Between Two Shirt Sizes? How to Decide for a Custom Printed Shirt

If you are between two shirt sizes, the best way to decide is to measure a shirt you already own and like, then pick the size that matches how you want it to fit. Size up for a relaxed fit, layering, or a long day of wear; size down only if you already know the smaller size fits you well across the shoulders and chest. For a custom printed shirt, make the call before you order, because a printed shirt cannot be resized. LuxPort custom tees listed adult sizes S through 3XL when this post went live, starting at $24.99.

Almost everyone has been there: your medium shirts feel a little snug in the shoulders, your large shirts feel a little long, and now you are staring at a size dropdown on a custom shirt order. With a store-bought shirt you can try it on or swap it. With a custom printed shirt, the size you pick is the size that gets printed. This guide walks through how to decide when you are between sizes, what to measure, how fit preference and the way you will wear the shirt change the answer, and how to handle the question when you are ordering for a whole group.

If you are choosing a size for someone else, our guide to how custom T-shirt sizes run and our post on how many of each size to order are good companions to this one.

Should You Size Up or Size Down When You Are Between Sizes?

There is no single right answer, but there is a right answer for you. It comes down to three things: how you like a T-shirt to fit, what you will wear it for, and what you will wear it with.

When sizing up usually makes sense

• You like a relaxed fit. If most of the T-shirts you reach for are a little loose, the bigger size will feel more like your favorites.
• You will layer it. A shirt worn over a long-sleeve tee or under an open flannel or jacket needs a little more room.
• It is for a long day. Event shirts, volunteer shirts, and work shirts get worn for hours while people lift, reach, and move. Room in the shoulders matters more than a trim look.
• You are between sizes in the shoulders or chest. If the smaller size pulls across the shoulders, size up. A slightly longer shirt is usually easier to live with than a tight one.

When sizing down usually makes sense

• You already wear the smaller size happily. If your closet is full of that size and they fit, trust your closet.
• You like a closer fit. Some people prefer a T-shirt that sits closer to the body for a cleaner look in photos or under a blazer.
• The bigger size is long on you. If length is your problem rather than width, the bigger size may hang past where you like it.

When the clues point in both directions, lean toward the size that fits your shoulders comfortably. That is the part of a T-shirt that is hardest to live with when it is wrong.

How Do You Measure a Shirt You Already Own?

The most reliable size tool is a T-shirt you already own and like the fit of. Measuring it takes about two minutes and gives you a real comparison point.

Step 1: Pick the right reference shirt

Choose a standard short-sleeve T-shirt you wear often and like the fit of. Skip athletic shirts, very stretchy shirts, and shirts that have shrunk or stretched out a lot over time. A plain everyday cotton tee is the best match for a custom printed tee.

Step 2: Lay it flat

Lay the shirt face up on a table or the floor, smooth out the wrinkles, and line up the side seams. Do not stretch it.

Step 3: Take three measurements

• Chest width: straight across the shirt, from side seam to side seam, about an inch below the armpits.
• Body length: from the highest point of the shoulder, next to the collar, straight down to the bottom hem.
• Shoulder width: from one shoulder seam straight across to the other.

Step 4: Write it down with the size on the tag

Note the measurements along with the size printed on the tag. Now you know what a shirt you like actually measures, which is far more useful than the letter on the tag alone, because a medium from one brand can fit like a large from another.

Does LuxPort Show a Size Chart?

When this post was published, the upload-your-picture custom tee and the custom cruise shirt product pages listed adult sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL, and 3XL, and described the shirt as a standard short-sleeve cotton T-shirt. Those pages did not show a measurement chart, so this post does not list measurements either. We would rather you ask than guess from numbers we have not published.

If you are torn between two sizes, send us a message before you order. Tell us the two sizes you are considering and the measurements of the shirt you like, and we will help you choose. That small step before ordering is much easier than living with a shirt that does not fit.

Sizes listed on live products when this post went live

• Upload-your-picture custom tee: adult S through 3XL, in White, Black, Gray, Navy, and Red.
• Custom cruise shirts: adult S through 3XL, in White, Black, Gray, Navy, and Red.
• Crew packs: standard short-sleeve cotton shirts, with the size and color breakdown collected after the order is placed.

Fit Preference Matters More Than the Letter on the Tag

Two people with the same measurements can want different sizes, and both can be right. Before you choose, think about how you actually want the shirt to look and feel.

Relaxed versus close fit

A relaxed fit hangs a little away from the body and feels easy all day. A closer fit looks neater but leaves less room for movement. Most custom event and group shirts are worn casually, which is one reason many people in between sizes choose the larger one.

How the print looks on the shirt

A shirt that pulls tight across the chest also stretches the print across the chest. A shirt that is far too big lets the print sit low and loose. The right size lets the design sit flat and centered. If you are curious how one design looks across a range of sizes, see how print placement changes across smaller and larger sizes and whether oversized shirts can use the same print size.

Unisex sizing

Many custom T-shirts are cut as unisex shirts, which tend to run straighter through the body than a fitted women's tee. If you usually wear fitted styles, the measuring step above matters even more. Our post on choosing unisex or fitted shirts for a group covers that decision.

How Does Washing Affect the Size Decision?

Cotton shirts can feel a little different after the first few washes, especially if they go through hot water or a hot dryer. That is one more reason people between sizes often choose the larger one, and one more reason to wash gently.

The care habits we recommend for every custom printed shirt: turn it inside out, wash in cold water, skip fabric softener on the print, and hang dry or tumble dry on low. Do not iron directly on the design. Our guides to washing custom printed shirts and whether to wash a new printed shirt before wearing it go into more detail.

How Should Groups Handle People Who Are Between Sizes?

In a group order, someone is always between sizes. A cousin is not sure if she is a medium or a large, a coworker says he is a large or an XL, depending on the brand. A few simple habits keep that from turning into a box of shirts that do not fit.

Ask for one size, not two

When you collect sizes, ask each person for a single size. A reply of M or L forces the organizer to guess. If someone truly does not know, ask them to measure a shirt they like using the steps above and send the numbers.

Share a simple rule with the group

A line like this in your sign-up message helps: If you are between sizes, pick the one that fits your shoulders comfortably, and size up if you will layer it. Everyone makes the same kind of choice, and the organizer is not stuck making it for them.

Record the final choice

Write each person's final size next to their name. If you reorder later for a new team member or a lost shirt, the record shows what they wore the first time, so the reorder matches. Our posts on collecting sizes for a bulk shirt order, what belongs on a group shirt spreadsheet, and reordering the same custom shirts later walk through the details.

How to enter mixed sizes

On the upload-your-picture custom tee and the custom cruise shirt, add each size and color as its own line item so the count stays accurate. On the 12-shirt Business Starter Pack and the 24-shirt Crew Special, the size and color breakdown is collected after the order is placed. Our post on mixing shirt sizes in a bulk order has more.

Choosing a Size for a Gift When the Person Is Between Sizes

Gifts are the hardest case, because you cannot ask the person to measure without spoiling the surprise. A few quiet ways to get it right:

• Look at the tag on a T-shirt they wear often, if you can do it without being noticed.
• Ask someone they live with what size they usually buy.
• Think about how they wear their shirts. If they like a relaxed look, choose the larger size.
• If you are still unsure, choose the size that fits the way they wear shirts most often, not the size you think they should wear.

Common Sizing Mistakes on Custom Shirt Orders

• Ordering from the tag alone. Sizes vary from brand to brand. Measure a shirt you like instead.
• Measuring a stretched-out shirt. An old favorite that has stretched will steer you too big.
• Guessing for other people. Ask each person for their size in writing.
• Forgetting about layers. A shirt that will go over a long sleeve needs room.
• Leaving a size question open until after the proof. Sort out sizes before you order so the proof and the order match.

A proof comes with every order, and nothing prints until you approve it. Use that step to double-check sizes and quantities too, not just the artwork. Our checklist on what to check on your shirt proof covers every line.

What Do Custom Shirts Cost at LuxPort?

These prices were checked on the live product pages when this post was published. Shipping and applicable tax are shown separately at checkout.

• Upload-your-picture custom tee: $24.99 front only, or $29.99 front and back.
• Design-your-own custom T-shirt: $24.99 front only, or $29.99 front and back.
• Custom cruise shirts: $27.99 front only, or $32.99 front and back.
• 12-shirt Business Starter Pack: $155.88, front and back print included.
• 24-shirt Crew Special: $311.76, front and back print included.

Larger shirt sizes are priced the same as smaller ones on the custom tee listing when this post went live. For more on that, see whether larger shirt sizes cost more. Browse every pack in the crew shirt packages collection.

LuxPort Print Co prints in San Antonio and ships through USPS, UPS, or FedEx, with local delivery available in San Antonio. Delivery options show at checkout based on the address. Pickup is not offered. Learn more on our custom T-shirt printing in San Antonio page.

Quick Checklist When You Are Between Sizes

1. Find a standard cotton T-shirt you own and like the fit of.
2. Lay it flat and measure chest width, body length, and shoulder width.
3. Decide whether you want a relaxed or a closer fit.
4. Size up if you will layer it, wear it all day, or the smaller size pulls at the shoulders.
5. Size down only if you already wear the smaller size and it fits well.
6. If you are still unsure, message us with your two sizes and your measurements before ordering.
7. For groups, collect one size per person in writing and keep the list for reorders.
8. Check sizes and quantities on the proof before approving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I size up or down if I am between shirt sizes?

For most people, size up if you like a relaxed fit, plan to layer, or are ordering for a group where comfort matters more than a trim look. Size down only if you already know you prefer a closer fit and your current shirts in the smaller size feel right across the shoulders and chest. The most reliable tiebreaker is a shirt you already own and like: lay it flat, measure it, and pick the size that matches it best.

Does LuxPort have a size chart with measurements?

When this post was published, the LuxPort custom T-shirt product pages listed adult sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL, and 3XL but did not show a measurement chart. We do not want you guessing from numbers we have not published, so if you need a measurement before ordering, send us a message with the size you are considering and we will help you decide.

What sizes do LuxPort custom T-shirts come in?

When this post was published, the upload-your-picture custom tee and the custom cruise shirt both listed adult sizes S through 3XL in White, Black, Gray, Navy, and Red. Check the live product page before ordering, since options can change.

Does a bigger shirt size change where the print sits?

The design is placed to suit the shirt, so it looks centered on each size. On a much larger or much smaller size, the same design can look a little different in proportion. If you are ordering for a group with a wide size range, look at the proof with that in mind, and see our post on print placement across sizes.

Can I mix sizes in one custom shirt order?

Yes. On the custom tee products, add each size and color as its own line item so the count stays accurate. On the crew packs, the size and color breakdown is collected after the order is placed.

What if I pick a size and it does not fit?

Custom printed shirts are made for you, so a size choice is hard to undo after printing. That is why it pays to measure a shirt you already own before you order, and to send us a message if you are unsure. For the details on returns and exchanges, read the refund policy linked in the store footer before ordering.

How do I wash a custom shirt so the fit stays the way I like it?

Wash inside out in cold water, skip fabric softener on the print, and hang dry or tumble dry on low. High heat is hard on cotton and on prints, so cool washing and low drying are the habits we recommend for every custom printed shirt.

Ready to order? Start with the upload-your-picture custom tee or the design-your-own custom T-shirt, read the FAQ, or send us a message if you are stuck between two sizes.

LuxPort Print Co
10730 Potranco Rd Suite 122-507, San Antonio, TX 78251
team@luxportprint.co