diff --git a/src/cast.rs b/src/cast.rs
index 5605c31..4a067c7 100644
--- a/src/cast.rs
+++ b/src/cast.rs
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ pub unsafe trait Container<'a>: Sized {
   /// The type class of this container. Used to limit which raw casts should be
   type Class: AssertClassContraints<Self::Item, Self::Item>;
   /// The item type held within this container.
-  type Item: 'a;
+  type Item: 'a + ?Sized + ElementSize + ElementAlign;
   /// The 'raw' form of this container. Used to allow different containers to
   /// share the same `CastRaw` and `TryCastRaw` impls.
   type Raw: 'a + Copy;
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for &'a mut T {
 
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for &'a [T] {
   type Class = RefT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = (*const T, usize);
   type CastErr = OnlyErr;
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for &'a [T] {
 
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for &'a mut [T] {
   type Class = RefT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = (*mut T, usize);
   type CastErr = OnlyErr;
 
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for NonNull<T> {
 #[cfg(feature = "non_null_slice_cast")]
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for NonNull<[T]> {
   type Class = NonNullT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = (*mut T, usize);
   type CastErr = OnlyErr;
 
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for Box<T> {
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for Box<[T]> {
   type Class = BoxT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = (*const T, usize);
   type CastErr = ErrWithValue;
 
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a + Copy> Container<'a> for Cow<'a, T> {
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a + Copy> Container<'a> for Cow<'a, [T]> {
   type Class = CowT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = RawCow<(*const T, usize), (*const T, usize, usize)>;
   type CastErr = ErrWithValue;
 
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for Rc<T> {
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for Rc<[T]> {
   type Class = RcT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = (*mut T, usize);
   type CastErr = ErrWithValue;
 
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for Arc<T> {
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
 unsafe impl<'a, T: 'a> Container<'a> for Arc<[T]> {
   type Class = ArcT;
-  type Item = T;
+  type Item = [T];
   type Raw = (*mut T, usize);
   type CastErr = ErrWithValue;
 
@@ -882,31 +882,35 @@ where
 }
 
 /// Checks any constraints the container requires when casting between types.
-pub trait AssertClassContraints<T, U> {
+pub trait AssertClassContraints<T: ?Sized, U: ?Sized> {
   const ASSERT: () = ();
 }
-impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for RefT {}
-impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for PtrT {}
-impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for NonNullT {}
+impl<T: ?Sized, U: ?Sized> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for RefT {}
+impl<T: ?Sized, U: ?Sized> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for PtrT {}
+impl<T: ?Sized, U: ?Sized> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for NonNullT {}
 impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for AtomicPtrT {}
-impl<'a, C, T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for OptionT<C>
+impl<'a, C, T: ?Sized, U: ?Sized> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for OptionT<C>
 where
   C: AssertClassContraints<T, U>,
 {
   const ASSERT: () = C::ASSERT;
 }
-impl<'a, C, T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for PinT<C>
+impl<'a, C, T: ?Sized, U: ?Sized> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for PinT<C>
 where
   C: AssertClassContraints<T, U>,
 {
   const ASSERT: () = C::ASSERT;
 }
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
-impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for BoxT {
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign, U: ?Sized + ElementAlign>
+  AssertClassContraints<T, U> for BoxT
+{
   const ASSERT: () = static_assert!(AssertSameAlign(T, U));
 }
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
-impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for RcT {
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign, U: ?Sized + ElementAlign>
+  AssertClassContraints<T, U> for RcT
+{
   const ASSERT: () = static_assert!(AssertSameAlign(T, U));
 }
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
@@ -914,7 +918,9 @@ impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for RcWeakT {
   const ASSERT: () = static_assert!(AssertSameAlign(T, U));
 }
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
-impl<T, U> AssertClassContraints<T, U> for ArcT {
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign, U: ?Sized + ElementAlign>
+  AssertClassContraints<T, U> for ArcT
+{
   const ASSERT: () = static_assert!(AssertSameAlign(T, U));
 }
 #[cfg(feature = "extern_crate_alloc")]
diff --git a/src/static_assert.rs b/src/static_assert.rs
index d046f23..8e6d9e8 100644
--- a/src/static_assert.rs
+++ b/src/static_assert.rs
@@ -9,34 +9,57 @@
 
 use core::mem::{align_of, size_of};
 
-pub trait AssertNonMixedZeroSize<T: Sized>: Sized {
+pub trait ElementSize {
+  const VALUE: usize;
+}
+impl<T> ElementSize for T {
+  const VALUE: usize = size_of::<T>();
+}
+impl<T> ElementSize for [T] {
+  const VALUE: usize = size_of::<T>();
+}
+
+pub trait ElementAlign {
+  const VALUE: usize;
+}
+impl<T> ElementAlign for T {
+  const VALUE: usize = align_of::<T>();
+}
+impl<T> ElementAlign for [T] {
+  const VALUE: usize = align_of::<T>();
+}
+
+pub trait AssertNonMixedZeroSize<T: ?Sized + ElementSize>: ElementSize {
   const ASSERT: () = {
-    if (size_of::<Self>() == 0) != (size_of::<T>() == 0) {
+    if (Self::VALUE == 0) != (T::VALUE == 0) {
       panic!(
         "Attempt to cast between a zero-sized type and a non-zero-sized type"
       );
     }
   };
 }
-impl<T, U> AssertNonMixedZeroSize<U> for T {}
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementSize, U: ?Sized + ElementSize> AssertNonMixedZeroSize<U>
+  for T
+{
+}
 
-pub trait AssertNonZeroSize: Sized {
+pub trait AssertNonZeroSize: ElementSize {
   const ASSERT: () = {
-    if size_of::<Self>() == 0 {
+    if Self::VALUE == 0 {
       panic!("Attempt to cast a zero-sized type");
     }
   };
 }
-impl<T> AssertNonZeroSize for T {}
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementSize> AssertNonZeroSize for T {}
 
-pub trait AssertSameSize<T>: Sized {
+pub trait AssertSameSize<T: ?Sized + ElementSize>: ElementSize {
   const ASSERT: () = {
-    if size_of::<Self>() == size_of::<T>() {
+    if Self::VALUE != T::VALUE {
       panic!("Attempt to cast between two types with different sizes");
     }
   };
 }
-impl<T, U> AssertSameSize<U> for T {}
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementSize, U: ?Sized + ElementSize> AssertSameSize<U> for T {}
 
 pub trait AssertMaxSize<T>: Sized {
   const ASSERT: () = {
@@ -47,34 +70,41 @@ pub trait AssertMaxSize<T>: Sized {
 }
 impl<T, U> AssertMaxSize<U> for T {}
 
-pub trait AssertSizeMultipleOf<T>: Sized {
+pub trait AssertSizeMultipleOf<T: ?Sized + ElementSize>: ElementSize {
   const ASSERT: () = {
-    if size_of::<Self>() != size_of::<T>()
-      && size_of::<Self>() % size_of::<T>() != 0
-    {
+    if Self::VALUE != T::VALUE && Self::VALUE % T::VALUE != 0 {
       panic!("Attempt to cast from a type which is not a multiple of the target's size");
     }
   };
 }
-impl<T, U> AssertSizeMultipleOf<U> for T {}
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementSize, U: ?Sized + ElementSize> AssertSizeMultipleOf<U>
+  for T
+{
+}
 
-pub trait AssertSameAlign<T>: Sized {
+pub trait AssertSameAlign<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign>: ElementAlign {
   const ASSERT: () = {
-    if align_of::<Self>() == align_of::<T>() {
+    if Self::VALUE != T::VALUE {
       panic!("Attempt to cast between two types with different alignments");
     }
   };
 }
-impl<T, U> AssertSameAlign<U> for T {}
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign, U: ?Sized + ElementAlign> AssertSameAlign<U>
+  for T
+{
+}
 
-pub trait AssertMinAlign<T>: Sized {
+pub trait AssertMinAlign<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign>: ElementAlign {
   const ASSERT: () = {
-    if align_of::<Self>() < align_of::<T>() {
+    if Self::VALUE < T::VALUE {
       panic!("Attempt to cast to a type with a larger alignment");
     }
   };
 }
-impl<T, U> AssertMinAlign<U> for T {}
+impl<T: ?Sized + ElementAlign, U: ?Sized + ElementAlign> AssertMinAlign<U>
+  for T
+{
+}
 
 macro_rules! static_assert {
     ($assertion:ident($ty:ty $(, $($args:tt)*)?)) => {{