Board shorts size guide (the rough, honest version)

Size guides are usually a wall of numbers pretending to be more precise than the product. So here's the honest version, short enough to read in the change room.

How do size guides actually work?

A brand makes one master size, gets it perfect, hopefully, and then grades every other size up and down from it by fixed steps. Which means a size chart is really just one real pair of shorts plus arithmetic. It also means sizing drifts between brands, because everyone's master fit and grading steps are different, so "I'm a 34" is a starting point, not a fact about your body.

What size board shorts should I get?

Buy your waist size, it's the only measurement doing any real work. The waist anchors the shorts, and the hips, thigh room and length are all cut in proportion to it, so grab a tape, measure around where you actually wear your shorts, and match that number. Don't match the size you buy in jeans, because jeans have their own vanity maths going on.

Two honest notes for ours. Berties run relaxed, there's roughly a size more room in them than the label suggests, on purpose, that's the fit, so if you're between sizes and want it neater, take your true waist size. And if you want them longer and looser, size up, because the waist buckles let you cinch the waistband back in, so sizing up buys you length and room without them going anywhere. That's the one place where ignoring your true size is genuinely a good move.

How do I measure a pair I already love?

Lay them flat and take two numbers. Straight across the waistband, then double it, and that's your waist. And top of the waistband to the hem down the outside of the leg, which is the outseam, the number that sets where they end on your leg. Compare those two against any brand's chart and you already know more than the size label will ever tell you. What those numbers should actually be, and why the hem wants to land on the knee, is all in how should board shorts fit.

Frequently asked questions

Should I size up or down in board shorts?

If you're between sizes, go up, because a slightly relaxed short is wearable and a slightly tight one isn't. And if the shorts have waist adjustment like buckles, sizing up is basically free.

Are board shorts sizes the same as pants sizes?

Roughly, but don't trust it. Swimwear and pants are often graded differently even within one brand, and vanity sizing means your jeans number can be a couple of centimetres of fiction. Measure your waist once and just use the number.

What if my waist is between two sizes?

Neater fit, smaller size. Longer looser fit, bigger size, then tighten the waist. With The Collective the buckles give you a couple of centimetres either way, so honestly both answers work.

The full fit story, length, outseam and all: how should board shorts fit.