How to Find the Right Size in Bamboo Clothing

Short answer: Choose your normal size. Bamboo viscose has a natural stretch and settles against the body, so it is rarely necessary to go up or down. If you are between two sizes, take the smaller one for close fitting pieces and the larger one for loose ones.

How bamboo behaves compared with cotton

Bamboo viscose drapes heavier and softer than cotton and has more give in the fabric. That means a garment in the same nominal size often sits a little closer to the body than the cotton one you are used to, without pulling. The fabric stretches with the body over the course of the day and draws back in the wash, which is why a garment that feels exactly right on the first day rarely turns out too small later. Cotton does the opposite: it gives and never quite returns.

The close fitting pieces

For underwear the rule is simple: your normal size. The fabric settles against the body, and one size too large gives folds under your clothes rather than a better fit. If you are between two sizes at the waist, go by the hip measurement, because that is where the fabric is stretched most. See bamboo underwear for women and bamboo underwear for men, where the measurements are listed on every item. Always compare with the measurements and not only with the letter, because a medium is not the same at every brand.

The loose pieces

For loungewear and nightwear it is different. The point here is that the fabric has to be able to move and carry moisture, and a garment that sits tight does neither. Choose your normal size and go up if you prefer plenty of room, especially in the leg length. The styles sit under bamboo loungewear for women and bamboo loungewear for men, and the nightwear under bamboo nightwear for women and bamboo nightwear for men. Remember that the fabric softens after the first few washes and therefore feels roomier.

Socks

Socks are the one place where you should not go by feel. The sizes are given in shoe numbers and usually cover three or four numbers at a time. If you sit on the border between two ranges, take the larger one: a sock that is a shade too big does not fold under the foot, while one that is too small pulls the heel down and wears through faster. The ranges are listed on every item under bamboo socks for women.

Bedding is not measured like clothing

Bedding has no fit, only measurements, and there is nothing to judge here. Measure your duvet and your pillow, not the bed, and order the size that is sewn into the duvet. A cover that is too large lies in folds and shifts during the night, and one that is too small rides up at the feet. The measurements are listed on every item under bamboo bedding. Expect the fabric to shrink a few per cent in the first wash, and that is already accounted for in the measurements.