Do T.M. Lewin suits and shirts run small?
Fact-checked 2026-09-29 · every claim links to its source below
What T.M. Lewin publishes
- The size guide publishes every table in both inches and centimetres, and gives garment figures: collar, garment chest and garment waist, with no "your body" column anywhere.1
- Shirt fit tables at a 16" collar, garment chest: Regular 49", Slim 47", Fitted 45.5", Super Fitted 43" — a clean 2-inch step and a 6-inch spread from the roomiest to the closest fit at the same neck. At the waist the spread is 7 inches (46 / 42 / 40.5 / 39).1
- Jacket sizing is UK/US chest inches (36, 38, 40…) with the centimetre equivalent beside it (91, 97, 102…). T.M. Lewin does not use the EU 46/48/50 number at all.1
- Jacket fits and ranges: Regular 36–52, Slim 36–52, Skinny 34–48, each with Short / Regular / Long back lengths. Skinny's Long starts only at 38 and its Short stops at 42.1
- The shirt charts publish no sleeve-length column at all — T.M. Lewin shirts are sold by collar and fit alone, where Charles Tyrwhitt sells four sleeve bands.1
- The trouser tables publish a thigh measurement, which most brands never give: at a 32" waist, Regular 27" versus Skinny 24.25". Waist ranges are Regular 30–46", Slim 30–42", Skinny 28–40".1
- The published collar ladder in centimetres is 14.5"=37, 15"=38, 15.5"=39, 16"=41, 16.5"=42, 17"=43, 17.5"=44, 18"=46, 19"=48, 20"=51. Note the missing 40 cm. A half-inch collar ladder rounded to whole centimetres skips it (15.5" = 39.4 rounds to 39; 16" = 40.6 rounds to 41), so a shopper who measures a 40 cm neck has no exact size and must pick 39 or 41. The same gap appears at Boggi Milano, so it is structural to the half-inch ladder, not a brand quirk.16
The fits, and what separates them — length, not chest
- Four shirt fits in the brand's words: Regular "Straight cut through chest and waist… Wider sleeves"; Slim "Slight taper through the waist… Closer cut sleeves"; Fitted "Noticeably tapered shape"; Super Fitted "Strong taper through the chest and waist". A fifth, Casual, is sized S–XXL instead of by collar.21
- The fit-guide page carries no numbers and the number page carries no fit descriptions — you need both pages to answer one question.21
- The jacket fits are mostly a length change. At size 40 in Regular length the chest (40") and the sleeve (25.25") are identical across Regular, Slim and Skinny; only the back length moves, 30.75" → 29.5" → 28.25".1
- The practical cross-fit equivalences that follow: a Slim 40 Long (30.5" back) is nearly a Regular 40 Regular (30.75"), and a Skinny 40 Long (29") is nearly a Slim 40 Regular (29.5"). If you like the slimmer cut but not the cropped length, go one length up rather than one fit out.1
If you are between sizes, and what if you get it wrong
- Brand advice between collar sizes: you can "either opt for a roomier fit or increase your collar by a half size" — T.M. Lewin treats going up a fit and going up half a collar as interchangeable, which only works because both steps are worth about 2 inches of chest.3
- Suit trousers ship unfinished. "Our suit trousers come with an unfinished 36" inside leg length", stated identically on the Regular, Slim and Skinny trouser tables. There is no catalogue inseam to choose and every buyer needs a hem.1
- Range: jackets reach chest 52 in Regular and Slim (48 in Skinny) and start at 34 in Skinny only; shirts run a 14.5" to 20" collar in all four formal fits. No surcharge for larger sizes is stated on the size guide — noted as an absence, not as a promise.1
- Returns: 30 days, and no exchanges on UK orders. "You will not be able to return your items outside of the 30-day window", and "We cannot offer exchanges or replacements for UK orders" — you get a refund and re-order at your own risk, so size conservatively here in a way you need not at Charles Tyrwhitt.478
What reviewers report
- That the numbers are garment measurements is confirmed independently: "All sizes are in inches. The chest and waist measurements are the garment sizes."5
- A rule of thumb for converting them yourself, from the same reviewer: "The difference between your chest measurement and garment chest measurement should be four inches if you want a relatively tight fitting shirt. Add five inches for a more typical fit and six inches for a more relaxed comfortable fit."5
- That review was last updated in 2021, so it is older than the current line-up; it is cited for the body-versus-garment reading, not for the current fit names.5
| Size | Chest | Regular back | Slim back | Skinny back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 36 | 30 1 | 28.5 1 | 27.5 1 |
| 38 | 38 | 30.25 1 | 29.25 1 | 27.75 1 |
| 40 | 40 | 30.75 1 | 29.5 1 | 28.25 1 |
| 42 | 42 | 31 1 | 30 1 | 28.5 1 |
| 44 | 44 | 31.5 1 | 30.25 1 | 29 1 |
| 46 | 46 | 31.5 1 | 30.5 1 | 29.5 1 |
| 48 | 48 | 32 1 | 30.75 1 | — 1 |
“I’m incredibly grateful for the Team at Nathan Taylor’s, I had the absolute best experience from the WhatsApp video call to the customer service… they are top notch. I can’t recommend them enough and will definitely be purchasing more suits from them. Cảm ơn!”
“Suit arrived! It’s incredible, amazing job thank you.”
“Ordered two suits and four shirts, remotely from the US. They fit great and are great quality! Was able to do everything over WhatsApp for measurements, etc. Will definitely visit if I ever make it to Hoi An. Highly recommend!”
“Being a short and stocky person, I could never truly get clothing that fitted properly. "Off the rack" was never an option... As I opened the small box, I got nervous and wondered if I made a big mistake and basically gambled away a fair amount of money. I ordered a 3 piece suit, 2 shirts and had a pair of leather dress shoes. Everything fitted nicely... the shirts were absolutely PERFECT.”
“Very satisfied; incredibly skillful to make clothes fit so perfectly. Beautiful fabric exactly as promised, very neat — would simply love to order from here again!”
“They did such an amazing job, my suit fits perfectly and the craftsmanship is superb! Linda was a great help and she knows exactly what she is doing. I can't recommend this place enough and I will be getting more suits from them in the future guaranteed!”
“Great place to get perfect suit, they send me to Poland with no problems.”
“WOW! Ordered a suit online with Linda. She contacted me by video call to go through the measuring process and once confirmed measurements again, around 4 weeks later a made to measure suit arrived in the UK. Fitted perfectly and I didn't even visit! Fantastic quality and customer service from Linda. Would definitely recommend!”
“Exceptional experience from start to finish. I ordered a fully custom two-piece double-breasted suit remotely from France, Linda and Jennifer guided me through every step with patience and professionalism. The suit arrived in under 3 weeks and the result is flawless: fabric, cut, lining, silhouette, everything is perfect. Nathan Tailors delivered exactly the vision I had in mind. I will absolutely be ordering again. Highly recommended.”
“This was my first time buying suits online so I was a bit apprehensive. However, the online order form was both easy to use and very thorough, and they did a video call with me to make sure of a couple of measurements that were out of the normal range. Two suits and a shirt arrived here in New Zealand in less than two weeks, are well-made, and fit perfectly. I'm thrilled with the service.”
Questions people ask
Are T.M. Lewin measurements body or garment?
Garment. The tables give collar, garment chest and garment waist with no body column 1, confirmed by an independent measurement review 5. Allow roughly 4" of difference for a close fit, 5" for typical and 6" for relaxed 5.
What is the difference between T.M. Lewin Regular, Slim and Skinny jackets?
Mostly the back length. At size 40 Regular length, all three have a 40" chest and a 25.25" sleeve; the back length is 30.75" Regular, 29.5" Slim, 28.25" Skinny 1. A Slim Long is close to a Regular Regular in length 1.
Do T.M. Lewin suit trousers come hemmed?
No. "Our suit trousers come with an unfinished 36" inside leg length" on every fit 1. Budget for a hem on every pair — unlike Next or Express, there is no leg length to pick.
Why is there no 40 cm collar at T.M. Lewin?
Because the half-inch ladder skips it: 15.5" is 39.4 cm and rounds to 39, 16" is 40.6 cm and rounds to 41 1. Boggi Milano's ladder has the same gap 6, so it is structural to half-inch collar sizing rather than a T.M. Lewin quirk.
Sources
What T.M. Lewin publishes
- Size guides — T.M. Lewin, 2026-09-29brand-stated
- The Shirt Fit Guide — T.M. Lewin, 2026-09-29brand-stated
- Can you help me with sizing? — T.M. Lewin help centre, 2026-09-29brand-stated
- Refund policy — T.M. Lewin help centre, 2026-09-29brand-stated
- Terms and conditions — T.M. Lewin, 2026-09-29brand-stated
- Can I exchange an item? — T.M. Lewin help centre, 2026-09-29brand-stated
- Size chart Milano — Boggi Milano, 2026-09-29brand-stated
What buyers and the press report
- T.M. Lewin review — Shirt Detective (updated 2021-02-06), 2021-02-06third-party