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

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate issues with the fit and sizing of commercially available men's business clothing in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe 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.FindingsResults 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/implicationsThe sample was generally located in the southeast United States. Sizing systems and clothing manufacturers vary globally.Originality/valueLittle 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.

An ensemble of ordered logistic regression and random forest for child garment size matching

“…But each company has its own sizing, and what is more, this can change over time (Schofield and LaBat, 2005). This is therefore not a reliable strategy (Sindicich and Black, 2011).…”

Men’s fit preferences in outdoor performance clothing: A qualitative investigation

“…It has been reported that Americans have been increasing in size and BMI in the last decade (CDC 2012a), which could affect the way consumers fit into available clothing. Sindicich and Black (2011) found a linkage between BMI and clothing fit issues. Short men with higher BMI found it difficult to find a suit to fit their upper-body circumference measurements and their shorter stature.…”

“…Sindicich and Black (2011) found that men were not satisfied with the fit of available business apparel (suits, shirts and pants); 40 per cent of male respondents stated that they had fit issues for particular garments and garment areas. Over 30 per cent of male respondents had fit issues with sleeve length, pant length and suit torso circumference.…”

“…For example, a hunter will typically purchase a pair of lightweight performance camouflage pants that will enable them to bend their knees comfortably when squatting, remain cool because of the performance fabric, and easily access their hunting accessories from intentionally placed pockets. Findings on men's fit preferences in business attire (Sindicich and Black 2011), cannot be completely applied to outdoor performance apparel. This article addresses the above-discussed gaps in menswear research by examining men's fit preferences and issues in outdoor performance clothing in relation to their BMI and height.…”

“…There is limited research on fit and sizing preferences in men's ready-to-wear apparel, apart from two recent studies. Sindicich and Black (2011) conducted a study to investigate men's preferences for the fit in business clothing. They found that men were generally dissatisfied with the fit and the sizing of their current business clothing, which did not fit them in many areas.…”