The single most common reason a vintage shirt goes back is sizing. It is almost never the buyer's fault. It is that a Large in 1994 and a Large in 2026 are not remotely the same garment.
Ignore the label
Football shirts in the 1990s were cut deliberately loose. Players wore them baggy, and replicas followed. A 1990s Large will often measure closer to a modern XL across the chest, and shorter in the body. Manufacturers also differed from each other in the same season.
Measure a shirt you already own
This is the reliable method, and it takes two minutes. Take a shirt that fits the way you want it to. Lay it flat on a table, no stretching, and measure:
- Pit to pit — straight across the chest from one armpit seam to the other.
- Length — from the base of the collar at the back down to the bottom hem.
Now compare those two numbers to the measurements on the listing. Every shirt we sell carries both, measured the same way.
A rough starting point
| Fit | Pit to pit |
|---|---|
| Small | 48–51 cm |
| Medium | 52–55 cm |
| Large | 56–59 cm |
| XL | 60–63 cm |
Treat this as a guide only. The measurements on the listing always win.
Still not sure?
Send us the shirt you are looking at and the numbers you are working to. We will tell you honestly whether it will fit, including when the answer is no.
