How to Size a Performance Tee Without Guessing (and Without Returns)

Print-on-demand apparel has one genuine drawback and it is worth being straightforward about it: because each item is printed for one person, there is no stock to return it to. We accept returns for defects and shipping damage, not for a size that did not work.

So the size chart is not a formality here. Here is how to use it properly, in about two minutes.

The fastest method: measure a shirt, not yourself

Find a shirt you already like the fit of. Lay it flat, smooth out the wrinkles, and measure straight across from armpit seam to armpit seam. Double that number — that is its chest circumference. Then measure from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the hem for body length.

Match those two numbers against the chart on the product page. This beats measuring yourself, because it accounts for how you actually like clothes to fit.

If you would rather measure yourself

  • Chest: around the fullest part, under the arms, tape level, snug but not tight.
  • Length: from the top of the shoulder straight down to where you want the hem to sit.

On our charts, the chest figure is the body measurement the size is built to fit — not the garment's flat width. Do not double it.

The three rules that cover most mistakes

  1. The performance tees are cut roomy, not athletic. Take your normal size for a relaxed fit and size down one if you want it closer to the body. This is the opposite of what most people assume.
  2. The hoodies run small. Order one size up. That is Cotton Heritage's own guidance for that blank, and it is the single most common sizing error we see.
  3. Between two sizes on a performance tee? Take the smaller one. The cut already has room built in.

Expect a little variance

Made-to-order garments carry up to about half an inch of variance. That is normal for cut-and-sew apparel and it is why the chart gives a chest range rather than a single number.

Where the charts are

Every product page carries the full measurement table for that specific garment — they are genuinely different blanks with different measurements, so a size L in the performance tee is not a size L in the hoodie. The complete set, with measuring diagrams, is on the size guide.

Everything is printed to order — 3–5 business days to print and 5–8 days door to door, so about a week and a half door to door. US shipping is free on orders over $50, automatically, with no code.