Jersey too large - sell, buy the right size, or live with it?
 

First world problem here. I have a very nice merino wool jersey. I bought the jersey online, based on the sizing charts. When the jersey arrived I realized it was too big. Because I bought the jersey on sale, there are no returns. I decided to live with it as best I could. I mean it's just a jersey that's a little on the big side right?

Well after some rides I'm realizing the 'bigness' of the jersey is starting to bother me a little. Thing is, the jersey is long sleeve and I don't know how much use the jersey will get before summer fully hits and I'm in short sleeves for a few months. Anyway.

My question is what do you folks do with clothing items that are too large? Wear them? Sell them and then buy the right size? Any ideas/suggestions?

Cheers.

PS When I say the jersey is too large, the jersey is still functional. It just isn't as form fitted as a proper sized one would be.

I'd sell it and get the right size.

But what I hate is not getting back what I paid. Then again, it's better than having a jersey that I'll never wear.

If you can't return it, how much are you realistically going to get for it and what kind of time/hassle will be necessary?

I'd probably save it for the winter when the extra size will better accommodate a base layer or two and my winter girth. I might also be tempted to throw it in the dryer for short increments to see if I could induce some controlled shrinkage.

It's too late now but I would have asked for an exchange anyway. I think a lot of companies would be willing if they have the correct size and you pay shipping. I bought some pants last year on sale, "no returns", didn't know what size to get, so I just asked ahead of time if I could buy both sizes and return one and they said sure.

Too big is better than too small. I have several pieces that are barely used but now too small after I spent 18 months in the weight room.

Hang onto it, there's a very high likelihood it will fit you at some point.

I have accumulated dozens and dozens of jerseys of various sizes, from thrift stores, where they can be had for $5-10 each. I don't know if this is typical, but during a typical riding year, I can gain and lose 10-15 lbs easily. So what fits me in July may not fit in January, but I have so many sizes of jerseys available, there's always one I can pull out that fits me 100% perfectly. Many jerseys look ridiculous if you gain as little as 5 lbs, from my experience.

And i think back to all the times I gave away / threw away perfectly good clothes, telling myself, "There is no WAY I will ever weigh that much again!" :lol:

Buy the right size. Jerseys which don't fit flap annoyingly and don't work as well wicking sweat.

Take it to an alteration shop and have them make it fit. I have some jerseys that are now too big and I’m going to see if they can be altered.

Whatever cycling jerseys that are too loose are just repurposed for hikes, dog walks and today it's shoveling gravel.

Now you have to get fat.

Take it to a place that does alterations.

Maybe a good hot wash will fix it:)

I actually did that once, and aside from some fabric ink bleeding, it worked great. But then i gained weight and it no longer fit. :(

All our shirts seem to magically shrink season to season. Just put it away for a year.

Knit wool is fairly flexible and can shrink or stretch a bit. I wouldn't use hot water but I'd try lukewarm and let it dry on my body. I've reshaped my old wool jersey that way when hanging it to dry left an uneven stretched out spots in the shoulders. Or put it on dry and have someone spritz you with water. Ride until dry.

Thanks for the suggestion to take the jersey in to a tailor. I don't know what I didn't think of that :foo: . Great idea.

Failing that, the idea to throw the jersey in the dryer and attempt to get some shrinkage is my back up plan.

You know what? It is warm right now, but it won't be that way forever. When you need a long sleeve warm jersey, you may also need undergarments. Unless I could return and exchange such a jersey without any financial outlay, I would keep it. Long sleeve wool jerseys are for cool to cold weather, they often need additional underwear when temperatures go down

^^^ I'd vote this as the best answer if there was a way to vote. If the jersey was expensive (wool usually is), then a few more dollars spent to get the jersey to fit you perfectly would be well worth it.

Otherwise, used cycling clothing rarely has any resale value. If there's one used item I'm not interested in paying a lot for, it's someone else's used and stinky old bike clothing.

Save the Merino wool jersey for the Fall/Winter months. You'll appreciate it then.

I'm going to take the jersey to the tailor this afternoon and see what she can tell me. Depending on the cost to have the jersey tailored, I might just suck it up and learn to live with it. Either that or shell our the cake for a more appropriate sized one.