How to find your size

Most returns we get are about size, not about the product. A shirt that is one size off feels wrong even when it is exactly what you wanted.

Here is how we would choose a size if we had never worn Tessel, in three steps and about five minutes.

1. Measure a T-shirt you already like

Lay your favorite T-shirt flat and measure it across the chest, one inch below the armholes, and from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem. Those two numbers say more than any size label, because every brand cuts its S differently.

• Chest: armpit to armpit, across the front
• Length: high point of the shoulder to the hem
• Write both down in inches or cm

“Measure the shirt you love, not yourself. A body measurement doesn’t tell you how loose you like it.”

Sam Okafor, pattern cutter

2. Compare with the size guide

Every product page has a size guide with the garment’s own measurements in inches and cm. Find the size whose chest is closest to your T-shirt’s. If you are between two, the fit line on the page tells you which way to go: a boxy cut can take the smaller one, a slim one the larger.

3. Read the Model line

Under every product we say how tall the model is and which size they wear, for example “Model is 5′9″ (175 cm) and wears S”. If you are about their height and usually wear the same size, you will see the fit you get. Customer reviews add how it fit on other bodies.

Trousers work the same way: measure a pair you like across the waistband and along the inside leg, and compare with the waist and inseam in the guide. Our Men’s Straight Chino has a 32″ inseam and the Women’s Straight Chino a 30″ one in every size.

Still not sure? Order the size you think is right. If it isn’t, the exchange is free within 30 days.