Dress Shirts for an Athletic Build
Big chest and small waist? Store shirts make you pick: fit the collar or fit the chest.
If your chest measures eight inches or more over your waist, this is you. The shirt that buttons at your neck pulls across your chest, and the one that fits your chest gaps at the collar.
Why the collar decides everything else
Store shirts are graded from the collar. Each half-size step in the collar adds about two inches to the chest, and the waist follows along. An athletic chest usually needs one or two collar sizes more than the neck does.
Size up for your chest and the collar gaps under your tie. Stay with your neck size and the buttons pull across your chest. Either way, the waist is cut for a much bigger man, so fabric balloons above your belt.
Buy for your chest, then fix the rest
- Have a tailor take in the sides and add back darts once you've found a shirt that fits your chest.
- Try a slim or extra slim fit in your chest size. They taper more through the waist.
- Check the shoulder seam. It should sit on your shoulder bone, not inside it.
How we cut a shirt for a V-shape
We cut your shirt from your own neck, chest and waist measurements, so the collar, chest and waist all fit at once. There's nothing to take in later.
Want to see how big the gap is for you? Put your numbers into our dress shirt size calculator and it will tell you which collar to buy for your chest.
Questions
What dress shirt fit is best for an athletic build?
Usually a slim or extra slim fit bought for your chest, then taken in at the waist. Many athletic builds still end up with a loose collar or extra fabric, which is where a custom shirt helps.
Why do dress shirts pull across my chest?
Your chest is bigger than the collar size you buy expects. Store shirts set the chest from the collar, so a shirt that fits your neck is cut for a smaller chest.
Bring us your chest and waist numbers. We'll take it from there.
We make custom dress shirts and suits from your measurements. Consultations are free, by appointment.