A dress shirt is one of the easier things to buy online if you know two numbers, and one of the easier things to get wrong if you only pick small, medium or large. This guide shows how to measure for a shirt, what a "stretch" listing actually tells you, and what to check in a store's return rules before you order. It uses one store's own size, product and returns pages as an example. It is not a review of any shirt. We have not tested any shirt or store, and the policies can change, so confirm the terms at checkout. It is for anyone buying dress shirts, polos or knit tops online, mainly in the US.

Disclosure: We earn a commission when you buy through some links, at no extra cost to you. We only link to shops we have a partner arrangement with, and we label those links as ads. We have not tested any product mentioned here.

Quick answer

  • Measure your neck, chest, shoulders and sleeve before you look at sizes. A letter size such as "Large" does not tell you how a shirt collar or sleeve will fit.
  • Read the whole listing, not just the headline. Fabric, care and fit notes sit in the details.
  • Read the store's own size chart. One store we read lists sizes from Small to 4XL, and each size is a bundle of neck, chest, waist, hip, sleeve, length and shoulder measurements.
  • Check what a sale price does to returns. At the store we read, items bought at full price can be refunded, exchanged or returned for store credit, while sale-price items are exchange or store credit only.
  • Keep the tags and the packaging. Worn, washed, ironed or altered items are not accepted, and missing original packaging can cost a fee.
  • Check where you live. International orders may not get a return label, and duties and taxes can be yours.

At a glance

ItemWhat one store's pages say
Return window30 days
Full-price itemsRefund, exchange or store credit
Sale-price itemsExchange or store credit only
Final saleFace masks, underwear and socks
Free shippingDomestic orders over $50
Return processing5 to 7 business days after the store receives the items

1. Measure before you choose a size

The store's size page says to measure around your neck just above the collar bone, with one finger between the tape and your neck, or to measure and add 1/4 inch, then round up to the closest half inch. Its size chart gives, for example, a neck of 15 1/4 inches for Small, 16 1/4 for Medium and 17 for Large, and a sleeve of 26 3/4 to 28 3/4 inches across the range. Chest, waist, hip, length and shoulder measurements sit in the same chart.

Two things follow from this. First, a letter size covers one neck number, so a man who measures between sizes needs to decide whether collar or chest matters more for him. Second, the chart is for that store's shirts: another store's Medium can be a different set of numbers. Our guide to how to read clothing size charts online explains how to compare your measurements with any chart, and our guides on how suit jackets, blazers and dress shirts should fit and buying a suit online cover what a tailor can and cannot change.

2. Stretch dress shirts: what a listing tells you

"Stretch" and "tailored" are claims on a product page, so read what the listing says and what it leaves out. One stretch shirt listing we read on the store's site (a long-sleeve shirt, sale price $198 on 26 October 2026) states:

  • Fabric. 87% polyamide and 13% elastane, with "4-way stretch", moisture wicking and quick dry. The store describes the fabric as Italian performance fabric. These are the store's own claims, and we have not tested them.
  • Care. Wash cold, lay flat to dry, do not tumble dry. A shirt you cannot tumble dry is a different routine from a cotton one, so check the care line before you buy it for work travel.
  • Fit. The store calls it a "shaped fit", between tailored and regular. Its sizing guidance says to choose your regular size for a tailored look and to size up one size for a relaxed feel.
  • Model. The listing gives a model reference of 6 ft, 40 inch chest, 31 inch waist and 15 inch neck, wearing size 3 (Medium).

If you have broad shoulders and a slimmer waist, or an athletic build, the useful numbers are the chest and shoulder measurements in the size chart, not the neck. A stretch fabric can give a little at the chest, but it does not change a collar that is too tight. For an athletic or muscular build, compare your chest and shoulders with the chart and then decide whether to size up on the store's own advice. Our guide to how suit jackets, blazers and dress shirts should fit has the fit checks for shoulders, sleeves and collar.

3. Blazers: what to check

Blazer listings on the same store range from structured jackets to "unconstructed" ones, and on 26 October 2026 we saw sale prices from $348.88 to $548 for the blazers we looked at. We did not read the fabric or care details of a blazer listing, so we cannot tell you how those jackets are made. What to check on any blazer listing: the shoulder and sleeve measurements in the size chart, the length, the fabric and care line, and the return rules for sale items below. For how a blazer should fit and what a tailor can change, see our guide on buying a suit online. We do not give styling advice, such as what to wear with a black blazer, because we have no source for it.

4. Returns

From the store's returns page (no effective date shown):

  • Window. Items in original condition can be returned within 30 days of fulfillment for full-price purchases. For sale-price purchases or items bought with a discount code, the page says 30 days from delivery, for an exchange or store credit.
  • Return authorization. Items are not to be returned without a return authorization (RA) issued through the store's returns portal. Unused return labels are voided after 14 days.
  • Condition. Items must come back as shipped, with tags and original packaging. Items received unfolded or missing the original packaging incur a $2.50 fee per item. Items that are worn, washed, dry cleaned, ironed, altered or damaged are not refunded, exchanged or returned to you.
  • Final sale. Face masks, underwear and socks are final sale.
  • Online orders in a shop. The page says online purchases cannot be returned at a physical store.
  • Processing. Returns and exchanges are processed within 5 to 7 business days once received. The page says an exchange item may not be available.

5. Shipping

  • Domestic shipping is free on orders over $50, and the store says it pays domestic shipping charges including returns.
  • Orders placed after 12:00 pm Pacific are shipped the next business day.
  • Once an online order is placed, the page says the shipping address and items cannot be changed.
  • For international orders the store says it cannot supply return labels and is not responsible for international shipping, return shipping, duty or tax. If you order from outside the US, plan for those costs. Our guide to customs duties and importing explains what VAT, duty and carrier fees can add.

Checklist before you order

  1. I measured my neck, chest, shoulders and sleeve and compared them with the store's own size chart, not a different brand's.
  2. I decided whether the neck or the chest matters more if I fall between sizes, and I read the store's advice on sizing up.
  3. I checked the care line: some stretch shirts cannot be tumble dried.
  4. I checked whether the price is a sale price, and what that means for a refund.
  5. I know the return window and that tags and original packaging must stay on and in the box.
  6. I will not wear, wash or iron the shirt until I am sure I am keeping it.
  7. If I live outside the US, I checked the return label and duty and tax rules.

What to check before you buy

  • Neck, chest and sleeve against the size chart, and the shirt's cut (slim or classic) on the product page.
  • Whether the item is final sale or reduced, before you add it to your basket.
  • The return window, who pays return shipping and how long a refund takes.
  • Our guide to refunds and chargebacks if an order goes wrong.

What we could not confirm

  • We have not tested any shirt or store, and we did not check fabric, stitching or how a shirt fits.
  • We read one store's size page, returns page, shipping text, one stretch shirt listing and one blazer listing on 26 October 2026. None shows an effective date, and they can change. We did not read its terms and conditions.
  • The measuring steps, fabric, care and fit notes are from that store's own pages. We did not check them against another source.
  • We did not read a blazer's fabric or care details, and we do not give styling advice.
  • This is general information, not legal advice.

Last checked: 26 October 2026. Sources: Maceoo, size guide (no date shown); Maceoo, returns, exchanges and shipping (no date shown). Terms change: read the current terms at checkout.