Size guide
Youth shirt sizes
What YXS, YS, YM, YL, and YXL actually measure, with typical ages, so you can size a class or team order without guessing.
Youth sizing is where bulk apparel orders go wrong most often, because the labels are abbreviations and the age bands overlap. YXS, YS, YM, YL, and YXL are simply youth extra small through youth extra large, and each one covers a chest range rather than a single age. A ten-year-old can sit in youth medium or youth large depending on build, which is why the age column below is guidance and the chest measurement is the answer.
Youth sizing also varies more between blanks than adult sizing does. If you can, measure a shirt that already fits the child and compare it against the garment chest column, which is the lay-flat measurement across one side. That gets you closer than any age band. Where you cannot measure, use the to-fit chest column and round up: a slightly roomy shirt gets worn, a tight one does not.
For a group order, collect sizes once before you order rather than estimating, and expect youth runs to skew toward the middle of the range.
- YXS
- Youth extra small
- YS
- Youth small
- YM
- Youth medium
- YL
- Youth large
- YXL
- Youth extra large
Youth t-shirt
| Size | Typical age | To-fit chest (body) (in) | Garment chest (½, flat) (in) | Body length (HPS) (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth XS | 4–5 | 25–27 | 13–14 | 19–19.5 |
| Youth S | 6–7 | 27–29 | 14.5–15.5 | 20.5–21 |
| Youth M | 8–10 | 29–31 | 16–17 | 22–22.5 |
| Youth L | 10–12 | 31–33 | 17.5–18.5 | 23.5–24 |
| Youth XL | 14–16 | 33–35 | 19–20 | 25–25.5 |
Youth sizing varies more than adult, where you can, measure a shirt that already fits and match the garment chest.
General sizing guidance. Exact garment measurements vary by blank, we confirm sizing on your quote and proof.
These are standard US youth ranges. Ask for the exact measurements of your blank with your quote.
These charts are part of the full custom apparel size guide, which also covers group size curves for bulk orders.
Youth medium size chart
Youth medium (YM) usually fits ages 8–10. Go by the chest measurement first and the age second.
Youth medium (YM) t-shirt
| Size | Typical age | To-fit chest (body) (in) | Garment chest (½, flat) (in) | Body length (HPS) (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth M | 8–10 | 29–31 | 16–17 | 22–22.5 |
General sizing guidance. Exact garment measurements vary by blank, we confirm sizing on your quote and proof.
What YS, YM, YL and XLB mean
The Y stands for youth. YS is youth small, to fit a 27 to 29 inch chest. YM is youth medium, 29 to 31 inches. YL is youth large, 31 to 33 inches. XLB means youth extra large (boys' sizing), a label some brands print in place of YXL. On the chart above it is Youth XL, to fit a 33 to 35 inch chest.
Youth and adult sizes on one order
One order can mix youth and adult sizes, and youth sizes are quoted with the rest of the order. The table sets each youth size beside the closest adult size on the unisex t-shirt chart, by to-fit chest and body length.
| Youth size | Chest (in) | Length (in) | Closest adult | Chest (in) | Length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth XS | 25–27 | 19–19.5 | Smaller than adult XS (32–34 in chest) | ||
| Youth S | 27–29 | 20.5–21 | Smaller than adult XS (32–34 in chest) | ||
| Youth M | 29–31 | 22–22.5 | Smaller than adult XS (32–34 in chest) | ||
| Youth L | 31–33 | 23.5–24 | Adult XS | 32–34 | 27–27.5 |
| Youth XL | 33–35 | 25–25.5 | Adult XS | 32–34 | 27–27.5 |
A youth shirt is shorter in the body than the adult size with the same chest, so check both columns before moving a child up to an adult size.
Printable sizes sheet
One page with 30 blank rows for name, size, and youth or adult. Print it, pass it around the group, then send us the totals with your quote request.
Youth shirt size questions
YXS is youth extra small, which fits a child's chest of roughly 25 to 27 inches, typically around ages 4 to 5. The garment itself measures about 13 to 14 inches across the chest laid flat, with a body length of about 19 to 19.5 inches. Youth sizing varies more than adult sizing, so where you can, measure a shirt that already fits and match the garment chest.
Youth medium (YM) fits a chest of about 29 to 31 inches, typically ages 8 to 10. The garment measures roughly 16 to 17 inches across the chest laid flat and about 22 to 22.5 inches from the shoulder to the hem. If a child sits between youth small and youth medium, size up: a slightly roomy shirt gets worn, a tight one does not.
YS is youth small. It fits a chest of about 27 to 29 inches, typically ages 6 to 7, with a garment chest of roughly 14.5 to 15.5 inches laid flat. The Y prefix simply marks the size as youth rather than adult, so YS is noticeably smaller than an adult small.
XLB means youth extra large (boys' sizing). It is written YXL or Youth XL on most charts, including the one on this page. It fits a chest of about 33 to 35 inches, typically ages 14–16, and it is shorter in the body than an adult shirt with a similar chest. Go by the chest measurement, not the letters.
Youth XL is roughly where adult XS begins, but the cut differs as well as the measurement: youth garments are shorter in the body and narrower through the shoulder. For a school order covering a wide age span, it is usually cleaner to run youth sizes for the younger group and adult sizes from there up, rather than stretching one scale across everyone.
Yes. Youth and adult sizes can go on one order, so a school or club can outfit every age in a single run without splitting it up. Youth sizes are priced on your quote. Collect the sizes once, send us the breakdown, and we will confirm the size run and the price for each on your quote.
Print the sizes sheet on this page and pass it around, or ask for the same three things in a form: name, size, and youth or adult. Collect every size once, before you order, rather than estimating. Then total each size and send the breakdown with your quote request. We confirm the size run on your quote before anything is made.
Not sure which size to order?
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