Where do Italians get their sizing?!

Coach H

I recieved a fantastic new Castelli long sleved top in the mail yesterday.
Great style, great quality, great price.

So whats the problem?
I am 6ft and 15.5 stone and top heavy from weight training, so I knew buying italian kit was going to be a size challenge. But who would have guessed that XXXL (thats right 3 X's) would hardly fit size 10 Mrs Coach H let alone me. I just about squeezed my arms in, almost got the zip past my stomach without causing injury but couldnt zip over chest and shoulders without stopping my breathing.

Who do they make these for?

I saw Pavarotti, not all Italians are small are thin!

Does nothing for the ego I can tell you. :shock:

dennisn

I had the same problem a few years back. Nalini top as I recall. Took a 3XXX to fit me
when a USA large is usually just right. Made me wonder, just how big would a "medium"
Italian person be??? Are they all under 5-0 tall and weigh less than 100 pounds?
Or am I just a fat a** and in denial???

Dennis Noward

andyp

Italians are one of the smaller nations in Europe when it comes to average height;

http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/spreadsheet/4765187

Consequently their clothes companies tend to have smaller sizings than a northern European manufacturer, where people tend to be taller.

Coach H

Average is fine Andy P, but this top is XXXL!

What does XXS look like?!

Such a shame, its a lovely top.

giant_man

Think Bettini not Pavarotti! Those italian riders are small and thin.

andyp

Bettini is actually quite chunky for a pro racer - he's got 8% body fat whereas someone like Tafi got as low as 4%.

MrT

you wait untl you get to Bib shorts......on holiday in Garda a few years ago when euro was good value...popped into bike shop. Great stuff...great prices...at 6 ft 3 15 stone began trying on bibs...gave up at xxxxl...was either going to walk like quasimodo or sing like a castrato......most of the stuff that fits well comes from the land of the burger.

Juju_uk_68

As a modest medium, waist size 34, I was distressed to purchase some Santini cycling shorts, which were xxl.

If I was a woman I'd have been gravely offended As it is, the sight of me in cycling shorts merely offends.

andylav

Wait until you try buying a frame - sizing in those is off the wall too.

High seat tubes, short top tubes and tall head tubes, as I found to my cost !

MrT

ironically..in the good old days...i do remember buying a colnago super.....colombus sl and chrome forks.....size 62cm..great fit easy peasy..measured in the time honoured fashion......now it's a minefield.

As for shoes...after some great advice on here i'm getting some sidis...but try getting the sizing on those sorted out........

Is there a correlation between any piece of Italian clothing that ends in an i and silly sizing (does this apply to people)...Santini..Nalini.....Castelli......Sidi.....Bettini.....etc

Avoid the i at all costs

MrT

ironically..in the good old days...i do remember buying a colnago super.....colombus sl and chrome forks.....size 62cm..great fit easy peasy..measured in the time honoured fashion......now it's a minefield.

As for shoes...after some great advice on here i'm getting some sidis...but try getting the sizing on those sorted out........

Is there a correlation between any piece of Italian clothing that ends in an i and silly sizing (does this apply to people)...Santini..Nalini.....Castelli......Sidi.....Bettini.....etc

Avoid the i at all costs

MrT

ironically..in the good old days...i do remember buying a colnago super.....colombus sl and chrome forks.....size 62cm..great fit easy peasy..measured in the time honoured fashion......now it's a minefield.

As for shoes...after some great advice on here i'm getting some sidis...but try getting the sizing on those sorted out........

Is there a correlation between any piece of Italian clothing that ends in an i and silly sizing (does this apply to people)...Santini..Nalini.....Castelli......Sidi.....Bettini.....etc

Avoid the i at all costs

over-the-hill

Does all this apply to De Marchi too?

LangerDan

I found De Marchi more "normally" sized, as are Giordana. The De Marchi sizing guide in the little Zyro catalogue is fairly accurate.

TBH, I think that not only do the sizes varies between countries, they can vary significantly within countries. I bought a jersey from the US a couple of years ago and mindful of the "more cuddly" US frame, I ordered a large rather than an XL. It nearly garotted me across the middle. Mind you, the label said Made in Mexico so maybe they have different sizes again there.

over-the-hill

LangerDan wrote:

I found De Marchi more "normally" sized, as are Giordana. The De Marchi sizing guide in the little Zyro catalogue is fairly accurate.

Please can you tell me what Zyro say for De Marchi Bib shorts as it doesn't seem to be on their website. Many thanks

giant_man

andyp wrote:

Bettini is actually quite chunky for a pro racer - he's got 8% body fat whereas someone like Tafi got as low as 4%.

yeah whatever andyp but he is small.

redddraggon

All the Italians I've known have been really short.

LangerDan

over-the-hill wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

I found De Marchi more "normally" sized, as are Giordana. The De Marchi sizing guide in the little Zyro catalogue is fairly accurate.

Please can you tell me what Zyro say for De Marchi Bib shorts as it doesn't seem to be on their website. Many thanks

I don't have the catalogue to hand but if you Google for "De Marchi sizing" , the data is on a few sites.

magliaceleste

LangerDan wrote:

over-the-hill wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

I found De Marchi more "normally" sized, as are Giordana. The De Marchi sizing guide in the little Zyro catalogue is fairly accurate.

Please can you tell me what Zyro say for De Marchi Bib shorts as it doesn't seem to be on their website. Many thanks

I don't have the catalogue to hand but if you Google for "De Marchi sizing" , the data is on a few sites.

Be careful with the sizing guide for DeMarchi stuff on websites. For example Wiggle had the table completely wrong in comparision to the DeMarchi website when I last looked. The DeMarchi website was just about right for me (medium size for me about 5' 7.5"). If I was any taller or bigger I'd need a large. There's no subsitute for trying stuff on if you can.

babyshambles

andyp wrote:

Italians are one of the smaller nations in Europe when it comes to average height;

http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/spreadsheet/4765187

.

Interesting graph but United states in not in Europe... is it :shock:

over-the-hill

babyshambles wrote:

andyp wrote:

Italians are one of the smaller nations in Europe when it comes to average height;

http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/spreadsheet/4765187

.

Interesting graph but United states in not in Europe... is it :shock:

There are 10 European countries though which is what it says. I think you are meant to see them alongside the USA as a comparison.

babyshambles

now if they compared US brain sizes, there would be a huge difference there.... or girth perhaps !

CodeMonkey

over-the-hill wrote:

Does all this apply to De Marchi too?

I'm 5' 10", 64kgs and a 32 waist and have De Marchi XL bibshorts - had to try on several pairs in the LBS to get the right ones. L was a touch small.

over-the-hill

CodeMonkey wrote:

over-the-hill wrote:

Does all this apply to De Marchi too?

I'm 5' 10", 64kgs and a 32 waist and have De Marchi XL bibshorts - had to try on several pairs in the LBS to get the right ones. L was a touch small.

I'm 5' 10.4" 72kgs, 32" waist and couldn't decide on M or L. In the end I settled on L and will send the M back. My LBS who only had the De Marchi Contour Evo said I needed an M. How tight are these things meant to be? If you look at the front-on pictures the seams on the front wrap round the side at the hips which means they must be very tight.

windyphil

I have a pair of Adidas T-Mobile shorts (made by Nalini) that when I take them off, it still says T-Mobile on my legs ! Most comfotable shorts I've ever owned due to having a proper chamios seat and not riding up or flapping anywhere.......