirts on eBay. I’ve been trying to find vintage band shirts from the 80s and 90s and have been exceedingly frustrated by the lack of availability of medium-sized shirts. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/2 "2007-06-24T09:09:07Z")
I’m thinking it’s because even when guys like me could actually wear a M tshirt, I still bought XXL. The biggest I could get. Because I like that loose fitting thang. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/3 "2007-06-24T09:20:09Z")
Come over here and buy an XL. That seems to be about the same size as a medium in the West. They’ve FINALLY started making XXLs more common here, which is what I wear. Those are maybe not quite as large as an XL in the West. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/4 "2007-06-24T10:30:58Z")
[QUOTE=if6was9] I’m thinking it’s because even when guys like me could actually wear a M tshirt, I still bought XXL. The biggest I could get. Because I like that loose fitting thang. [/QUOTE] Yep, it’s because of guys like this one. You know how hip-hop stars are. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/5 "2007-06-24T11:03:14Z")
Try & find low-cost Size 11 Wide sneakers. Or any other kind of shoes, cheap. :smack: :rolleyes: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/6 "2007-06-24T11:49:07Z")
I hear ya, bro. I’m 5’8" as well, without the broad shoulders and wrestler’s build. I’m just a regular-shaped guy, and I can’t pull off the XXL T-shirt thing. I could go camping in one of those, using it for the tent. I look stupid even in a L. I’m in the Land Of Large Folks, and I haven’t been able to figure out whether all the M sized guys get there before me, or the stores just buy four of everything in M size, and the rest is outlandishly big. Last year I had to buy a winter coat. They had some really nice ones. In airplane-hangar-size. I bought one of three M-sized coats they had, out of hundreds. I didn’t even like it much, but it’s all they had. We had to find a way to tell my MIL to stop buying me shirts for Xmas, because she’d get the kind where you could fit two of me inside. I don’t think she was even aware there were sizes under XL. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/7 "2007-06-24T14:50:00Z")
Yes, every time someone ever gives me a shirt as a gift, it’s always way way too huge. Is there some way of shrinking shirts permanently? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/8 "2007-06-24T16:38:35Z")
I’m with you, my medium brother. Its like I need an extra medium because of my shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/9 "2007-06-24T20:18:37Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] I’m with you, my medium brother. Its like I need an extra medium because of my shoulders. [/QUOTE] Personally, I buy Extra Extra Medium. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/10 "2007-06-24T21:32:39Z")
The place that sold medium tall flannel shirts closed a few years ago. I was heartroken. Medium shirts barely come to my belt or the sleeves don’t come to my wrists. Large shirts are long enough but billow around my chest. Ladies complain about finding jeans that fit, us guys have issues too. 😃 typo ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/11 "2007-07-22T16:48:57Z")
Do you have American Apparel near you? They always seem to have ‘M’ t-shirts. Very comfortable too. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/12 "2007-07-22T19:14:14Z")
My SO has the same problem…he has a 31 inch waist and has to buy underwear in the BOYS section! At the local casinos, they often have give-away promotions with t-shirts…and the “smallest” size is usually LARGE, and then going up to XXXL! I have noticed that if you buy shirts that were made in Asia, sometimes their “Large” will fit a GI Joe doll and even their XL would be too small for Nicole Richie, but generally, if you are not a LARGE size guy, you are basically out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-motherfucking-hard-to-find-size-m-t-shirts/409202/13 "2007-07-22T19:57:43Z")
If you folks hate being size “M” because they never have more than 1 of each item, if that, try being a genuine size “S” some time. I was still buying from the teen racks when I was 40, and having a hell of a time finding casual clothes that even remotely matched my age & taste. Mass market retail is definitely aimed at the thick part of the bell curve. Now that I’ve gotten old enough to have gained a few (well quite a few) pounds, I find supplies of adult size “M” & “S” shirst are starting to become available. Now that I don’t fit in them any more.