Owners and managers of fashion ecommerce are very familiar with the so-called “sizing problem”. With a plethora of different sizing systems and the issue of sizing inconsistencies even within the same fashion brands, purchasing the correct size when shopping online can be a real challenge for the shopper.

This leads to the consequences that we all know, from the plague of returns due to sizing issues (apparel retailers face an average 12% of returns) to shopper hesitancy at the moment of the purchase, leading to low conversion rates.

To tackle the problem, most fashion ecommerce retailers rely on product size charts, in the attempt to provide the user with as much guidance as needed.

In this article, we will explain how to create men’s size charts for both top and bottom garments.

Men’s size chart – Tops

When creating a size chart for men’s tops, the measurements that you will need to use will vary depending on the garment type.

A t-shirt for example will require just basic measurements such as chest and neck circumference, while a more complex garment like a dress shirt or a suit jacket will need more measurements, such as shoulders width, collar length etc. 

If you need a full measurements list for men’ garments, you can find all detailed measurements in this guide.

In the men’s size chart below, built with Sizefox size chart creation tool, we are going to focus on the most common measurements for tops to add to your men’s size chart.

These are:

Neck circumference: measured at the base of the neck, its largest point.

Chest circumference: the circumference of the chest, measured at the widest point.

Waist circumference: the circumference of the waist, measured at the narrowest point of the trunk.

Arm length: measured from the end of the collarbone, down until the wrist. Not to be confused with sleeve length, which is a finished garment measurement and it refers to the length taken from the half of the back down until the end of the cuff. 

As you might already know, online shoppers tend to consider their own body measurements when checking a size chart, therefore make sure you also use body measurements in your chart. In case you need to work with finished garment measurements, make sure you specify it.

Men’s Size Chart – Bottoms

Men’s bottom garments such as trousers, jeans and shorts generally require the basic pants measurements, which are waist and inseam, but you might want to add more measurements depending on the fit and model. 

For example, for trousers which are supposed to fit adherent to the body you might need to add hip and thigh circumference, while for bootcut jeans you might need to specify the hem width. 

Refer to this article for a detailed description of pants measurements.

When it comes to bottoms, we can have several different sizing systems, depending on the brand and the region. The most common ones are the following:

US sizes: both Alpha sizing (XS to XL) and number sizing (from 0 to 14 and more). 

European sizes: mostly used for formal pants, these are the most common sizes in the European market and have a range from 46 to 56 or higher.

Jeans sizes: used for both jeans and casual trousers, it is a combination of waist and length, expressed in inches. For example, a W28/L30 corresponds to a waist circumference of 28 inches and an inseam of 30 inches.

The most used bottom measurements to add in your men’s size chart are the following:

Waist circumference: measured at the narrowest point of the trunk keeping the measurement tape parallel to the floor.

Hip circumference: taken at the height of the maximum projection of the buttocks, with the tape 

Inseam: corresponds to the inner length of the leg, taken from the crotch until the ankle. 

Tips for building Men’s clothing size charts 

• Make sure you add at least the basic measurements to your size chart. Nevertheless, we advise you to add as many measurements as needed, to provide appropriate indications to your shoppers. 

• When it comes to pants size charts, it might be useful to create two charts, one for waist and hip circumference, and a separate one one for inseam/length. With Sizefox you can easily create a primary and secondary size chart to be added in your product pages.

• Add a conversion unit size chart if you are selling on different markets.

• Try to use body measurements, as online shoppers will likely use those. If you need to use finished garment measurements, specify it clearly.

Building size charts with Sizefox

With Sizefox you can quickly and easily build sleek size charts on Shopify stores. On top of that, you can use Sizefox as a size recommender, to provide shoppers with the best size for them, reducing returns and shoppers’ indecisiveness. 

All of this with a 15-minutes set up, an intuitive interface and, above all, completely free of charge.

Try Sizefox for free