About this Style:  Our Whitesville tee shirts are the original fit and design commonly encountered in the late 1950’s – 1970’s, being short in body and sleeve length and not loose and sloppy.  These are NOT a tapered fit, so the chest width and width of bottom hem are nearly the same, thus even if you elect a chest fit that is “painted on,” there will still be some excess fabric in the waist area unless your waist measure is close to the same circumference as your chest.  But also please keep in mind that this is a short-waisted, vintage fit, so these shirts will not have that moo-moo-esque dress fit so typical of tee shirts contemporary to the current era.

The sizing on the undershirts is sensible if you wish to wear the shirts as originally intended  – as an undergarment or to simply fit as if it was an undergarment.  Just as with traditional underwear, the fabric will stretch nicely to the size and shape of your body, and because these are true tube construction, you can forcibly and permanently stretch the chest/body width by about 1/2″ gain.

Though made from a rinsed cotton, these shirts still will incur some shrinkage after washing, most especially in length, hence that true, short-waisted vintage look.  Typical shrinkage in length over many washings in warm water and in a warm dryer yields a length loss of about 2″.  The chest and shoulder widths can be expected to decrease by 1/2″ in the same wash/drying conditions.  If washing in cold water and line or flat drying, shrinkage may be less significant.

Tip 1:  Determine if you want to wear this shirt like traditional underwear (like a second skin in the chest area), or looser than traditional underwear (with some excess fabric in the chest area).  For example:  If your chest measures 40” and you want the shirt to fit your chest (not your waist area) as if painted on, order size Med.; if you prefer a looser fit with slight room in the chest area, please order size Lg.

Tip 2:  Follow the instructions entitled “How to Use Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit” listed under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tab for this product.  After finding no substantive conflicts with your body measures obtained from the tab entitled BODY MEASURING, order this garment in a size that is equal to your chest circumference measure.  If you prefer a roomier or longer fit, then order the next available size after reviewing all relative measures that pertain to that size, or the reverse if you desire a “painted-on” fit in the chest area.

Tip 3:  Please note that your chest circumference measure is not necessarily the labeled size you wear in another garment you may own from a different maker or even the same maker, so please take the time to obtain your true chest circumference measure so as to compare to our chart of measures; this will enable us to perform a better job getting you the right size and minimize your chances in having to deal with the hassle and cost of exchanges.

Please ask us for fitting advice if in doubt.

Tip 4:  Individuals who prefer looser fits and/or those with a waist measure that is nearly equal to or greater than their chest circumference measure may jump up one or more sizes in this shirt for comfort and desired fit (when we refer to waist measure, we do not mean your trouser size; we mean the actual circumference measure of your waistline at its widest point).  If you are unsure of the size to order we will assist you; please contact us with the following information:  Height, waist circumference measure, chest circumference measure, body weight, and the type of fit you prefer:  “Painted-on” chest area, trim, or roomy.

The following table provides actual product measures BEFORE washing.  Please see SIZING TIPS for more information on post-wash measurements.  These measures are provided as an aid because, in conjunction with the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each product, they can sometimes be very useful when comparing the measurements from this garment to the measures of your body; however, acting as an armchair tailor should be done with caution, as well as with knowledge of other important areas of fit that are not displayed here.  Armchair tailors frequently fail to take into account other significant elements that impact fit; following the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each garment on this web site is strongly suggested, which can be very useful in supplanting or supplementing the listed measures below.

Our measures were derived from averaging many garments of the same size from each specific size in the range of any given product, thus the measures provided are representative for each size but they may not be exactly what you will receive.  Some fluctuation in size is normal and to be expected, especially in these garments that have been manufactured on vintage machinery using natural fibers; the vintage machinery and techniques that create sought-after looks and fabrics are also less precise than machines contemporary to the current era.

How to Use the Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit:

1)   Using the measurements listed for this product and information found under the tab entitled MEASURING GARMENTS to understand our measuring technique, please double the chest measure to obtain the total external chest circumference of this garment.  For example:  If the chest measure listed for size Medium is 20”, doubling this measure yields a 40” external chest circumference.

2)   Measure your chest circumference as per the tab on this web site specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your chest measure to the chest measure of this product.

3)   Underwear garments are cut in such a way that the wearer can require zero to even negative space in the shirt due to the stretch characteristics of the fabric.  If your chest circumference is 40”, a product with a 20” chest width has a 40” external chest circumference and would provide no external room in this scenario (chest measures 40”, external chest measure of the shirt is 40”, thus zero external room would be realized).

4)   If desired, repeat the measuring comparisons for back length.

5)   Compare your body measures to the listed garment measures and follow the advice found under the SIZING TIPS tab to obtain a good fit.

Sometimes-Problematic Way to Determine a Good Fit:

Due to differences in how even near-identical garments are cut by different manufacturers, it is not necessarily a good idea to compare the listed measures of this product to the measures of an existing, similar product in your wardrobe to determine the correct size to order in this product.  Though such comparisons can indeed work some of the time, and maybe even most of the time, vast experience with and knowledge of the products we market has proven such practices will sometimes fail.  This inaccurate measuring methodology doesn’t factor in other key variables of fit relative to you and the garment that includes:  Armhole opening, shoulder slope, high-point shoulder, high chest, width of sleeves at all points including the all-important elbow, waist measure, and the thickness, plumpness, and rigidity of the material the garment is made from, naming just some variables influencing fit that do not appear on any list of measurements for a garment or that a customer is likely to account for.

It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.

A Good Fit:

This is highly subjective – what one person may think is too big, another may think fits perfectly.  Some garments are cut quite generously and others are cut quite trimly.  If comparing measurements of one of our products to another you may own, some individuals will surely find that none or maybe only one area of measure is commonly shared or remotely close to being the same.  Ultimately, chest measure is the most important area to properly fit, then all other areas of measure will have to fall into place.  And some individuals who are extremely tall may find that body and/or sleeve length are more important to accommodate than even chest measure.

It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.

We strive to create a crisp fit between our products and the customer, and not a loose, sloppy look.  If you prefer your clothing to fit more loosely, then we will do our best to work with you to that end, though, by the very nature of our product designs and fits it may not be possible to duplicate the slack looks found in many mainstream clothing brands even if you go up one or two sizes in our products.

This section will explain and illustrate the measuring techniques we employed to derive the garment measurements found under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tabs related to each of our products; additionally, this section provides the educational tools to enable the accurate measuring of any garments you may have access to for comparison. Garment measurements are invaluable when used in conjunction with the instructions found under the tab BODY MEASURING, as well requisite for following our advice found under the tab SIZING TIPS.

Please click on the appropriate link below that relates to the product category for which you wish to ascertain garment-measuring instructions:

Measuring for Jackets and Shirts

Please take these measures wearing just a thin shirt or undershirt or with no shirt at all. Simply note the following measures on a sheet of paper so you can comapre your findings to our listed measurements found under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tab or so you can request assistance from us. Please always refer to the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab that is specific to each product.

A) CHEST—Measure high under armpits, spanning the widest part of your chest, then wrap tape around for one 360-degree complete circumference measurement.