Will shopping ever be simple and easy as they make it seem like online, where you can just find the size and it will automatically fit you as if it’s been specifically tailored for you?

Sometimes we’d wish that just having the t shirt sizes small, medium, and large would cater to everyone’s taste in comfort and style, but reality is a different story. Humans are hard to please! 

Stores aren’t at that stage yet where they can give you the perfect fit for any style of clothing you’d want in their store, so we’re going to detail a guide that will hopefully provide some insight on what are the best fits out there. 

One of the issues that some people currently face is when you’re not the “average” size, stores will only have limited quantities of the other fits such as XL, XXL. XS, XXS, etc. Furthermore if you have longer or shorter limbs, it’s not often clothing brands will have certain styles for you. Isn’t that quite annoying? Here's some more insight on way Asian sizes differ from US sizes, as well as our recommended Asian clothing brands.

Even if you are the common small, medium, or large sizes you might still have difficulty finding those dimensions because it’s so common that people buy out all those in stock.

Likewise, some stores may have clothing that offers all the sizes, but some certain styles of the same size may fit differently depending on the material and how it’s designed. One medium sized t-shirt may not fit as well another medium sized sweater or tank top.

Let’s take a look at an example: our shorter fellows. You can be short and have a slim figure or lean towards the heavier side and this definitely affects your shoulders, arms, waist, legs, and thigh ratios, so not all clothing that are labeled size small are going to fit comfortably for you. Check out our article on how to look taller and shoes that make you taller for more in depth style tips.

T-shirts may seem like a standard clothing that should be rather simple to buy, but it ain’t so! They might just be too big and if the brands don’t supply any XS sizes, you may need to search through the kids section if you really want that specific brand.

To us, the most optimal top is finding the best white T shirt with the balance of fit, quality, and price, which will look great with a suit and sneakers.

How to Find the Best Fit?

Regardless of your figure, you’re going to want to fit comfortably in your t-shirt. What’s comfortable you may ask? It’s different for everyone as people have their own preferences and reasons for choosing their type of t-shirts, whether it’s the print, style, etc. We know that obviously you can get t-shirts that can be too baggy or too skinny, but that probably means they’re not your true size or fit. 

Having a best fit for your t-shirts would require it to not be too tight to the point where it’s essentially like modal fabric boxers or briefs, or for it to be too relaxed to where it seems like you’re wearing a hand me down shirt or it will become more of a sweater or blanket.

Not only will other people judge you, but you wouldn’t want to feel uncomfortable too right? The balance for this is to get slim fit t-shirts, where it’s not too tight nor relaxed and presents an acceptable image that’s flattering. Slim fit is that style that’s the grey area between relaxed and skinny fit clothing, so it’s perfect when neither are those are your preference.  

Criteria for the Best T-Shirts & Brands

Now we’ll look at what makes a t-shirt the best out of all of them. This might not be your top priority, but obviously for most of us shoppers is the price. Pricing for a t-shirt cannot go well above and beyond an acceptable price.

Sure, it might be a famous trendy, fashion brand that you often see on catwalks and fashion shows, but are you really going to drop a few bills on t-shirts that you wear on a daily basis? Maybe if the shirts are much more important to you than the money, but for most of us that isn’t the case.

Though spending less than 10 dollars for a t-shirt may seem like the perfect idea, but usually the catch with that cheap price tag is the material and longevity of the t-shirt. 

The most important aspect would be the fit of the shirt, especially for off the rack t-shirts. As discussed earlier, having a slim fit t shirt would be the best option (depending on your preference of course) that we recommend! Parts of the t-shirt that we should focus on are the shirt length, sleeve, neck, shoulder, chest, and waist areas.

Mainly you don’t want any of these fields to be too awkward or uncomfortable. For instance: you may have broad shoulders despite being short, so everything else may be perfectly comfy, but the t-shirt will be tight on your shoulders. You’re going to need to grab a t shirt that take that criteria into account! 

Material is also another crucial part for a great t-shirt. You don’t want your shirts to start shrinking after a couple of washes or wears, easily ripping or tearing at the seams or just by some slight stress from moving around in your t shirt, or just starting to get stiff and you need to break into the shirt in order for it to get comfortable. We have a separate guide if you're looking for the best clothes for short guys and best dress shirts for short men.

 

Best T-Shirt Brands for Short Guys

#1. Nimble Made [Overall Favorite Brand]

The clothing brand that we recommend for the best fitting t-shirts for short guys is Nimble Made. They’re an Asian American brand dedicated to creating the perfect slim fit clothing for slimmer individuals because in America, it is difficult to find comfortably sized clothing for smaller guys since the common or standard dude typically has a medium build.

One of the reasons why Nimble Made is so unique is that they have their own original sizing guide that can be found via their online website. Their measurements are specially tailored for shorter and slimmer men, having trimmed shoulders, back, and chest, fitted sleeves and appropriate sleeve length, and the perfect shirt length as well. They make dress shirts specifically for short men.

Though their main focus was on dress shirts, Nimble Made has expanded to providing basic t-shirts. They offer the best fitting t shirts with the standard crew neck or v neck options and a few common colors.

Their pricing may be a little bit above average for just a regular shirt, but you have to keep in mind their sizing and fit measurements are quite exceptional, so you may not find other brands of shirts that fit like theirs.

There are plenty of reviews left with customers and they also have their heights and weights, so you have a better idea on how each different size fits for their shorter length t shirts.

Nonetheless, Nimble Made t-shirts are also made with their long cotton for that soft and comfortable feeling, staying true to how a common t-shirt should be defined: standard and simple.

They also have great customer service and free returns and exchanges if you’d like a different size or t shirt color. Nimble Made is definitely our recommended brand for best t-shirts for short guys.

 

GAP

One of the most popular (or used to be) clothing brands is GAP. They have one of the widest selections in terms of styles, especially when it comes to casual wear. You’ve definitely seen their stores around your outlets or malls or perhaps even their commercials!

We’re sure everyone has shopped here at least once or twice in their lifetime (We know we have!). GAP t-shirts have smaller sizes and fits for our shorter gentlemen, but we wouldn’t put all my eggs into their basket. They’re not made of the best quality since they’re pretty cheap in comparison to other clothing brands, so they might not be the most comfortable shirts out there.

This also might result in their t-shirts not lasting as long or durable, so they may rip or tear more easily.

 

Express

A higher tier brand of clothing is Express and they pack a wide variety of casual to formal outfits. Their t shirt quality is exceptional, more so because they’re on the higher end of the pricing range. Their shirts come in XS and are definitely a good slim fit for our smaller guys.

However, their XS sizes may run out really fast since they don’t have a large stock in them, so they’re not too reliable for their smaller sizes.

 

H&M

One of my personal favorite stores to shop at is H&M. This clothing brand has a great selection in clothing and their prices are affordable! Their variety in t-shirts are also great and their fit is amazing.

They definitely have smaller choices for sizing and also caters to slim fits, so it definitely won’t be too baggy or long for your body. Furthermore, the material is quite thin, so it’s great for summer weather!

The downside is that because their shirts don’t cost a lot, the durability isn’t the best, but with a basic t-shirt you can only expect so much, so you’ll probably end up buying multiple shirts regardless!

 

Muji

A brand that took me by surprise to be on this list is Muji. Normally they’re a store that sells your usual office supplies and accessories that have a simplistic design with Japanese influence, but they also stock your basic essentials for clothing.

Being from Japan, their apparel and clothing that they sell are catered towards smaller and slim individuals, so it’s shorter and appropriate ratios for the chest and shoulder area. Their t-shirts will definitely suit our smaller fellows and you can definitely expect great quality from them and they’re priced moderately too. 

 

Old Navy

A family and branch out of GAP, Old Navy is your other generic clothing brand that pacts plenty of casual styles. Their prices are more on the cheaper end, so you can definitely get bulk amounts of your essential t-shirts, but the quality may not be the best.

They definitely have smaller sizes available, but tend to have a bit more of a boxy frame (not as boxy as Velva Sheen). Furthermore if their smaller sizes don’t fit your preference, they also have a wide variety in women and children’s clothing for even smaller frames.

 

Uniqlo

Uniqlo is definitely the clothing brand to check out as well. We’d say this would be an upgrade from H&M in terms of quality. They’re also a Japanese store like Muji, so their clothing is also catered towards smaller and slim people. Uniqlo has an expansive library of styles from casual to formal wear, so they’re definitely a great store to explore different designs. Get $10 off your next online order of $75+ when you sign up for UNIQLO text messages

Pricewise is a bit more expensive than H&M, but still affordable or if anything it's normally priced compared with other t-shirts. Their quality and comfort are both great and you know the fit is good where it’s not too skinny and not too baggy either, just slim.

Uniqlo t-shirts are made of a bit thicker cotton than H&M shirts so it’s slightly warmer, but they also have their Airism brands for a much thinner experience that feels like it’s pajamas! Check out our guide on brands like Uniqlo.

  

Zara

Zara, in my personal opinion, can be equivalent to Uniqlo as in an upgrade from H&M with a higher quality and price. They stock trendy styles and diverse collections of casual to formal attire. They definitely have smaller sizes in their selection as well, but with their variety also sometimes their sizes may vary in quality.

For me though, we normally wouldn’t go there for their t-shirts (usually more for their outerwear or formal attire), but their comfort and quality levels for other clothing shouldn’t stray too far away from each other.

 

Conclusion

Finding the best t-shirts for short guys isn’t an easy task, but it’s not impossible either. This just requires as much research as you would need to do when finding the best car, phone, or mattress.

You need to try several different brands until you find that perfect, comfortable fit. You should definitely invest in getting those comfortable clothes not just for yourself, but also so that others would be impressed with your presentation and taste of fashion too. 

Doing your research on the best t-shirt brands for shorter guys will ensure that you save time and money down the line. A lot of folks will recommend tailoring, but we would prefer to avoid trimming or tailoring my t-shirts since that costs extra money and time.

Why bother with all this when you can just find off the rack shirts that are a comfortable fit? All of the brands listed above are tried and true, and we definitely recommend you check some out. You may be familiar with some of the bigger brands, but it’s always good to broaden your horizon--especially when it comes to something as personal as fashion.

At the end of the day, your clothes affect not only how you feel, but also how you come across to others. As we always say, it’s good to treat yourself to the better things in life. Don't forget to check out our guide to best boxer briefs for more style inspiration.

 

FAQs about the best fitting t shirts

What shirt should short guys wear?

Short guys should look for shirts that enhance their proportions and create a balanced silhouette. Opt for fitted shirts that align well with your shoulders and chest without being too tight around the waist.

Vertical patterns, like stripes or subtle designs, can help elongate the appearance of your torso. It's best to avoid excessive layers, as they can add bulk and make you appear shorter. Tailored shirts can also provide a better fit and prevent excess fabric that can overwhelm a shorter frame.

Is an oversized T-shirt good for short guys?

Oversized T-shirts generally aren't the best choice for short guys. They can make you look even shorter by adding extra bulk and hiding your body shape. Instead, consider well-fitted T-shirts that fit properly through the shoulders and chest, with a slight taper at the waist.

f you prefer a relaxed fit, look for T-shirts that are not excessively oversized but still offer comfort without overwhelming your frame.

Should short guys tuck in their shirt?

Tucking in a shirt can work well for short guys if done correctly. A tucked-in shirt creates a neater appearance and can enhance your proportions, especially when paired with well-fitting pants or trousers.

Make sure the shirt is not too long or loose to avoid excess fabric bunching up and detracting from a streamlined look. Tucking in is effective with dress shirts, polos, or fitted casual shirts, while a casual tuck or half-tuck can be stylish for more relaxed settings. Here's a list of the best untucked shirts for short guys.

What is the sleeve length for short guys?

The right sleeve length can significantly impact your overall appearance. Sleeves should end around the wrist bone; if they’re too long, they can make you look shorter and disrupt the proportions of your outfit.

Opt for shirts with sleeves that are adjustable or tailored to your arm length to prevent excess fabric from bunching up. Avoid long sleeves that extend beyond your wrists, as they can create an unkempt look. Ensuring your sleeves are properly fitted or adjusted can help maintain a polished appearance.