An assessment of fit and sizing of men's business clothing

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate issues with the fit and sizing of commercially available men's business clothing in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The functional design process is a conceptual framework used to frame an investigation of fit and sizing of men's business clothing. Data were collected from 322 men aged 20‐55 at two different demographic levels. Sizing and fit of men's shirts, pants, suits and their garment features were reported to investigate fit issues with men's ready‐to‐wear business clothing and their relationships to sizing and overall body composition.

Findings

Results indicated that many men self‐report fit issues with their business clothing, including issues with the key sizing dimensions of their garments. Consumers frequenting specialty stores with high service levels reported fewer issues with key sizing dimensions, but more issues in other areas of the garments. Many respondents did not know their garment size. Some consumers appear to be choosing their garments based on non key measurements to best accommodate their individual shape, while those choosing by their sized measurements may not achieve satisfactory fit in all areas.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was generally located in the southeast United States. Sizing systems and clothing manufacturers vary globally.

Originality/value

Little research into the sizing and fit of men's clothing has been performed. This article investigates self‐reported fit issues to establish a baseline for further studies in the area.

Citation

Sindicich, D. and Black, C. (2011), "An assessment of fit and sizing of men's business clothing", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 446-463. https://doi.org/10.1108/13612021111169942