Fit This

December 14, 2010 11:51 AM

I'm trying to figure out the sizing for girls t-shirts.

My niece wants rock t-shirts for Christmas of her favorite bands. She wears a size small in "unisex" t-shirts. What does that equal to in girl size fitted t-shirts? Would that be a small or is it maybe a medium in girls sizes?

posted by cazoo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

Assuming you mean "women's" shirt sizes, small in unisex would probably be a tight medium or a large. American Apparel and threadless shirts run smaller; hanes runs much truer to size and a small/medium would prob be a safe bet.
posted by shownomercy at 11:56 AM on December 14, 2010

Response by poster: Yes, sorry, I meant "womens" sizes. Not girls as in kids sizes.
posted by cazoo at 11:57 AM on December 14, 2010

Best answer: Rock t shirts tend to be in men's sizes, unless they expressly say "girl cut" or woman's sizes.

Men's medium=women's large
Men's small= women's medium
Men's extra small (does this even exist?)=women's small

Keep in mind that the women's sizes are more figure hugging. Your average band t-shirt will be a little boxy, but should still fit fine.
posted by loriginedumonde at 1:04 PM on December 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks loriginedumonde, I needed a guide just like that.
posted by cazoo at 1:20 PM on December 14, 2010

As a girl, I actually prefer tshirts cut for men, usually in size small. I cute them up a little by trimming the sleeves and neckline (works surprisingly well), whereas the "girl" ones are almost universally badly made and fit kind of weird and overly tight and then shrink in the wash. They're also always way too short (although maybe I am just tall). Maybe she would actually prefer the unisex version? If you really think she wants the girl version, and she wears a small unisex, I would personally vote for a large in the women's cuts to allow for the inevitable wash shrinkage. Also for reference, the only commonly available "womens" cut shirts I would consider are from American Apparel.
posted by annie o at 1:26 PM on December 14, 2010

It also depends on how comfortable she is with tight fitting - I wear a unisex medium (or a medium in women's polo shirts, work clothes etc), but in "babydoll" shirts it's either a large or an extra large. I probably would be happier with the extra large in most cases if I didn't feel weird ordering two sizes up; even larges can look a bit spray-painted on after a run or two through the wash. So a medium might be OK, or a large might be better - it'll depend on the look she's going for. And I've also noticed that most band t-shirts come in unisex sizes only.
posted by Lady Li at 11:57 PM on December 14, 2010