Oversized is the most misunderstood word in clothing. We have done both. Sized up twice and ended up swimming in it, then gone back to our normal size and found it did not sit like the photo either.
Let it be known that particularly in a world where people are all different shapes and sizes, this is all subjective opinion. ALSO, I have personally changed my mindset on this a few times over many years.
The thing that finally made it click for us is that oversized is a cut, not a size. Here is how ours are built to sit.
The shoulder seam is a big start
On a regular tee the shoulder seam sits on the edge of your shoulder bone. On a proper oversized tee it should drop past it down your arm.
Any less and it just looks like a big t-shirt. Any more and it starts collapsing, the sleeve hangs toward your elbow and the whole thing reads as borrowed rather than intentional. That drop is designed in, which is why buying a larger regular tee never gives you the same shape.
The body should skim, not tent
We LOVE a wide tee, not so much a long tee anymore. There should be room to pinch a decent handful of fabric at your ribs, but the tee should still fall straight down rather than flaring out.
The other tell is the armhole. It should sit low and roomy.
The hem should sit where you want it
This has been one of the biggest changes to fashion in the last few years, cropped tees are in and here to stay (at least for a bit) and we try to split the difference a little. Long enough to wear out, short enough to tuck if you wanted to. You should be able to choose from a size or two to have it sit around your fly or closer to your belt line.
So which size do you take?
Take your normal size. Ours are designed with the drop shoulder and boxy body already built in, so the oversize is in the pattern rather than in the label.
Size up one only if you want it genuinely baggy and cropped-looking on a shorter frame, or if you are between sizes and prefer more room. Size down if you are tall and want it to read as a regular fit with a relaxed shoulder.
Our tees run XXS to XXL, and every one of our products have a size chart if you want to check some basic lengths vs your other garments.
Why the fabric matters as much as the cut
A boxy shape only holds if the fabric has enough weight to hang. Lightweight cotton in an oversized cut clings and creases and loses the line completely.
We use a heavier weight cotton for exactly this reason, and we heavy wash a lot of our pieces so they arrive soft with the shape already settled rather than stiff and shrinking later.
The short version
Shoulder seam past the bone. Room to pinch at the ribs. Hem at mid-fly. Take your normal size.
Have a look at the apparel range and every listing tells you the model's size and fit. If you are still unsure, message us. We would genuinely rather help you get it right than have you send it back.