Tall men’s sizes offer longer inseams, longer sleeve length and longer torso for men between 6’3″ – 6’7″. MT, LT and XLT are tall sizes that you can buy in stores catering for tall people.
True tall sizes are designed with proportionally longer sleeves, rise and torso. Other tall sizes are simply regular sizes with added inches. Jeans and pants are usually labeled with the exact inseam and not with tall sizes like XLT.
Normal sizes won’t fit a tall man from around 6’3″ and up. This is where you should consider moving from regular (M, L, XL) up to tall sizes (MT, LT, XLT). But it also depends on your body composition (long arms vs. long legs.)
Let’s dive into what tall sizes are, who they are for and where to get them.
Who are Tall Sizes for and When Should you Start Wearing Them?
It’s easy to get confused around tall sizes, Big & Tall and regular sizes. As a rule of thumb, regular sizes are for people shorter than 6’3″, tall sizes are for (slim) people above 6’3″, and Big & Tall is for tall people using XXL and larger.
When to Buy Tall Sizes
Tall sizes are made for men above 6’3″. This is a general rule that you can use to decide whether you should be looking into buying your next t-shirt in XLT instead of regular XL.
When you hit 6’3″ (or 190 centimetres), you have a hard time finding shirts with long enough sleeves, t-shirts that cover your belt and sweaters that don’t look like they’re from your adolescence.
Tall guys need to shop for tall sizes. And there are a range of online stores that cater specifically for our needs. Specialised tall brands design tall clothes from the ground up by customising the cut of fabric to fit our proportions.
Torso, rise and sleeves are the most essential parts to consider, when creating clothing that fits a tall man. Shoulders, waist and chest is less dependent on height, and more dependent on muscularity and fat percentage.
The right time for you to buy tall clothing is the day you look in the mirror and realise that your sleeves are too short. Your t-shirt doesn’t cover your stomach when you raise your arms. Or your pants don’t rest on your shoes.
Are you Tall or Extra Tall?
Tall sizes are for men between 6′ 3″ – 6′ 7″ (190 cm – 200 cm). At this height, you’ll be able to find your tall sizes in physical stores like H&M, Nordstrom and GAP.
Extra tall sizes are for men between 6′ 8″ – 7′ 1″ (204 cm – 216 cm). When you are this tall (like me), you need to shop in stores like American Tall, TallSlim and Navas.
This chart is from American Tall and applies to their styles. There might be slight variations from brand to brand. However, these numbers are a great starting point for shopping online as a tall man.
What’s the Difference Between Big & Tall vs. Tall?
The #1 thing to understand when dealing with tall sizes is that Big & Tall clothing for people who are both big + tall. It’s not a size that caters for both the big ones and the tall ones.
If you are slim and tall, you should not buy Big & Tall clothing. Instead, you should buy tall sizes like ‘medium tall’, ‘large tall’ and ‘extra large tall’.
If you are a big man—with larger chest, waist and hips—and you’re tall at the same time, Big & Tall sizes are made for you. If you are used to multiple X’es on your clothing labels, Big & Tall will probably be perfect for you.
On a personal note, I’ve tried a lot of Big & Tall clothing over the years, because I couldn’t find fitting tall sizes any other way. It is possible to have e.g. a Big & Tall blazer tailored and fitted around the waist, but it’s way easier now to just buy the right tall size.
What Size is Medium Tall, Large Tall and XL Tall?
Medium Tall, Large Tall and XL Tall differ mostly in chest measurements (and only a bit in torso length). Like regular sizes, it’s the width that changes the most when moving up in sizes.
Let’s take a slim-fit tee shirt from American Tall as example:
- Medium Tall: 39″ chest // 31″ torso length
- Large Tall: 42″ chest // 32″ torso length
- XL Tall: 46″ chest // 33″ torso length
- 2XL Tall: 50″ chest // 34″ torso length
The chest circumference increases by 3 inches, 4 inches and 4 inches when moving upwards. The torso length only increases by 1 inch for each new size.
Sleeve lengths also increase, on e.g. a long sleeve shirt:
- Medium Tall: 37.5″ sleeve length
- Large Tall: 38″ sleeve length
- XL Tall: 38.5″ sleeve length
- 2XL Tall Tall: 39″ sleeve length
Sleeves only get 0.5 inches longer when moving up the size chart. Therefore, it’s important to go for a tall size at the outset, so the sleeve length has already been extended a few inches.
H&M adds 1.2″ to their shirt sleeves when you move from a regular size to a tall size. Land’s End adds 1-1.5″ to their sleeves when it’s a tall size.
In conclusion, men above 6’3″ should wear tall sizes that are extended in torso, rise and sleeve length. Regular sizes are not the same as tall sizes, so look out for size charts that include MT, LT, XLT and 2XLT.
Jeans and Pants for Tall Men (with long Inseams)
Jeans and pants do not use tall sizes like t-shirts, shirts, jumpers, jackets etc. Clothes for legs use inseams, which is 1:1 comparable and relatable to regular inseams on normal jeans and pants.
You don’t have to look for tall sizes when you shop for jeans and pants. Instead, you should look for jeans for tall men with 36″ inseam or even 38″ inseam. Some jeans and pants even go up to 40″ inseam (or unfinished).
Regular stores stock jeans and pants up to 34″. If you are a tall man like me—I’m 6’8″ and use 36″-38″ inseam—you won’t have much luck there. You need to buy your jeans at tall shops like American Tall, 2Tall or G-Star to find the leg length you need.
What is your inseam at certain heights?
It’s difficult to answer what your inseam is if you are a man at 5’6″, 6’3″ or 7’1″, because your torso to leg ratio is unique. If you have a short torso but long legs, you may use jeans with 36″ inseam at 6’4″.
The easy way to find out what inseam is the right for your height is to use a measuring tape and measure the inside of your leg from crotch to ankle. This number is your inseam and what you should look for in the size charts.
Who Sells Tall Sizes for Men?
The best way to find tall sizes for men is to shop at specialised tall brands that only focus on the niche of tall clothing. I’ve compiled a list with tall men’s clothing options to get your started.
It’s possible to find tall sizes in regular stores like Asos, H&M and Gap, but be careful; you might end up with short sleeves or legs, as they consider tall somewhere between 5’11” – 6’3″.
What size is tall for a man?
“Tall” is a term that is up for interpretation, and brands interpret when you are tall in different ways. To be sure that ‘tall’ means between 6’3″ – 6’7″, you have to look at their size charts or size guides.
The best places to find tall sizes for men are:
- American Tall: They are founded with real tall guys in mind. This means that they cater for the tall and extra tall. With great designs and great prices, American Tall is my go-to place for purchasing tall clothes.
- Asos Tall: In recent years, Asos has moved into the tall space and have done a really good job with their latest Tall ranges. Always check the size guides and be ready to return some styles, but there is (affordable) gold to be found.
- Navas Apparel: A new tall brand that sells athletic and sustainable tall clothing for men above 6’2″ and under 250 lbs. T-shirts, long sleeves and hoodies in warm and durable materials.
If you know of a great place that sells tall sizes for men, feel free to add them in the comments. The list with tall men’s clothing is updated continuously, so please provide your tips and tricks for the community to enjoy.
What do you think?