In this case of an off the rack suit, the jacket size is selected, the pants typically fall into a range of waist size with hemming done by your tailor. Click "size chart" to look at the pant situation
How do you buy a two piece suit with only one size number?
Back in the day, there was what was referred to as an "8-inch drop." This meant that the trousers' waist size was 8 inches lower than the jacket size. For example, if you purchased a size 46 suit, the jacket's chest size was 46 inches and the trousers' waist size was 38 inches.
In the last couple of decades, suits manufactured for the American market have transitioned to a "6-inch drop," meaning the difference between the jacket size and the trousers' waist size has decreased to a 6-inch difference. This is in response to the general increasing of the waist size of American men.
Because of the ever-present variations in sleeve lengths and trousers' inseams, these two measurements almost always need adjustment by a seamstress or a tailor. Oftentimes, suit jackets need a "waist suppression" adjustment as well. The majority of "off-the-rack" suit jackets are built in a straight line between the armpit and the bottom hem. Taking in the jacket's waist slightly makes a jacket fit better and appear to be tailored.
On a side note, any suit that is composed of 72% polyester and is made in China is complete garbage. Do NOT waste your money on this trash.
Being that the tailor charges so much you are better off buying a suit at the local store that you can try on and make sure it fits nice without needing to be tailored.
I see suits at Macys for around $100, like Kenneth Cole Reaction all the time
The tailors are so expensive that it barely makes sense to get a suit at GoodWill if it needs alterations to fit you.
Then they will whine and complain when their job goes overseas. Soon a company will offer to send suits to China using express post to be altered and shipped back and when that occurs these greedy tailors can take a seat right next to the Toll Booth Operators at the Unemployment office.
They charged me $18 to make a pair of slacks shorter and it took less than 10 minutes. So in effect they charged me $108 per hour
^ Yeah but someone has to be available to do it, so short custom jobs tend to have high hourly rate equivalency. Express shipping to China is expensive, more than $18 both ways for a suit and cheap shipping would take over a month.
Consider a waiter at a low-mid grade restaurant, that spends maybe 3 minutes total on a table for two and gets a $5 tip, let alone the tip at a more expensive restaurant.
Comments & Reviews (6)
Back in the day, there was what was referred to as an "8-inch drop." This meant that the trousers' waist size was 8 inches lower than the jacket size. For example, if you purchased a size 46 suit, the jacket's chest size was 46 inches and the trousers' waist size was 38 inches.
In the last couple of decades, suits manufactured for the American market have transitioned to a "6-inch drop," meaning the difference between the jacket size and the trousers' waist size has decreased to a 6-inch difference. This is in response to the general increasing of the waist size of American men.
Because of the ever-present variations in sleeve lengths and trousers' inseams, these two measurements almost always need adjustment by a seamstress or a tailor. Oftentimes, suit jackets need a "waist suppression" adjustment as well. The majority of "off-the-rack" suit jackets are built in a straight line between the armpit and the bottom hem. Taking in the jacket's waist slightly makes a jacket fit better and appear to be tailored.
On a side note, any suit that is composed of 72% polyester and is made in China is complete garbage. Do NOT waste your money on this trash.
I see suits at Macys for around $100, like Kenneth Cole Reaction all the time
The tailors are so expensive that it barely makes sense to get a suit at GoodWill if it needs alterations to fit you.
Then they will whine and complain when their job goes overseas. Soon a company will offer to send suits to China using express post to be altered and shipped back and when that occurs these greedy tailors can take a seat right next to the Toll Booth Operators at the Unemployment office.
They charged me $18 to make a pair of slacks shorter and it took less than 10 minutes. So in effect they charged me $108 per hour
Consider a waiter at a low-mid grade restaurant, that spends maybe 3 minutes total on a table for two and gets a $5 tip, let alone the tip at a more expensive restaurant.
Thank you!