Style Guide
Master your look with our expert shirt fitting guide. Learn to measure for your body type and fix common sizing issues. Shop the perfect fit at KCT Menswear.
Most men wear dress shirts a full size too big — and a shirt that balloons at the waist or chokes at the collar undoes everything the suit over it is trying to say. Here's how to find your real shirt fit in five checkpoints, and what to do when off-the-rack sizes almost-but-don't-quite work.
The Five Checkpoints
Collar
Buttoned to the top, you should fit two fingers between collar and neck — no more, no less. One finger means red marks by lunch; three means the tie knot will never sit right. Measure your neck just below the Adam's apple and add half an inch.
Shoulders
The shoulder seam should end exactly at the bone where your shoulder turns into your arm. This is the one measurement no tailor can economically fix — if the shoulders are wrong, put the shirt back.
Chest & Waist
You want a hand's width of fabric when you pinch at the chest — enough to move, not enough to billow. Buttons that pull into X-shapes mean too tight; vertical folds of loose fabric at the waist when tucked mean too big. Slim, modern, and classic cuts exist precisely because chests and waists don't scale together; pick the cut that matches your build rather than fighting alterations on every shirt.
Athletic builds usually need slim with a bigger neck; broader midsections live happiest in classic cuts.
Sleeves
Arms relaxed, the cuff should end where the wrist meets the hand — a quarter to half inch showing below a jacket sleeve. Cuffs riding up your forearm when you reach forward mean the sleeve is short, not the shirt "shrinking."
Length
A shirt meant to be tucked should reach mid-fly — long enough to stay put when you raise your arms, short enough not to bunch. If it untucks by 2 p.m., it failed this checkpoint, not you.
When Off-the-Rack Almost Works
Right neck, wrong waist is the most common miss — and it's a fifteen-minute fix. Darting the back seam turns a billowing classic-cut shirt into a clean line. Our in-house tailoring team has been doing exactly that since 1983, and basic alterations come free with suit purchases.
The KCT Standard
A shirt is the layer people actually see most of the day — jackets come off, collars don't. We fit shirts to the man, not the man to the size chart.
Start with your measurements in the size guide, then browse dress shirts in slim and classic cuts. Building a full look? The suit builder pairs shirt, suit, and tie so the collar and lapel proportions actually match.
Fit Is a Service, Not a Size
Free nationwide shipping — or get measured properly in five minutes at either Southwest Michigan location.
KCT Menswear — Since 1983
Downtown Kalamazoo: (269) 342-1234
Crossroads Mall, Portage: (269) 323-8070
- KCT Style Team