Between Two Sizes? How to Choose Your Hoodie or T-Shirt Size

Sizing is where most online clothing orders go wrong, and it's the one part of buying that you can fully control before you click. Here's the method that works, and what to do at the awkward moment when you're between two sizes.

Stop thinking about your "usual size"

There is no such thing. A medium from one brand is a small from another and a large from a third. Letter sizes aren't standardised anywhere — they describe a manufacturer's intention, not a measurement.

What is standardised is centimetres. So the reliable method ignores letters entirely.

The method: measure a garment you already own

Not your body — a garment. This is the single most useful sizing trick there is, because it removes every question about how much ease a cut is designed to have.

1. Find a t-shirt or hoodie you already own and genuinely like the fit of.
2. Lay it flat on a table or the floor. Smooth out the wrinkles. Don't stretch it.
3. Width: measure straight across the chest, from one armpit seam to the other.
4. Length: measure from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the bottom hem.
5. Match those two numbers to our size chart and pick the closest.

Every product page has the chart, in both centimetres and inches, for that specific garment — not a generic one, because a hoodie and a tee from the same range don't share measurements.

When you're between sizes

You measured, and you're right between a medium and a large. What now? It depends on the garment.

Hoodies and sweatshirts: size up. You'll wear layers underneath, they shrink very slightly in length over their life, and a slightly roomy hoodie reads as intentional. A tight hoodie reads as a mistake. Ours are in the hoodie collection.

Fitted t-shirts: stay true to size. Sizing up a fitted tee just makes it hang oddly at the shoulder, and the shoulder seam is the one thing you can't adjust. See t-shirts.

Anything you'll wear over an apron: size up. An apron over a snug long-sleeve is uncomfortable in a way you only discover after two hours of shaping.

Long sleeves: check the length number, not the width. Sleeve length is the thing people get wrong on long sleeves, and it's the thing that makes a shirt feel wrong even when the body fits.

Two things that catch people out

Unisex sizing runs boxy. Most of our apparel is unisex, which means it's cut on a broadly straight body shape. If you usually wear women's sizes and want a closer fit, sizing down one is often right — but measure first, because "one down" from a boxy cut can be too narrow at the hip.

Cotton shrinks a little on first wash. Roughly a centimetre or two in length, mostly. Wash cold and hang dry and it's negligible. Wash hot and tumble dry and it isn't. Our guide to washing printed shirts and hoodies covers this.

Working in inches?

Every chart shows both units, and there's a toggle. If you'd rather convert yourself, we wrote a cm to inches conversion guide with the numbers that actually matter for clothing.

Why it matters more here than elsewhere

Everything we sell is made after you order it. Nothing sits in a warehouse. That means we can't accept change-of-mind returns — there's no next customer for a garment printed for you, and EU law recognises this for made-to-order goods.

So five minutes with a tape measure genuinely is the difference between a shirt you wear for years and a shirt you don't. If you're not sure after measuring, email your two numbers to support@zomamoda.com and we'll tell you which size to order. We'd much rather answer that email than process a complaint.

Questions we get asked

Should I size up or down if I'm between sizes?

Size up for hoodies, sweatshirts and anything worn over an apron. Stay true to size for fitted t-shirts, where sizing up mostly affects the shoulder seam and makes the shirt hang badly.

How do I measure a shirt properly?

Lay it flat without stretching. Width is armpit seam to armpit seam across the chest. Length is the top of the shoulder straight down to the hem. Compare those two numbers to the chart on the product page.

Do your shirts shrink?

Cotton shrinks slightly on the first wash, mainly in length — a centimetre or two. Cold water and hang drying keeps it minimal. Hot water and a tumble dryer will take noticeably more.

Can I exchange for a different size?

No — each item is made specifically for your order, so exchanges aren't possible. That's exactly why we'd rather help you get it right first time. Faulty or misprinted items are a different matter: photo to support@zomamoda.com within 30 days and we replace or refund, with nothing to send back.