Video:Tips for Determining Men's Sizes

Transcript:Tips for Determining Men's Sizes

Hi, I'm Omar Saad here for About.com and today we're going to take a look at some tips for determining men's sizes. Although often thought to be uniform, clothing sizes tend to vary slightly between manufacturers. This can obviously lead to some frustration when trying to find clothes that fit well. Here is a quick guide on how to determine exactly what your size is and save yourself some frustration.

Look for Size Breakdowns When Determining Men's Sizes

Perhaps contrary to conventional wisdom, clothing sizes can vary. Not all mediums, for example, reflect the same measurement. You can get an accurate breakdown of the measurement ranges for each size by visiting the websites of the manufacturers and vendors whose clothes you are interested in purchasing. Simply by comparing the sizes and measurements between a couple of companies, one can easily spot the variation.

Knowing where to find a detailed breakdown of clothing sizes is only the first part of the process. To make that information of value, you'll need to know how to determine what your size is in relation to your measurements. Let's take a look at a couple examples of how this is done.

Take a Chest Measurement to Determine Men's Sizes for Tops

Most t-shirt sizes are based off of a chest measurement. To get a chest measurement, simply have a friend measure the thickest part of your chest, under the armpits. Let's say for example it measures out at 34 inches. Cross-referencing one manufacturer's site we see that measurement equals a small and on another's site, it equals an extra-small.

Find a Waist Measurement to Determine Men's Sizes for Bottoms

Another common measurement is waist size. Everything from boxer shorts to running pants often employ the extra small through extra large denotation. To measure waist size, simply run the tape measure over the area of your midsection that you normally wear your pants up to. It's important to keep a finger between the tape measure and your waist.

Since it wouldn't be very comfortable to wear pants that are skin tight at the waist, this will help you avoid that. Let&'s assume that this measurement came back at 38 inches. Checking one manufacturer's website, that measurement would constitute an extra large. On another's, it would just be a large.

Taking Measurements Ensures Accuracy When Determining Men's Sizes

Struggling to find clothes that fit can be a frustrating proposition, made worse by manufacturers and vendors that don't use uniform size standards. Fortunately, utilizing the tips we just covered will ensure that you get the perfect fit every time.

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