How to Choose Your Size in Oversized Clothing
, by Marius Grozavu , 3 min reading time
Oversized is a cut, not a size. How to measure yourself, when to take your usual size or one down, and why a heavyweight hoodie fits differently from a light tee.
The most common mistake with oversized clothing is sizing up on a piece that is already cut big. You end up with sleeves past your knuckles, a hem halfway down your thighs and shoulders that sit nowhere near where they were designed to sit. Getting it right takes two minutes and a tape measure.
Oversized is a cut, not a size
An oversized garment is drafted on a different pattern from a regular one: the shoulders are dropped, the body is wider and the sleeves are set lower on the arm. The extra room is already built in. Taking a regular-fit tee two sizes up is not the same thing, because every measurement grows at once, including length and sleeve, and the shoulder seam ends up hanging in the wrong place.
So the starting point for an oversized piece is your normal size, not a bigger one.
Step 1: measure your chest
Wrap a soft tape around the fullest part of your chest, under the arms, keeping it level and snug but not tight. Compare the number with our size guide. For example, a chest of 96–101 cm is a men's M; a bust of 86–89 cm is a women's S. If you fall between two sizes, read step 3 before you choose.
Step 2: decide how much room you want
Every oversized piece we make carries the same rule on its product page:
- Your usual size gives the oversized look the garment was designed for: dropped shoulders, a wide body and a straight fall.
- One size down gives a closer, more regular fit while keeping the relaxed shoulder.
- One size up only makes sense if you want an exaggerated, very loose silhouette. Expect longer sleeves and a longer hem.
Step 3: let the fabric weight decide when you are between sizes
Fabric weight changes how big a garment looks on the body. A heavyweight piece, such as the Oversized Heavyweight Tee at 237 g/m² or the Urban Hoodie at 340 g/m², stands slightly away from the body and keeps its volume. A light tee drapes closer and looks smaller in the same size.
That is why, between two sizes in a heavyweight piece, the smaller one usually still reads as oversized. In a lighter piece, the larger one is the safer choice. If you want to understand the numbers, our plain guide to fabric weight explains what each range feels like.
Where the shoulder seam should sit
On an oversized cut the shoulder seam lands a few centimetres below your shoulder bone, on the upper arm. That is intended, not a sign the garment is too big. If the seam reaches your elbow, or the sleeves cover your hands completely, go one size down.
Boxy or oversized?
Boxy and oversized are often used as if they were the same thing, but they are not. A boxy cut, like the Icons Box Tee, is wide through the body and shorter in length, so it sits square at the waist. An oversized cut is wide and longer. For both, start with your usual size.
Quick reference
| The look you want | Size to choose |
|---|---|
| Oversized, as designed | Your usual size |
| Relaxed but closer to the body | One size down |
| Very loose, exaggerated | One size up |
| Between sizes, heavyweight piece | The smaller size |
| Between sizes, light tee | The larger size |
Still not sure?
Send us your height, chest measurement and the piece you are looking at through our contact page and we will tell you which size we would pick. You can browse the heaviest pieces in the Heavyweight 300+ collection, or go straight to men's hoodies and women's hoodies.
