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How Does the “Drop” Measurement Work in Suits?
Can you you give further explanation about this drop subject? i’ve seen some brands having a drop measure, R7, R8, etc. How does this work for guys with bigger or smaller chests?
The drop is the change, in inches, between the jacket width and the trouser width. The jacket width is measured at the widest point of the chest, and the trouser width is measured at the natural waist, the narrowest part of your body between the ribs and the hips. That’s the number you’re reading; the letter is just the length of the jacket (R for regular, L for long, etc.)
A typical off-the-rack suit in America has a six-inch drop, so if you buy a 40R jacket you can expect the trouser waist to be 34″. This tends to be too much for slim men and not enough for athletically-built men, so there are some off-the-rack suits with terms like “slim fit,” and those usually just mean a different drop with everything else basically the same.
If you work with a tailor to have a custom suit made, of course, he or she can measure your specific drop and fit the pants and jacket accordingly.
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LikeDislikeA little bit about the alterations that can (and can’t) be made to an off-the-rack suit in areas like the drop:
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