Ordering a thobe online is a bit of a leap of faith. You can't try it on in the fitting room, you can't ask the shopkeeper to pin it for you, and “Medium” means something different depending on which brand you're buying from. We get messages every week from customers who ordered based on their regular shirt size and ended up with sleeves three inches too long or a length that pooled around their ankles. So let's fix that before it happens to you.
Forget Shirt Sizes — Thobes Are Measured Differently
A thobe isn't cut like a kameez or a button-down shirt, so your usual size doesn't translate directly. What actually matters is four numbers: your height (for length), chest, shoulder width, and sleeve length. Get these right and the rest takes care of itself.
What You'll Need
Just a soft tape measure (the kind tailors use) or a piece of string and a ruler. Ask someone to help you — measuring your own shoulders accurately while looking in a mirror is harder than it sounds.
How to Measure
Length: Stand straight in the shoes you'd normally wear with a thobe. Measure from the highest point of your shoulder straight down to where you want the hem to fall — usually mid-shin to ankle, depending on your preference. Saudi-style thobes tend to be worn slightly shorter than Emirati ones.
Chest: Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, under your arms, keeping it level all the way around. Don't pull it tight — leave it loose enough that you could slide two fingers underneath.
Shoulder width: Measure straight across your back from the edge of one shoulder bone to the other. This one's easy to get wrong on yourself, so this is where that second pair of hands really helps.
Sleeve length: With your arm slightly bent, measure from the shoulder edge to where you want the cuff to sit — most men prefer it just past the wrist bone.
A Few Things That Trip People Up
If you're between two sizes, go up rather than down. A slightly looser thobe still looks sharp and is far more comfortable for long hours of standing or prayer; a tight one is just uncomfortable, full stop.
Also factor in what you'll wear underneath. If you're layering a thobe over a kameez shalwar for warmth in winter, size up slightly compared to what you'd wear over a plain undershirt.
And remember — embroidered and designer thobes sometimes run slightly differently from plain ones because of the extra panel work. Always check the size chart on the specific product page rather than assuming it's identical across our whole range.
Still Not Sure?
Honestly, the fastest way to get this right is to send us your four measurements over WhatsApp before you order. We size hundreds of customers a month and can usually tell you in under a minute whether to go with your exact measurements or size up. We'd rather spend two minutes confirming than have you deal with a return.
And if your build is unusual — taller, broader, or anything standard sizing doesn't quite fit — ask us about custom-made. It costs a little more, but a thobe that actually fits you properly is worth it every single time.