How to measure midsection if my stomach balloons when sitting?
When looking at sizing charts online for clothes or buying custom shirts, when you measure your midsection, do you do it sitting down or standing? I carry most of my body fat in my midsection (almost disproportionately), and even though I consider myself fairly fit, my belly literally grows easily 3 inches when sitting. When standing I have a 38/39 mid section and when sitting it balloons to 42. This makes it really hard for me to buy off the rack button shirts because I look and feel like a stuffed sausage when sitting down. I'm curious peoples thoughts on this - is it OK if a shirt looks tight around my belly when sitting, or when I buy a shirt should I account for extra inches in the midsection for sitting? The problem is when doing that, it makes them a little baggier than I want when standing. I am talking about custom shirts (mostly from Proper Cloth and sometimes from Spier).
Any fellow belly bros who have solved this issue or anyone with general guidance is greatly appreciated
1 Reply
that is to be expected. i would look more towards garment measurements rather than obsessing over body measurements when shopping for shirts and sweaters. i have a 41 inch chest but most of my tops measure 44-46 inches pit-to-pit and fit very well. if you shop for good shirts, they'll often taper a bit in the mid-torso like suits do allowing for a slim/tailored fit without puckering while sitting. not sure how they'll fit you, but i personally find shirts from ralph lauren and isaia to work exceptionally well off the rack
try some things on in store and see how they work, if you're sure its a problem with your body having uncommon proportions, maybe just consider putting some money towards sending them to a tailor