Best Shirts for Men with a Trapezoid Body Shape

Broad chest, tapered waist: pick shirts that follow that line so they skim the body instead of billowing.

This guide is for the trapezoid body shape: chest and hips within 10% of each other, with a waist at 90% or less of the wider of the two.

Look for

  • Slim or tailored fits that are cut narrower at the waist than the chest
  • Shoulder seams that sit on the shoulder bone, not past it
  • Stretch cotton or poplin that gives across the chest without pulling
  • A hem long enough to tuck in, roughly to the middle of the seat

Skip or adjust

  • Boxy cuts, which hide the waist and make the shirt hang like a tent
  • Shirts that fit the waist but pull between the buttons at the chest
  • Sleeves that are baggy at the bicep: go for a slimmer sleeve or a tailored fit

More for the trapezoid body shape

Shirts for other body shapes

These are starting points, not rules. If you love a style that isn’t listed, wear it.