The one size sleeve dress shirt

You may have encountered when shopping that certain shirtmakers make shirts different collar sizes and then simply guess the appropriate sleeve length by only stocking the most common sleeve length per neck size. In some cases, they may offer two sleeve lengths such as Regular and Long. The reason they do this is to manage their inventory by reducing the number of possible sizing combinations. Some purveyors will offer shorten the sleeves before they send it to you for a fee. Assuming you identify your correct collars size it is unlikely that the sleeve length will be way off. Thay being said, this does give rise to a certain degree of annoyance since the sleeve may either be too long or too short. If the sleeve is too short, there’s isn’t much you can do. If it’s too long you could get it shortened to ensure it matches your exact fit. There is a cost to doing so but it can be done. The sleeves are easier to adjust than the collar. Hence, you need to start with your neck fit which dictates what shirt size to order. However, this may make the sleeve length extremely long. When the sleeve length is shortened you may find yourself in a situation where the gusset button is only an inch from the double cuff. This looks extremely strange and so then the gusset placate needs to be removed and placed upward of the sleeve. After all that you never want to go through these ramifications to get a properly fitted sleeve. You might ponder whether it matters if the sleeve is too long. It is a minor albeit persistent source of vexation. When washing your hands you are more likely to get the sleeve wet. More importantly the shirt cuff will fray faster since it is rub against your wrist and so having appropriately sizes sleeves enhanced the longevity of the garment. As a partial solution Thomas Pink will include several link-holes in their double cuff shirt letting you move the cuff up a little bit to adjust the size. While this helps, it is no substitute for a properly fitting shirt. Clothing is something you wear regularly and therefore you want clothes to fit.

Brands that sell shirts with one size sleeves per collar size include Turnbull & Asser, Thomas Pink and Hilditch & Key. These are high-end shirtmakers that are catering to niche tastes. What might seem surprising is that these are luxury heritage brands and therefore one would expect, given the premium, to be able to get a shirt in their exact size. Whereas mass-market brands such as Charles Tyrwhitt sell ready to wear shirts with a wide gamut of sleeve lengths. This can be explained by the difference in volume. Because they offer a more affordable price point with broader appeal, they can support higher production volumes. This in turn means they can produce shirts across a wider range of gradations without having to worry about a less popular size being left unsold. Sizing and price are therefore key advantages of mid-market brands.

Bespoke shirtmakers can counter this advantage by leaning into their made to measure service and the exclusivity of their shirt patterns. Made to measure in particular is something that is underutilized by heritage brands. They have control over their own production units and can make shirts to order if someone goes through the trouble of having their measurements taken. And yet more often than not they don’t extend this capability to both in-person and online shoppers who are simply looking to get a shirt in their exact size. They know their collar perimeter and sleeve length; they just want to be able to toggle to the correct sleeve size when completing a purchase. Luxury shirtmakers can achieve a happy medium between catering to customer sizing while minimizing any inventory risk by offering such shirts made to order. They have their own factories and are operating at a price point at which made to order is entirely feasible for them rather than having to place a bulk order with an outsourced production unit. They should be able to turn these over within three to four weeks at most which is a reasonable time frame. If organizing correctly this can be brought down to two weeks. The instore experience should include sample dress shirts or all their available fabric patterns along with shirts in every size for customers to try on. Customers should be able to specify their size or try on a shirt to determine their size and place an order for a shirt they like. The stores themselves need to hold inventory beyond the samples that are for display purposes. The store would then place an order for the customer and the customer could either have it delivered or come back to store and pick it up. The stores should serve as an exhibition space with samples as well as allowing for consultations between the customer and the sales representative. The retail clerks should have measuring tapes with them to be able to determine a patron’s collar size or sleeve length without needing to take extensive measurements. Since it is made to order any customization such a different cuff type or monogramming should be accommodated.

There is too rigid a dichotomy between ready to wear and bespoke. Bespoke shirtmakers offer each as distinct categories and thus clearly have the ability to cater to both. They should amalgamate the two in order to reap the benefits of custom sizing and minimal inventory without the friction the customer faces in having to book an appointment, show up in person and take measurements. When you visit J Crew they have a pair of pants in each size and if you want a second pair, they order it. Heritage brands despite having both in house production capabilities and a higher price point can more lethargic in responding to customer needs and need to step up their game in order to justify a premium price point. At the same time, they should double down one those unique and distinct shirt patterns that cater to niche tastes and which mass market brands cannot appeal to given that they are going for volume. Luxury fashion is about threading together a patchwork of niches that cater to high margins. Made to order makes this possible while taking the guesswork out of trying to determine how many of each size to make.

Consumers expend significant sums at second hand stores. Typically, a consignment shop might have only have one size for a particular merchandise. If it fits you, it’s a great deal but if not, there isn’t the option of getting it in your size. Getting something that is too big and then going through the trouble to have it altered is too much work for most consumers. Therefore, just as unique pattern drafting and craftsmanship allow heritage brands to compete with mass-market retailers, the ability to offer one’s exact sizing provides them with a line of defense against thrift stores where sizing is a function of what has been consigned rather than what the customer wants.