★ Collector's Resource ★

Vintage T-Shirt Size Guide

Vintage tees run 1–2 sizes smaller than modern shirts. Use the calculator below to find your fit before you buy.

Find Your Size by Measurement

Chest (fullest part)

Body Length (optional)

Fit Preference

Recommended vintage label

Convert Modern Size → Vintage

Your Modern Size

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Fit Preference

Recommended vintage label

Vintage Size Chart

All measurements are for the garment laid flat. Chest = half the full chest measurement. Vintage tolerances vary by manufacturer — these are typical ranges.

Vintage Label	Chest (garment, in)	Body Length (in)	Modern Equivalent	Chest (body, in)
XS	15–16½	25–26	XXS–XS modern	30–33"
S	16½–18	26–27½	XS–S modern	33–36"
M	18–19½	27½–29	S–M modern	36–39"
L	19½–21	29–30½	M–L modern	39–42"
XL	21–23	30½–32	L–XL modern	42–46"
2XL	23–25	32–33½	XL–2XL modern	46–50"
3XL	25–27	33½–35	2XL–3XL modern	50–54"

How to Measure

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Chest

Wrap a soft tape measure around the fullest part of your chest, just under your arms. Keep it level and snug but not tight. This is your body chest measurement.

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Body Length

Measure from the base of your neck (just below the collar bone at center front) straight down to where you want the shirt hem to fall.

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Garment Chest

To measure a shirt you already own, lay it flat and measure across the chest from armhole seam to armhole seam. Double this for a full chest comparison.

Buying Tips

Always go up one size when buying vintage. A vintage Large typically fits like a modern Medium.
Check shrinkage. Cotton tees from the 70s–90s were rarely pre-shrunk. A shirt that survived 40 years may have already shrunk — or may shrink further in a hot wash.
Measure the garment, not just the tag. Sellers list the tag size, but the only number that matters is the actual measurement. Look for "pit-to-pit" in the listing description.
Pit-to-pit (P2P) = armhole seam to armhole seam, laid flat. Double it for your full chest width. A 20" P2P = 40" chest garment.
Length varies by era. 70s shirts often run shorter (25–27") while late-80s and 90s tour shirts tend to be longer (28–31"). If length matters to you, check both measurements.
If between sizes, go larger. It's easier to wear a slightly big vintage shirt than one that's too tight across the shoulders.

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