Women and men each wear t-shirts that look similar, with the familiar T-shape that makes t-shirt so simple and comfortable. However, there are several differences in fitting that makes them comfortable to their intended gender. There are a few key areas where the changes in the tailoring can lead to both a more comfortable fit and to a look that will flatter each gender in their own way.

Men’s t-shirts are cut in a shape that is mainly straight up and down. The shoulders slope down slightly from the collar and the sleeves slope down at an angle. The main goal of a men’s t-shirt is to fit comfortably in the neck, shoulders and around the sleeves. The straightness of the torso of the t-shirt should hang down comfortably. It does not need tailoring in this area because the male body has a straight torso without much definition. If the wearer needs a larger size to be comfortable, a larger men’s size is cut in much the same way but is larger all over.

Women’s t-shirts have several points at which they are tailored differently from a man’s shirt. The most noticeable point is that the waist on a woman’s t-shirt fits very differently. The waist is narrower on a women’s t-shirt than the rest of the shirt. This fits better with a woman’s natural shape. It makes it more comfortable for the woman to wear as she will not have a lot of loose fabric that bunches at the waist. The more tailored fit makes the t-shirt lighter and easier to wear for any woman.

Another key difference is the length of the sleeves. With shorter sleeves, the t-shirt will look different on the arms than a man’s t-shirt looks on a man. The sleeves of a man’s short-sleeve t-shirt are made to fit longer on his arm than a woman’s t-shirt. A short sleeve men’s t-shirt may have sleeves that go most of the way down to the man’s elbows. Most women’s short-sleeved t-shirts, however, fit closer to the shoulder. There is also a third sleeve length for women that generally aren’t available for men’s t-shirts. The ¾ length sleeve is a flattering length for women because it displays the slimmest part of the arm while covering up the larger parts.

While there is no change in tailoring for a man’s hips, a woman’s t-shirt has a slight flaring at the hips that better accommodates a woman’s natural form. The hip flare means that the hip area will not be too tight and will be more comfortable. The flare is present in all women’s t-shirts though it is often more pronounced in a plus-size t-shirt.

Another difference is a slight flaring at the top to allow for the difference in chest size. A woman’s t-shirt is tailored to flatter and be comfortable for several areas, while a men’s t-shirt is tailored to fit, and look, straight. This allows each gender a better ease of movement and will not result in bunches or loose fabric that will be unflattering.