Suit Size Chart

How to read the chart

Read the chart row by row, not column by column. Find the row where your chest measurement falls, and that row gives you the jacket size, the matching trouser waist range, the jacket length, the sleeve length, the shoulder width and the trouser inseam that usually go with it. Each row is a set of measurements that are graded together, so the row only works as a starting point when most of your numbers fall in the same row.

When your numbers fall in different rows, the chart has still done its job, because it has shown you where the mismatch is. A chest in the M row and a trouser waist in the L row is common, and it usually means you need a jacket in M with trousers taken from the L range, or a suit with separately sized trousers. Note which measurement sits in the larger row, because that measurement will drive the size you order.

General suit size chart

The table below gives broad adult ranges in inches. Treat these as starting ranges, not as brand sizes. Brands grade their suits differently, so always check the brand chart for the suit you are buying.

If your measurements fall below XS or above XXL, the chart cannot give you a precise starting size. In that case, use the nearest end of the chart as a rough guide and rely on the brand chart and the stated garment measurements instead, especially for shoulder width and sleeve length.

Letter sizes and number sizes

Suits are sold in both letter sizes and number sizes, and the two systems describe the same body in different ways. Letter sizes run from XS to XXL and cover a range of chest measurements, while number sizes name the chest directly, so a 40 suit is cut for about a 40 inch chest. The letter size is a quick way to shop, and the number size is a more precise way to compare one suit with another.

As a broad guide, XS covers about a 34 to 35 inch chest, S covers 36 to 38, M covers 39 to 41, L covers 42 to 44, XL covers 45 to 47, and XXL covers 48 to 50. These are the ranges used in the chart above. Some brands use only number sizes, some use only letter sizes, and some use both, so check which system the listing uses before you match your chest to it.

Why your chest and waist can point to different sizes

Chest and trouser waist do not always fall in the same row, because bodies are not graded in neat sets. A person with a broad chest and a narrower waist will find the chest row gives a larger size than the waist row, while a person with a larger waist and a narrower chest will find the opposite. Neither result is wrong. The chart is showing you that the jacket and the trousers need different sizes, which is normal.

When the two disagree, let the jacket follow the larger of the chest and shoulder rows, because shoulders are the hardest part to alter and a jacket must fit the widest area that affects it. Let the trousers follow the waist row, because the trouser waist is the measurement that decides whether the trousers stay up and sit comfortably. Suits with separately sized jackets and trousers make this easy, and suits sold as a fixed set may need a tailor to adjust one half.

What the chart does not cover

The chart does not cover jacket length variations, because length is sold separately from size in many suits. Short, regular and long lengths change the jacket length and the sleeve length without changing the chest size, so a person who fits the M row for chest may still need a short or long M. Height is the usual guide here, with shorter people tending toward short lengths and taller people toward long lengths, but the jacket hem and the sleeve are the real tests.

The chart also does not cover fit or fabric. A fitted suit in your chart size will feel closer than a relaxed suit in the same size, and a firm wool will feel different from a stretch blend. Use the chart to find the size row, then read the fit notes and the fabric notes for the suit you are buying, and compare your numbers with the brand chart before you order.