How Should a Shirt Fit?

After ten years of making shirts, I’ve realised that a good fit is actually quite difficult to explain.

Because when it's right, you don't really notice it.

The shoulder seam should finish where your shoulder finishes. The collar should sit close to your neck without feeling tight — enough room for one or two fingers.

The sleeves should be slightly longer than most people initially think. With the cuff undone, they should reach down towards the base of your thumb. Once the cuff is buttoned, it holds the sleeve in the correct position and gives you enough length to move naturally.

Around the body, I don't think a shirt should be skin-tight. You want a clean silhouette, but you also want to be able to sit down, reach for something and spend an entire evening in it without thinking about your shirt.

The same applies to the sleeves. A little room is good. Too narrow and they'll feel uncomfortable and wear faster around the elbows.

Under a jacket, I like to see roughly a centimetre of cuff.

But measurements only tell part of the story.

A good shirt should simply fall naturally around the body. No pulling. No unnecessary fabric. Nothing you need to adjust every five minutes.

Put it on and forget about it.

That's usually when you know the fit is right.

— Tobias