Short Sleeve and Long Sleeve Do Not Fit the Same

FIT

Same size on the label, four places where the fit reads differently on the body.

Two henleys in the same size, one short sleeve and one long, will share a chest measurement and a body length. They will still fit differently in four places, and knowing where saves a return. None of the four is about the number on the label. They are about where a sleeve ends, what a cuff does, and how a heavier knit moves.

1. Where the Sleeve Ends

A short sleeve ends somewhere above the elbow, and the opening of that sleeve is the fit point. It should sit against the upper arm without gripping it and without hanging away from it. On a long sleeve, the equivalent point is the cuff at the wrist bone. A long sleeve that ends past the wrist looks borrowed, and one that stops short exposes the wrist whenever you reach.

2. What the Cuff Does When Pushed Up

Most long-sleeve henleys get worn with the sleeves pushed up part of the day, and that changes the fit on the forearm. A ribbed cuff should hold at the widest part of the forearm without cutting in and without sliding back down within a minute. If it slides, the cuff is cut too wide for your arm. If it leaves a mark, it is too narrow. A short sleeve has no cuff and skips this test.

3. How the Knit Moves

Short-sleeve henleys are usually a plain jersey and long-sleeve ones are often a waffle or a rib. The heavier knits have more give across the chest and relax a little over the first weeks of wear, while a jersey stays close to the measurement it started with. So a long sleeve that feels snug on the first day will likely settle, while a short sleeve that feels snug will stay that way.

4. The Placket Under Load

Reach forward with both arms. On either shirt the placket should stay closed and flat. If the buttons pull into small gaps across the chest, the shirt is too narrow there, and that shows sooner on a jersey than on a waffle because the jersey has less stretch to absorb the reach.

Choosing Between Two Sizes

When you sit between sizes, take the smaller one in a long sleeve, since the knit relaxes, and the larger one in a short sleeve, since it does not. Measure a henley or tee you already like across the chest and down the body and compare it with the flat measurements on the listing. If the shirt is still not right once it is on, our Return & Refund Policy covers how to swap it.

Thank you for shopping with us, and for keeping a good henley within reach.