Sometimes more modern ones will have a tag inside the inner breast
pocket. Otherwise, button the suit, flatten it out, and measure from
armpit to armpit, making sure that the center front doesn't gape.
Multiply that number by two and subtract four. That's basically the
size chest the suit will fit, as most modern suits are built with
about 4" of ease. Some period suits are designed to be closer-
fitting than that, so it depends on the era.
The length is from the seam at the base of the collar to the hem
center back. Short suits are approximately 28-29", regular suits
30-31", and long suits 32-33". Again, period suits differ based on
the style, and some modern suits are cut long for panache. You might
also measure the sleeve, as whether a suit is the right length for a
person really has more to do with their arms than their torso. For a
generic modern suit, you generally want the relaxed fingertips of the
wearer to brush the hem. So a short guy with long arms might wear a
regular suit and a medium-height guy with short arms might wear a
short suit (just make sure it still covers his behind).
In theatre we usually take the sleeve measurement on a person from
center back to wrist with the person holding their arm like they're a
waiter with a towel over it. (The second number of men's dress shirt
sizes is this measurement.) Measure the jacket the same way, and
you'll get a much better fit than just doing the chest and the
length. You can of course alter the sleeve length to a certain
extent--especially if you're shortening--but it's a huge pain.
Melanie Schuessler
On Jun 19, 2009, at 2:18 PM, Kate Pinner wrote:
On a contemporary (or for that matter, vintage) man's suit, once
the tags
are off, how do you tell what size it was sold as? I realize that
most of
them have been altered somewhat to the individual, but where do you
measure
the jacket for chest? length?
Kate Pinner
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