Youth Shirt Sizes by Age, Inches, and Adult Size

Key Takeaways

• On Gildan's youth tees, small is kids' size 6 to 8, medium 10 to 12, and large 14 to 16.
• A child's age generally matches the kids' size or runs a year or two below.
• Gildan's Softstyle youth runs one size smaller than its Heavy Cotton.
• Every youth XL we carry is wider and shorter than an adult small.

Table of Contents

• Youth Shirt Size Chart in Inches: Four Tees We Carry
• Why Is a Youth Medium Not the Same Shirt on Every Tee?
• What Age Fits Each Youth Shirt Size?
• Is a Youth XL the Same as an Adult Small?
• When Should a Kid Move to Adult Shirt Sizes?
• Should You Size Up So a Kid Grows Into It?
• Can Youth and Adult Shirts Share One Design?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Order by the Kids' Size, Then Check the Inches

Youth shirt sizes put a letter on the kids' clothing sizes parents already know. On Gildan's youth tees, small is size 6 to 8, medium 10 to 12, large 14 to 16, and XL 18 to 20. A youth XS is a size 4.

The letter alone does not settle the fit. The same youth medium can be an inch narrower and 1 1/2 inches shorter from one tee to the next. The chart below gives chest and length in inches for each of our youth tees.

Youth Shirt Size Chart in Inches: Four Tees We Carry

On the four youth tees we carry, a youth small measures 16 to 17 inches across and 20 1/2 to 22 1/2 inches long. A youth XL measures 19 to 20 inches across and 25 to 26 1/2 inches long. Each row below comes from the maker's own spec sheet.

Chest is the shirt laid flat, measured straight across from armpit to armpit, so double it for the distance around the shirt. Length is the shirt's body length. The kids' size column is the size Gildan's spec sheet lists for its three youth tees. No kids' size is listed for the Team 365 TT11Y, so size it by the inches.

The Gildan 5000B Heavy Cotton and the Gildan 2000B Ultra Cotton share every measurement. Their cloth is what differs: the 5000B is 5.3 oz cotton and the 2000B is a heavier 6 oz cotton. The Gildan 64000B Softstyle is 4.5 oz ring-spun cotton with a modern classic fit. The Team 365 TT11Y is a 3.5 oz polyester tee that wicks sweat, in what Team 365 calls a team fit.

All four youth tees stop at XL. When you design custom t-shirts for a team or class, each tee's product page lists the sizes it comes in.

Why Is a Youth Medium Not the Same Shirt on Every Tee?

A youth medium on the Gildan 64000B Softstyle measures 17 by 22 inches, the same as a youth small on the Gildan 5000B Heavy Cotton. From small to XL, every Softstyle youth size carries the measurements of the next size down on the Heavy Cotton. That is an inch narrower and 1 1/2 inches shorter at the same letter. At XS the gap grows to 2 inches across and 2 1/2 inches in length.

Gildan lists the same kids' sizes for both tees, so a 10 to 12 is not one shirt even inside one maker's line.

The Team 365 TT11Y sits between the two. It shares the Softstyle's chest widths from small to XL, but its body runs longer, close to the Heavy Cotton's length. A youth large TT11Y is 18 by 24 3/4 inches. The Softstyle large is 18 by 23 1/2, and the Heavy Cotton large is 19 by 25.

For a group, this decides who gets which letter. A child who wears a youth medium in the Heavy Cotton may need a youth large in the Softstyle to get the same chest. Pick the tee first, then size every child from that tee's row, and say which tee you chose when you send the size list around. A size someone reports from another brand's shirt can be a full size off.

Gildan's youth Heavy Blend hoodie has the same chest widths as the 5000B, so a child takes the same letter in both.

What Age Fits Each Youth Shirt Size?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's rule of thumb is that a child's age generally matches their clothing size or runs a year or two below it. Read against Gildan's size chart, that gives each youth size a rough age range.

The Commission gave its rule of thumb in a 2011 Federal Register rule on drawstrings in kids' outerwear. Its own example is a 12-year-old who might wear a size 12 or a size 14.

The same rule shows why letters mislead. For kids' outerwear, it treats a large as a size 12 and an XL as a size 16. Gildan's size chart lists those letters as 14 to 16 and 18 to 20. So the letter L can mean a size 12 in one place and a 14 to 16 on a Gildan tee.

Use age only to get close. The size on the tag of a shirt that fits the child now is better, and a tape measure is best. Lay that shirt flat and measure it as our t-shirt sizing chart guide shows. Then match it to the youth tee you plan to order.

Is a Youth XL the Same as an Adult Small?

No. A youth XL is wider than an adult small and shorter. The adult small on Gildan's Heavy Cotton, Ultra Cotton, and Softstyle tees is 18 inches across and 28 inches long. Every one of our youth XLs is 19 to 20 inches across and 25 to 26 1/2 inches long.

In the Heavy Cotton and Ultra Cotton pairs, the youth XL is 2 inches wider than the adult small and 1 1/2 inches shorter. In the Softstyle pair it is 1 inch wider and 3 inches shorter. A teen who fills out a youth XL will find an adult small 2 to 4 inches tighter around the chest. An adult in a youth XL gets a short shirt.

The adult XS has no youth match either. The Softstyle adult XS is 16 inches across, the chest of a Softstyle youth small, but it is 27 inches long. That is 6 1/2 inches longer than the youth small and half an inch longer than any youth XL we carry.

When Should a Kid Move to Adult Shirt Sizes?

Move a child to adult sizes when a youth XL gets too short or too tight. The youth range ends at XL on every youth tee we carry. Check length first. A youth XL is 25 to 26 1/2 inches long, and the adult small in each of these Gildan families is 28.

The right adult size depends on the tee. On the Heavy Cotton and Ultra Cotton, the adult medium keeps the youth XL's 20-inch chest and adds 2 1/2 inches of length. A teen who has outgrown only the length keeps the same fit across the chest. The adult small would be 2 inches narrower.

On the Softstyle, the youth XL sits between two adult sizes. The adult small is an inch narrower and 3 inches longer; the adult medium is an inch wider and 4 1/4 inches longer.

For a teen near the top of the youth range, measure a shirt they wear now. If it is longer than 26 1/2 inches, no youth tee we carry will match it, and an adult size is the answer.

Should You Size Up So a Kid Grows Into It?

Size up one letter when a child is at the top of a kids' size range or the shirt must last another season. On the Gildan 5000B, one letter up adds an inch across the chest, which is 2 inches around, and 1 1/2 inches of length. On the Team 365 TT11Y, the step is an inch across and 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length.

Gildan's spec sheets also allow each chest and length measurement to run up to an inch over or under the chart. Two shirts with the same letter can fit a little differently, so size up for growth, not to cover that spread.

Two sizes up adds 3 inches of length on the 5000B, which shows on a small child, so plan on one size up at most.

Cotton changes the math a little. A cotton tee can lose some length in its first wash and dry. A cotton shirt that fits snug on day one ends up with less room than the chart suggests. Our guide to whether cotton shrinks has the numbers for planning around it.

Can Youth and Adult Shirts Share One Design?

Kids' and adults' shirts can go in one order under one design. A design counts together across every product, color, and size, so the more shirts in it, the cheaper each piece. A team of nine players and three coaches is one design, not two.

Build the design on the smallest shirt in the order first, usually the youth tee, then add the adult tees to it. A style has to offer every placement the design uses, at the same size or larger. Starting small keeps every shirt in that one design.

There is no minimum, so a short roster or a single extra shirt for a late sign-up is a normal order. We email you a design proof within 1 to 2 business days of your order, and revisions are unlimited. You approve the proof before anything is made, and shirts ship in 1 to 2 weeks after that. Production time is separate from transit time.

Kids' shirts often have a fixed date, like a first game or a camp week, and rush is available on request. Contact us by phone, email, or live chat before you order, and we confirm what is possible for your date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is a youth medium?

A youth medium is kids' size 10 to 12 on Gildan's youth tees, which fits children about 8 to 12 years old. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that a child's age generally matches the clothing size or runs a year or two below it. Check the tag on a shirt that fits now before you order.

What size is a youth small?

A youth small is kids' size 6 to 8 on Gildan's youth tees. Laid flat, it measures 17 by 22 inches on the Heavy Cotton and Ultra Cotton. The Softstyle small is 16 by 20 1/2, and the Team 365 TT11Y is 16 by 22 1/2, so pick the tee before the letter.

What size is an adult small in youth?

No youth size matches the adult small on Gildan's tees, which is 18 inches across and 28 inches long. A Heavy Cotton youth medium has the same chest but is 4 1/2 inches shorter. A youth XL is closer in length but 1 to 2 inches wider. Someone who wears an adult small should stay in adult sizes.

Is there a youth XXL shirt size?

The youth tees we carry stop at XL, which Gildan labels kids' size 18 to 20. A child who outgrows it moves to adult sizes. On Gildan's Heavy Cotton tee, the closest next step is the adult medium: the same 20-inch chest, 2 1/2 inches longer.

Can an adult wear a youth XL shirt?

Yes, if the chest fits and a shorter shirt is fine. A Gildan Heavy Cotton youth XL is 20 inches across, the same as the adult medium. It is 26 1/2 inches long, against the adult medium's 29. Expect the hem to sit about 2 1/2 inches higher than an adult medium's.

Order by the Kids' Size, Then Check the Inches

Youth shirt sizes come down to two numbers: the kids' size on the tag and the inches on the tee you pick. Start from the size a child wears now, read that tee's own row, and switch to adult sizes when a youth XL runs short.

Once the counts are in, browse custom t-shirts and put every youth and adult size under one design. Have a question before you order? Contact us, and we'll get back to you within 24 hours on weekdays.