Size Recommendation for Menswear Stores

Size recommendation for menswear stores works best when you give each product family its own chart: shirts and knitwear, jackets and coats, and trousers. Chest decides most tops and jackets, while waist and hips decide trousers, so a single chart for everything gives shaky suggestions.

A body-scan tool then matches each shopper to the right chart. If you are new to how this works, start with the overview of AI size recommendation for fashion stores, then come back for the menswear details.

Why is menswear sizing its own problem?

Men's clothing uses more size systems than most categories. A single store might sell T-shirts in S to XXL, shirts by collar size, jackets by chest in inches with a length letter, and trousers by waist and leg.

That mix causes three common problems:

• Mixed labels. A shopper who wears "M" in T-shirts may not know his jacket size.
• Cut differences. Slim, regular and relaxed fits of the same label can fit very differently.
• Missing data. Many men have never measured their chest or waist, so they guess from an old purchase.

A size advisor helps most when it removes the guessing and speaks in your own labels.

What does a body scan measure for menswear?

ZeDaq.ai takes one full-length photo plus the shopper's height. The photo is analyzed on the shopper's device, and only the measurements are used for sizing. The scan estimates chest, waist and hips.

Here is how those map to the main menswear products:

Product	Garment type in ZeDaq.ai	Measurement that decides
T-shirts, polos, knitwear	Tops	Chest
Casual and dress shirts	Tops	Chest
Blazers, suit jackets, coats	Outerwear	Chest
Trousers, chinos, jeans, shorts	Bottoms	Waist and hips

Be clear with yourself about what the scan doesn't measure. It doesn't measure neck, sleeve length or inseam. If you sell shirts by collar size or trousers by leg length, keep those choices as separate options the shopper picks himself.

How should you build a menswear tops chart?

Base it on body chest, not the garment's flat width. Each size needs a minimum and a maximum, and each range should start where the last one ends.

Here is an example chart for a regular-fit T-shirt. It isn't a standard, so check your brand's own chart before using any numbers.

Size	Chest (cm)
S	88–94
M	94–100
L	100–106
XL	106–113
XXL	113–120

ZeDaq.ai uses one chart per garment type. If you sell slim and relaxed tops, build the chart around your core fit. Then add a fit note to the outliers, such as "slim fit, size up if between sizes."

How do you size suits and blazers?

Many US and UK suit jackets are labeled by chest in inches, with a length letter such as S, R or L. A body scan can handle the chest part well, because chest is the measurement it compares against your outerwear chart.

Set your outerwear chart up with your real jacket labels, for example "38", "40" and "42". The shopper then sees "40" instead of a generic "M".

For the length letter, give the shopper a short height guide next to the selector. You already have their height from the scan, but the scan doesn't choose short, regular or long for you. Write the guide from your own pattern, not from another brand's chart.

Suit trousers are sized by waist. If you sell suits as separates, size the jacket from the outerwear chart and the trousers from the bottoms chart. If you sell them only as a set, tell the shopper which measurement decides the set size.

How do you size trousers and jeans?

The bottoms chart uses waist and hips. When the two point to different sizes, the scan sizes up to the larger one. That matters for men with a larger seat or thighs, who often find their waist size too tight through the hips.

A few tips for menswear bottoms:

• Use your real labels. If you sell "32" and "34", enter those, not S and M.
• Keep leg length separate. Let the shopper choose 30, 32 or 34 inch leg himself.
• Note the rise. One line such as "mid rise, sits below the navel" stops confusion about where to measure.

Athletic cuts need extra room through the thigh. The guide to sizing for activewear brands covers stretch fabrics and compression fits, which behave differently from woven chinos.

What about big and tall menswear?

Big and tall ranges often sit past the end of a standard chart. Extend your chart to cover every size you sell, so a shopper at the top end gets a real label instead of "no match."

The same thinking applies across size-inclusive ranges. The article on size recommendation for plus-size stores explains how to build charts that run past XL without gaps.

Traditional menswear raises its own questions. Agbada, kaftan and senator styles are loose in the body, and many are cut long. The guide to sizing for African fashion brands covers how to size those styles.

What mistakes do menswear stores make with size charts?

Most poor size suggestions trace back to the chart, not the shopper. Watch for these:

• Copying a supplier's garment chart. Supplier charts often list the finished garment, not the body inside it. Convert them to body measurements first.
• Using one chart for every fit. A slim shirt and a relaxed overshirt with the same label rarely fit the same body. Pick a core fit and use fit notes for the rest.
• Setting the wrong garment type. A blazer set as a top is matched against your tops chart instead of your jacket labels. Check the type on every product.
• Forgetting to update. When a new season changes a pattern, update the chart on the same day the products go live.

How do you set it up and test it?

You can be live in one sitting if your charts are ready:

1. Sign up and add your charts for tops, outerwear and bottoms.
2. Use your own size labels in every chart.
3. Connect your store. Use the Shopify app, or the script tag for WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and custom sites.
4. Set the garment type for each product.
5. Run a scan on yourself and on one or two colleagues.
6. Compare each result with the size you actually wear in that product.

If a result feels one size off, check your chart before blaming the scan. Gaps between sizes and garment-width numbers are the usual cause.

The Free plan includes 3 measurements a month, enough for a first check. Paid plans run from Micro at $14 a month to Scale at $299, and each paid plan has a 3-day free trial with no card required.

FAQs

Can the scan pick a shirt collar size?

No. The scan measures chest, waist and hips, not neck. Keep collar size as an option the shopper selects, and use the scan for the chest-based fit.

Should I use inches or centimeters?

Use the unit your labels use. If your jackets say "40" and your trousers say "32", an inch chart keeps the numbers consistent.

What happens when a shopper is between two sizes?

The scan recommends the larger size and says so. A slightly loose shirt is easier to wear or alter than one that pulls across the chest.

Do I need a chart for every product?

No. You need one chart per garment type. Products that share a fit can share a chart, and fit notes cover small differences.