Sweater Size Chart: Finding the Right Size and Fit

How much bigger a sweater is than your body: ease

Ease is the difference between the sweater's chest circumference and yours. It decides whether a sweater looks fitted or relaxed far more than the letter on the label. Knitters use the categories set out by the Craft Yarn Council, and ready-to-wear knitwear falls into the same bands.

Thickness matters too. A chunky knit uses up some of the ease on the inside, so a chunky sweater with 4 in of ease feels like a fine-gauge sweater with 2 to 3 in.

Sweater size chart: body and garment measurements

The garment columns apply standard-fit ease (2 to 4 in) to typical body measurements for each size. Use them to check a brand's listed garment measurements: a much larger figure means a relaxed or oversized cut, a smaller one means a fitted cut.

Men's knitwear from traditional British and Irish makers is often labeled by chest in inches (38, 40, 42) rather than letters; that number is your body chest, not the sweater's. European knitwear may use jacket sizes (48, 50, 52), which convert as explained in the clothing size chart.

How to measure a sweater laid flat

1. Lay it on a flat surface without stretching. Knits grow when pulled, so never measure a sweater on a hanger.
2. Chest width. Across the front from side seam to side seam, 1 in (2.5 cm) below the armholes. Double it for the circumference.
3. Length. From the high point of the shoulder, next to the neckline, straight down to the bottom of the hem.
4. Sleeve. From the center back of the neck, across the shoulder and down the sleeve to the cuff edge. This method works for set-in, raglan and drop-shoulder sleeves alike, so you can compare different styles.
5. Compare with your body chest. The difference is the ease; check which fit band in the first table it falls into.

Signs a sweater fits

Sweater lengths and styles

• Cardigans are graded with extra ease to go over a shirt. For a cardigan worn buttoned over a collared shirt, aim for at least 4 in (10 cm) of ease.
• Turtlenecks should have a neck that folds over without gripping. If you take a 17 in (43 cm) or larger shirt collar, check the neck opening or choose a stretchy rib collar.
• Sweater vests can be sized closer because there are no sleeves to restrict movement; see the vest size guide.

Choosing a size from a knitting pattern

Patterns list finished measurements, which already include the designer's chosen ease. Add the ease you want to your own bust or chest, then pick the size whose finished chest is closest.

1. Measure your full bust or chest over the clothing you will wear under the sweater.
2. Add ease. For a standard fit on a 36 in (91 cm) bust, add 3 in to get a target of 39 in (99 cm).
3. Pick the nearest finished size. If the pattern offers 37.5, 40 and 42.5 in, choose 40 in for a standard fit or 37.5 in for a closer fit.
4. Check the gauge. A gauge just 1 stitch per 4 in off on a 20-stitch gauge changes the finished chest by 5%, about 2 in on a 40 in sweater.

Shrinking, stretching and care

• Wool felts when it gets hot, wet and agitated at once. The change is permanent. Wash on a wool cycle or by hand in cool water, and dry flat.
• Cotton and acrylic knits tend to stretch in length when hung, especially when wet. Fold them for storage.
• Cashmere and merino relax slightly with wear; a fine-gauge cashmere sweater that fits snugly new will loosen.

Sweaters worn under outerwear add bulk that the outer layer must allow for; the jacket size guide and the coat size guide explain how much. For fleece and sweatshirts, see the hoodie size chart, and for shirts worn underneath, the shirt size chart.

Frequently asked questions