The Mr. Derk Guide to Patrick Assaraf Sizing
Why the Iconic t-shirt fits closer than everything else in the range, what to do if you want more room, and the body measurements behind each size.
A Toronto label built on one very good t-shirt.
Patrick Assaraf is a Canadian label, designed and run out of Toronto. It began with a single t-shirt in Peruvian Pima cotton and grew into a full collection of tees, stretch polos and extra-fine merino knitwear sold through better shops across North America.
The jersey pieces are 95 percent Peruvian Pima cotton and 5 percent spandex, made in Peru and pre-shrunk before the garment is cut. The knitwear is made in Europe from yarn the brand sources through Italian mills.
At Mr. Derk in Edmonton we stock the core tees and polos year round in SM through 3XL, with the seasonal knitwear as it lands.
Take your normal size. The tee is the only thing cut slim.
Almost the entire range fits true to size, and almost everything is cut regular. The exception is the group most people buy first: the Iconic crewneck and v-neck t-shirts are cut slim and sit close to the body. The stretch polos and the merino knits, in the same nominal size, will feel noticeably roomier through the chest and waist.
How close is close? The brand's own body chart puts a MM chest at 38 to 40 in. The Iconic crew in M measures 40 in around the chest with a 26.5 in back length. So at the bottom of a size band you get a clean trim fit, and at the top of the same band you get something nearer a second skin. Same size, two quite different experiences, which is why we would rather you tried one on.
One warning worth reading before you buy elsewhere. Some large retailers list the Iconic tee as a regular fit when the maker calls it slim. If you have read regular fit somewhere else and found the shirt tight, it is not that the brand runs small. It is that the fit was described loosely.
SM through 3XL, by body measurement.
Patrick Assaraf Size Chart
These are body measurements, not garment measurements. Measure yourself rather than a shirt you already own, with the tape level and not pulled tight. If you measure between sizes, take the smaller size in the Iconic tee and the larger size in the knitwear. Not every size is stocked in every style; if yours is sold out online, call us and we may be able to order it.
Three rules.
1. Size by chest. Measure around the fullest part of your chest with the tape level, and match that number to the "To Fit Chest" row above. That is your size across the whole range, tees and knitwear alike.
2. Do not size up the t-shirt for more room. The pattern grades in length and armhole as well as chest, so a larger Iconic gets longer and sloppier through the shoulder rather than simply wider. If you want ease, move to a regular fit style at your true size instead: the Stretch Iconic Polo, the long sleeve henley, or any of the merino knits.
3. Layering changes the answer. If you are buying a merino quarter zip to wear over a shirt rather than over a tee, and you sit between two sizes, take the larger one.
Ordering from outside Edmonton and want the chest and length of a specific piece before you commit? Phone the shop on 780.431.4286 and we will measure the actual garment off the rack for you.