For many clothes companies or shirt makers fit changes over time. The measurements of a certain size one year are not necessarily going to be the same measurements for the same size a few years later. Sometimes different fit styles come and then go, sometimes a company will decide to offer a fit style which is more roomy and then a fit style which is slim. Sometimes the fit changes without a new "fit style" categorization. The sizes simply get smaller, shorter, longer or bigger. In general, the fit of the Polo Ralph Lauren OCBD has, like the trend of the day commands, shrunk slimmer and slimmer over the years.
So you have decided you would like to buy a Polo Ralph Lauren OCBD. You want the aesthetic of the polo horse etc... There is something about this aesthetically. There is a place in our style approach that Polo Ralph Lauren inhabits. However, you don't want the OCBD to be too tight fitting. You want a classic roomy look. You want the vintage look. You can size up but then the sleeves are too long. What do you do? The solution you come to is that you will look back to vintage Polo Ralph Lauren OCBDs when the fit was roomier. But still, how to search? How do I know which year or time will reliably have the measurements I want? My personal solution is Yarmouth.
Yarmouth is an old fit style that Polo Ralph Lauren offered for a time. The fit is classic and roomier. They offered this fit style in different fabrics, but importantly they offered it in their OCBDs. You can find Yarmouth OCBDs on eBay for a steal. These Yarmouth OCBDs were also made in dress shirt sizing which is unbelievably helpful in getting the perfect fit. I have found Yarmouth OCBDs on eBay for as little as $7. You can find the classics - white, yellow, pink and blue. You can also find other classic university stripes and other more off-the-beaten path OCBD offerings as well.
To me, the classic Polo Ralph Lauren OCBD aesthetic is on the roomy side. There is the Big Oxford from the 1990s which is extraordinarily large. I love the Big Oxford shirt in it's own way. But, it is particularly large. It is more of a beautiful, luxurious weekend at-home lounger. The Yarmouth is not like the Big Oxford. The Yarmouth is a classic traditional fit, not an extreme 1990s shirt nor a slim fitting 2022 shirt. It is a fit in a total sweet spot. I am of the firm opinion that the Yarmouth is the perfect traditional Polo Ralph Lauren OCBD.