Does Amazon Essentials Run Small? Tall Sizing, Measured at 6’8″
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No. Amazon Essentials does not run small in tall sizes — if anything it runs large. I am 6’8″ and 285 lb, I own five Amazon Essentials garments, and I have put a tape on every one of them. The chino labelled 38 measures 40 inches around the waistband. The body length on the tops clears my torso, which almost nothing off a normal rack does.
Where the brand does get it wrong is the label — and in two specific places that cost you a return if nobody tells you first.
The short answer, before the tables
- Bottoms: size down one. The Skinny-Fit chino labelled 38×36 measures 20 inches flat at the waistband — 40 around. That is a full two inches of slack on a labelled 38.
- The inseam label is optimistic by about an inch. The Slim-Fit jean sold as a 36 inseam taped at 35.0. The chino sold as a 36 taped at a true 36.0. Same brand, same season, two different answers.
- Tops: the body is genuinely long enough. Both crewnecks and the hoodie cleared my torso without riding, which is the whole reason to buy tall in the first place.
- “2XL Big-Tall” and “2XLT” are not the same garment. Same chest, inch and a half different in the body. This is the one nobody publishes — details below.
The bottoms, measured
Every figure below is off my own tape, flat on a table, on the garment as it arrived.
| Measurement | Slim-Fit Comfort Stretch jean, 40×36 | Skinny-Fit Washed Comfort Stretch chino, 38×36 |
|---|---|---|
| Front rise | 11.75 in | 12 in |
| Rear rise | not recorded | 17 in |
| Inseam, by tape | 35.0 in (labelled 36) | 36.0 in (labelled 36) |
| Waistband, flat (around) | not recorded | 20 in (40) |
| Thigh, flat | not recorded | 12.5 in |
| Leg opening, flat | 14.5 in | 7.25 in |
| Fabric | comfort-stretch denim | cotton stretch twill |
| What happened | Kept. Bought a second pair | Kept. Should have sized down |
Two things worth pulling out of that table. First, the 7.25-inch leg opening on the chino is a genuinely skinny cut — on a 36-inch inseam that reads as a very long, very narrow line, and it is not what most tall men picture when they order a chino. Second, the jean’s front rise of 11.75 inches is about an inch under my own window, and I wear them constantly anyway. The full explanation of why rise decides this and the inseam does not is in the front rise chart.
The tops, measured
| Measurement | Crewneck sweater, 2XLT | Crewneck sweater, 2XL Big-Tall | Hoodie, 2XLT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body length, back | 32 in | 30.5 in | 31 in |
| Body length, front | 32 in | 27 in | 31 in |
| Chest, flat (around) | 27 in (54) | 27 in (54) | 27 in (54) |
| Shoulder, seam to seam | 21.5 in | 25 in | raglan — no seam |
| Sleeve, shoulder to cuff | 26.5 in | 26.5 in | raglan — n/a |
| Sleeve, centre back to cuff | 35.5 in | 37.5 in | 37 in |
| Cuff or hem | cuff 4 in | ribbed hem 2.75 in | cuff 5 in |
| Fabric | 100% cotton | 100% cotton | 100% cotton |
| What happened | Kept | The hem is the problem | Kept. Hood opening 14 in, pouch 13 × 9.5 |
“Big-Tall” and “T” are not the same size — and the label will not tell you
This is the useful part, and I have not seen anyone else publish it.
Both crewnecks measure 27 inches flat at the chest — 54 around. Identical. So on the one number a size chart usually gives you, they are the same shirt. Then:
- Body, back: 2XLT is 32 in. 2XL Big-Tall is 30.5 in. The tall size buys an inch and a half of length.
- Shoulder: 2XLT is 21.5 in. 2XL Big-Tall is 25 in — three and a half inches wider across a chest measurement that is the same.
- Sleeve, centre back to cuff: 37.5 in on the Big-Tall against 35.5 on the 2XLT.
So the two labels are solving different problems. “Big-Tall” is a width cut with a dropped shoulder. “T” is a length cut. If your problem is that shirts ride up, the T is the one. If your problem is that shirts are tight across the back, the Big-Tall is — and you will accept an inch and a half less body to get it.
That also lines up with what I found sizing up inside a single brand: a full size up is mostly a width purchase, not a length one. Two brands, two categories, same shape of answer.
The one real defect: the ribbed hem
The 2XL Big-Tall crewneck has a 2.75-inch ribbed hem. The Izod 3XLT I measured against it has none at all. That band is the thing that grips your hips and walks the sweater up your back over an afternoon, and it is why a 30.5-inch body reads shorter than it measures. The full version of that argument, with both sweaters side by side, is in why knitwear rides up.
What I own that I have not measured yet
The Performance T-Shirt two-pack is in my drawer and I have worn it for months, but I have not put a tape on it, so there are no numbers for it on this page and I am not going to estimate any. When I measure it, it goes in the table and into the sizing database.
What I would actually buy again
- Slim-Fit Comfort Stretch jean — usually under $20. An inch short on the label and I bought a second pair anyway. Measured review. Check price on Amazon →
- Skinny-Fit Washed Comfort Stretch chino — usually under $25, and the only true 36-inch inseam in this set. Order one size below your label size. Measured review. Check price on Amazon →
- Crewneck sweater, in T rather than Big-Tall — if length is your problem, pay the width to get the inch and a half. Check price on Amazon →
- Hoodie, 2XLT — kept, worn, no complaints. Check price on Amazon →
Prices move constantly — check the current price on Amazon before you decide.
The short version
Amazon Essentials runs large in the waist, true to generous in the body, and about an inch short of its own inseam label on denim. Size down on bottoms. Buy T rather than Big-Tall if your problem is length. And check the hem before you buy a sweater — a 2.75-inch rib undoes half an inch of body length every time you sit down.
Every figure on this page is in the tall sizing database, alongside every other garment I have measured. What is worth buying right now is on the deals page.
