Three patterns, three different changes
Boxy means the body is wider and the length is shortened — the shirt sits square rather than draping. Chest width goes up, body length goes down.
Drop-shoulder moves the shoulder seam outward onto the upper arm, which softens the shoulder line and makes the sleeve look shorter and wider.
Oversized is the umbrella term: usually a combination of a wider body, a lower shoulder and sometimes a longer sleeve. Ask which of the three you are actually being sold.
- Boxy: +2–4 in chest width, −1–2 in body length versus the standard block.
- Drop-shoulder: shoulder seam moves 1.5–3 in outward, sleeve appears shorter.
- Oversized: wider body and lower shoulder, length usually unchanged or slightly longer.
Why size up behaviour breaks the normal size curve
In a standard crew, most buyers take their own size. In a boxy or drop-shoulder cut, a large share deliberately size up for a looser look — which shifts the whole curve one size up.
That is why a streetwear order needs a different curve from a uniform order in the same quantity. Our size curve tool has a streetwear preset for exactly this reason.
What oversized does to decoration
A wider body means more print area, and a drop shoulder moves the shoulder seam into the space a large print would use. Check the seam position before placing a full-width back print.
Heavier fabrics hold a boxy shape better. A 180gsm tee cut boxy tends to collapse into the body; 230gsm and above keeps the silhouette.
What we hold
We hold 4 styles in this range — a 230gsm heavyweight boxy crew, a 260gsm drop-shoulder, a double-yarn drop-shoulder and an oversized tank — from $3.20 a piece.