Sizing & Measurements

Alpha sizing

Alpha sizing labels garments with letters — XS, S, M, L, XL — instead of numeric measurements. It groups a range of body sizes into each letter, which makes shopping quicker but vaguer than numeric sizing, since one brand's medium can differ a lot from another's.

A letter has to cover a span of measurements, so an alpha size is inherently less precise than a numeric one. A medium might fit a range of chests, and where you land within that range decides whether it feels snug or loose.

This is why converting between alpha and numeric sizing is always fuzzy, and why checking the brand's measurements behind the letter matters more than the letter itself.