A catcher's chest protector that expands and contracts in response to the movements of a wearer. The chest protector comprises a padded main body configured to protect the wearer from the impact of a thrown ball, connected to a harness by a pair of elastic straps. The harness includes a collar configured to extend around the neck of the wearer and having a pair of laterally spaced collar ends that overlap or about the main body on either side of the wearer's neck to cover a portion of the wearer's shoulder.