Arcteryx/general sizing question

Newbie here (may have actually had an account here years ago but if so I forget the login for it), hopefully this is the right place for this question.

Does anyone here need to size up for outerwear?

I was checking out the Arcteryx Cerium hoodie yesterday, and going by their size charts I should take a medium. Im 185 lbs, 38-39" chest, 32-33 " waist and a medium fit fine with just a base layer on, but once I added thicker mid layer it was pretty constricting in the shoulder/upper back area so the sales person said I should go to a large which gives me the shoulder room but than is "blousy" in the front.

The same thing was essentially true for a few other brands as well. It seems these measurements are designed around rail thin people, and not guys who have a more developed upper back/shoulder/bicep area.

The basic problem here is that bodies come in thousands of shapes, but ready-made clothes come in only a few standard sizes: S / M / L / XL. This provides a mediocre fit for large numbers of people and a poor to very poor fit for the unlucky few. You seem to be among the unlucky ones.

Making room for your well-developed upper body and shoulders seems like more of a priority than avoiding that 'blousy' loose fit elsewhere. If you find a particular manufacturer whose standard sizing fits you well, then you've hit the jackpot! Give them your business and send them a love letter.

Arcteryx has traditionally been a brand specifically for climbers who are generally lean and wiry (athletic build). I bought a jacket years ago (it is my favorite jacket). It was a men's small, which obviously some guy bought at REI and found it too small so it ended up on the sale rack. I am a 5'4" and thin woman and it fit me perfectly. My problem with women's sizing is that my shoulders are too wide and arms more "athletic" than most women of my size, so the men's x-small or small work better for me. The sleeves are a bit too long, but that is not a serious problem. I sew, so I just hem them up a little.

Rock climbers particularly do not like a lot of bulk (prefer tighter fitting stretchy clothing), so their layering usually consists of a thin base layer only.

You need to size-up in many brands of climbing clothing if you intend to do more than the thinnest layering.

I have, even when skinny (which I'm currently not), unusually large hips--about 14" larger than my waist (most women's clothing is made for hips 8-10" larger than waist). As a result, i have an awful time with any clothing, unless I sew it myself (not something I've ever wanted to do, except for 1860s reproduction clothng). I have to get XL jackets if I want them to fit the top of my hips instead of bunching at the waist. At least I can layer lots of stuff underneath!

As Aimless says, most of us do not have bodies that fit the supposed "models" that clothing companies use. It doesn't help that, despite so-called standard measurements, each model is different. If you want perfectly fitting clothing, either learn to sew or hire a seamstress/tailor. Or put up with the "blousiness."

It does help a little to shop around and try many different brands. Some fit better than others.

thanks for the replies...after giving it some thought I realized this jacket would essentially be my mid layer..the salesman was steering me towards the large using the logic that a zip up fleece or something would be worn under it, when the opposite is true...fleece would go over it.

went back and exchanged the large i bought for a medium and that fit is pretty good with a base layer or even a base layer and a sweater.

Sizing up in that brand is a good idea if you plan to have a thick base layer or base layers underneath in my experience.