My brother bought a Parke hoodie last winter in the size he always buys, and when the box came he put it on and just stood there looking at himself. It wasn’t the sleeves that bothered him. The whole body of the thing hung off his shoulders like a bed sheet. Then his wife borrowed it, and she loved it. That mix-up is more or less what Parke hoodies sizing is about, so here is how it plays out for men and for women.

Why Parke Hoodies Sizing Feels Different

These hoodies are cut loose on purpose. Look at the shoulder seam and you will see it sits lower on the arm than on a normal sweatshirt, and  parkeus.com the body falls straight down with no pull in at the waist. So a size that feels tight in your regular shirts can feel perfectly fine here, and honestly that surprises a lot of first time buyers.The letter on the tag causes most of the trouble. Every brand uses its own idea of what a medium is, so a medium in one shop can be closer to a small in another. The width of the chest on the actual hoodie is what counts, and you can find your own number at home in about two minutes.

Taking Your Chest Size for Parke Hoodies

A tailor’s tape works best, though even a bendy sewing tape from a kitchen drawer is fine. Wrap it around the fullest part of your chest, across the back where your shoulder blades are and under both arms in front. Breathe out before you read the number, because a lungful of air can add an inch you don’t really have.After that, open the size chart. You can look through all the and match your chest figure against each chart. Every style has its own chart and the numbers do shift a little between them, so always read the one on the page of the hoodie you plan to buy. A chart from an older order may not apply.Sometimes the number falls exactly between two sizes, and then it is a matter of taste. The smaller size looks a bit tidier, while the bigger one gives you that dropped, easy feel people love about these. Thick fabric also loosens a bit with wear, so if you hate sleeves covering your knuckles, lean toward the smaller one.

Parke Hoodies Sizing Advice for Men

Plenty of men grew up buying hoodies one size bigger, because many brands cut them narrow and short. That habit works against you here. If you wear a large in most places, try your real size first, since the Parke shape already brings the extra room.Look at where the shoulder seam lands when you put it on. A couple of inches past your shoulder bone is about right. If the seam is drifting toward your elbow, you’ve gone too big, and if it sits exactly on the bone, the hoodie won’t have that relaxed drop that makes it look like a Parke.Now the sleeves. If the cuff stops around your wrist bone or covers it a little, you’re in good shape. When it ends halfway up your forearm, the sleeves are simply too short for your arms. A small amount of bunching near the wrist actually looks nice, but if fabric is piling up over your hands, drop down a size.As for length, most men like the hem around the belt or just under it. Much longer than that and it looks like you borrowed it from someone taller.

Parke Hoodies Sizing Advice for Women

Women often tell me they can’t decide whether to take their normal size or go bigger, and the truth is that both can work. One size gives a neat shape, and the next size up gives a very loose, slouchy shape. I would settle on the look you want before touching a size chart, since that one choice changes the number.If you want something comfortable but not baggy, start with your usual size and confirm it with the chest check. If you want the oversized look you see all over social media, go up by one. Two sizes bigger is a different thing altogether, and it only makes sense as a short dress or over thick layers. On a smaller frame it can swallow you.The hem deserves some thought. On a petite frame, a larger size can reach mid thigh, which some people adore and others find annoying when they sit down. Hold the hoodie up against your body in a mirror and see where it would end, or run a tape from your shoulder to the spot where you’d like the hem to stop.Hips are rarely a problem since the body is straight and doesn’t pinch at the waist. The one exception is thick sweatpants, which can push the hem upward a little if the hoodie is cut on the short side.

Sizing Mistakes People Make With Parke Hoodies

Trusting an old hoodie tag is the big one. A friend of mine insists he is a large because his favorite sweatshirt from years ago says large, never mind that it has shrunk twice and came from a brand that cuts big. Tags are a rough hint. A tape measure is the real answer.Fabric weight gets forgotten too. Thick fleece fills more space around your body than thin cotton, so a size that felt roomy in a light hoodie may feel snug in a heavy one. When the product page mentions heavy fabric, give yourself a little extra room.Then there are the reviews, which most buyers skip. Someone will have written a line like “runs big, sized down, happy” or the opposite. Reading five of those takes two minutes and could spare you a week of waiting on an exchange.

Washing Parke Hoodies Without Losing the Fit

Cotton fleece can shrink a little in the first wash, mostly in length, so it helps to go easy at the start. Use cold water and a gentle cycle, and turn the hoodie inside out so the outside doesn’t rub. Then let it hang to dry, or use the lowest heat on your dryer.Heat is what really does the damage. Anyone who washes everything hot should buy one size larger and skip the stress. A gentle washer can stay with the normal size, which will feel the same on day ninety as it did on day one.

Choosing Parke Hoodies Size by Lifestyle

Picture a normal week and ask where this hoodie will spend it. If it will go on walks, to the shop and to the gym, a size near your own keeps the sleeves from getting in your way. If it’s meant for lazy weekends and cold evenings on the couch, one size up gives you that wrapped feeling that makes a hoodie worth owning.A coat on top changes things. In that case, stay with your true size, because extra sleeve fabric bunches up badly under a jacket. A shirt underneath adds some thickness around your chest and arms as well, so count that in too.

Parke Hoodies Sizing Questions People Ask Most

Size up or stay put? Go up only when your chest number sits between two sizes and you want a looser feel. If not, your usual size is a good place to begin.Men and women can share one size, because the cut is relaxed, though the hoodie will look different on each person.People also wonder how to know if a hoodie is too big. When the shoulder seam sits near your elbow or the hem hangs lower than you wanted, that’s your answer.

Order the Right Parke Hoodies Size First Time

There is no need to gamble on this. Measure your chest tonight, think about how loose you like your hoodies, and read the chart for the exact one you have your eye on. Save the number in your phone notes so it is there next time. My brother did exactly that after the bed sheet incident, and his second hoodie fit him fine.