Sleeve length (dress shirts)

[SirGrotius]

Did a search on this and didn't see a conclusive answer...

I'm a relatively small guy and measure a sleeve length of 32". Do most guys get an extra inch in there for give and to make room for washings? I'm worried to go 32" with a whole bunch of shirts and to start noticing the sleeve's too short -- not that I'm 100% clear on what too short means!

I have shirts from Thomas Pink where a size 15" means 34" sleeve size, which still looks fine on me, IMO, although there's a bit more fabric.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

P.S. this is spurred by my intention to order some BB Classic Oxford dress shirts (extra slim fit).

 

[Harold falcon]

The BB OCBD in 100% cotton does shrink slightly, but I have not found it shrinks enough to make a significant difference in sleeve length.

 

[Broadus]

My dress shirts are typically 100% cotton, and I wear 15.5"/34". I've never noticed a shrinkage in sleeve length. If the sleeves lost an inch, I'd be really concerned about the shirt.

 

[SirGrotius]

Thanks guys!

 

[Antonio Centeno]

I agree with the above point - if your shirt sleeves are shrinking an inch you either have a very poor quality shirt or your dryer is cooking clothing at 200 degrees F.

I rarely see more than 1/4 of an inch of shrinkage, sometimes 1/2 inch if the shirt is abused (which I consider to be high heat in a washer and dryer).

And I will add always better to be too long - you can have that easily fixed for a few bucks. Too short, well.....

 

[Ataturk]

Shrinkage depends on the fabric. All cotton shrinks (and usually it gets shorter rather than tighter). It'll eventually shrink no matter how careful you are washing and drying it. Usually you can stretch it a little along the grain while it's still wet to recover some length.

But I agree that it's absolutely better to err on the side of caution and go with the longer sleeve if you think you're between sizes.

 

[Broadus]

I haven't found cotton shirts to shrink noticeably, but I agree about buying the longer sleeve if between sizes, regardless of shrinkage. I can't handle sleeves that are too short.