Size Guide

Last updated: November 9, 2026

1. How sizing works at Kitwave

Every jersey, reversible kit, pair of shorts, shooting shirt and warm-up on Kitwave uses the same adult size run: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL. Pick your size on the product page, type your name and number, and the live preview shows how it lands. The size you pick is the size we send.

We are not going to throw a made-up chart at you. Numbers you cannot trust are worse than no numbers. So this page does two things: it shows you how to measure a garment you already wear, and it explains how to choose between two sizes. For the exact measurements of a specific product, look on that product page, or email us and we will send them over.

2. The size run at a glance

All sizes are adult sizes. If you are shopping for a younger player, measure a shirt that fits them now and compare it with the product measurements before you order. Email us if the smallest size might still be too big.

3. Measure a jersey you already own

This is the move. Grab a basketball jersey or a tank top that fits the way you want, lay it flat on a table or the floor, smooth out the wrinkles, and measure these two things with a tape measure or a ruler.

Chest width

Measure straight across the front, from the bottom of one armpit seam to the bottom of the other. Keep the tape flat and level. Do not stretch the fabric. This number is half the full chest around, and it is the one that matters most for a jersey’s fit.

Body length

Measure from the highest point of the shoulder, right where the shoulder strap or collar meets the body, straight down to the bottom hem. This tells you whether the jersey will sit at your waist or cover your shorts’ waistband.

Then compare

Line your two numbers up with the measurements for the product you want. Pick the size closest to your own jersey. If you land between two sizes, read section 5.

4. Shorts, shooting shirts and warm-ups

Shorts

Take a pair of basketball shorts you like. Lay them flat. Measure the waist straight across the top edge, relaxed, not stretched. Then measure the outseam: from the top of the waistband down the side to the bottom of the leg. Shorts length is personal. Some hoopers want them above the knee, some want them past it. Your own pair tells you which.

Shooting shirts

Shooting shirts usually have sleeves, so add one more number: sleeve length from the shoulder seam to the cuff end. Measure chest width and body length the same way as a jersey. If you plan to wear it over a jersey for warm-ups, think about going one size up. More on that below.

Warm-ups

For a warm-up top, measure chest width, body length and sleeve length on a hoodie or track top you like. For warm-up pants, measure the waist and the inseam, from the crotch seam down to the hem, on a pair you own.

5. Stuck between two sizes

It happens all the time. A few rules of thumb:

• Want the classic loose court look? Go with the bigger size. Jerseys are made to move.
• Wearing it over a T-shirt or under a shooting shirt? Size up for the layer.
• Want a trimmer fit for wearing out? Go with the smaller size if your chest width is close to it.
• Tall but slim? Check body length first. The longer size may matter more than the chest.
• Ordering a matching set? Jersey and shorts do not have to be the same size. A size L top with XL shorts is totally fine. Pick each on its own.

Still unsure? Email us your chest width and body length from your own jersey, plus the product you want, and we will tell you which size sits closest.

6. Reversible kits

A reversible kit is one garment with two sides, so the fit is the same whichever side faces out. The name and number are printed on both sides. Use the same measuring method as a jersey. Because there are two layers, some players like a size up for extra room. If you are between sizes on a reversible, the bigger size is usually the safer call.

7. Socks, headband and backpack

Socks

Socks come in two sizes: Sock S/M and Sock L/XL. If you usually wear a smaller shoe size, pick Sock S/M. If you wear a larger shoe size, pick Sock L/XL. The exact shoe-size range for each sock size will appear on the sock product page once confirmed. Email us if you need it before then.

Headband

One size. It is made to stretch around most adult heads.

Backpack

One size. Check the product page for its dimensions, or email us if you want to know whether a ball or a pair of shoes fits inside before you buy.

8. Ordering for a crew

Getting kits for your whole pickup squad or rec team? Sizing gets easier with a simple routine:

1. Ask each player to measure a jersey they own: chest width and body length.
2. Collect the numbers in one list along with each player’s name and number for the back.
3. Match each player to a size using the product measurements.
4. Add each jersey to the cart one by one, with its own size, name and number.
5. Check the live preview for every jersey before you pay, because we print exactly what is typed.

Remember that 2XL and up carry the size upcharge, so the cart total will reflect each player’s size. Shipping stays free on the whole order.

9. Buying as a gift

Do not know their size? Sneak a look at a jersey or T-shirt they wear a lot and measure it while they are out. If you cannot, think about what size they usually buy and lean one size up for a jersey. Gifts are covered by our 60-day return window from delivery, so if the size misses, they can send it back with the free return label.

10. When the size is wrong

It happens. Here is how it plays out:

• Returns are open for 60 days from delivery. That includes personalised jerseys with a name and number on them and plain change of mind.
• We send a free return label, so you do not pay postage to send it back.
• Once we receive the return, your refund is issued within 7 days, or you can take store credit, which never expires.
• Want the right size instead? Return the first one and place a new order in the size that fits, with the same name and number.

Caught it fast? You can change the size of an order within 24 hours of ordering by email. After that, the kit goes into production. See Cancel or Change an Order and Returns and Exchanges for the full steps.

11. Tips for an accurate measurement

• Use a soft tape measure if you have one. A ruler or a straight piece of string works too; measure the string afterwards.
• Measure on a flat, hard surface, not a bed or a couch.
• Do not pull the fabric tight. Measure it the way it lies naturally.
• Measure twice. A small slip can push you into the wrong size.
• Write down the units you used, inches or centimetres, so the comparison is fair.
• Pick a garment that fits how you want this one to fit. Your gym tee and your going-out tee are not the same.

12. Name and number fit

Size changes the canvas, not the rules. The name on back takes up to 12 letters and the number goes from 0 to 99 on every size. Some products offer an optional front number for $4, charged only when ticked. Check the live preview in the size you chose. There is no separate proof or mockup before production: the preview is the check, and we print exactly what is typed.

13. Sizing scenarios from the court

“I am a big man who plays the post.”

That is what 4XL and 5XL are for. Measure the roomiest jersey or tee you wear for hoops and compare it with the product’s 4XL and 5XL measurements. The $4 upcharge on those sizes shows in the cart, and nothing else changes: same name field, same number, same free shipping.

“I want my jersey baggy, old-school style.”

Go one or even two sizes up from your everyday tee. Check the body length too, because a big jersey also runs longer. If you are not sure how far to go, email us your usual size and how low you want the hem to sit.

“I am ordering shorts and a jersey for my partner, and I only know their tee size.”

For the jersey, start with their usual tee size; most people wear a jersey the same or one size up. For shorts, check the waist of a pair of pants or shorts they wear. If both miss, the 60-day return window has your back.

“I wear a jersey over a hoodie in the winter.”

Measure the hoodie, not your body. Lay it flat, take the chest width and compare. That usually means going a size or two up from your summer pick.

“My old jersey shrank, so I do not trust it.”

Then measure a tee or tank that fits the way you want a jersey to fit, and note it is a different cut. Or email us your height, the size you buy in most stores and the fit you like, and we will suggest where to start.

“The reversible and the regular jersey: same size?”

Start from the same measurements for both, then compare each product’s own numbers. Because the reversible has two layers, many players take the next size up for it. Our reply by email can confirm the gap for the exact products you have in mind.

14. Units and rounding

Product measurements may be given in inches, centimetres or both. If you measured in one unit and the product page uses the other, convert before you compare: one inch is 2.54 centimetres. A difference of half an inch, or a centimetre or so, is usually within normal variation for garments, so do not worry about tiny gaps. Bigger gaps are worth an email.

15. Need the exact numbers?

Email support@kitwave.shop with the product name or link and the size you are thinking about. If you can, include your own chest width and body length. We reply within 24 hours on business days. Want to start building? Try the custom name and number basketball jersey, the custom reversible jersey or the custom name shooting shirt, or browse the whole shop. More answers live in the FAQs.