We are now used to choosing our men's suits based on standardized sizes and based on drops. But what are we really talking about?
The adoption of the first statistical procedures for determining standardized sizes dates back to the years of the First World War when, in the United States, a thousand recruits were measured with the aim of having useful data for the preparation of models for uniforms. However, for the publication of a commercial standard, we had to wait until the beginning of the 1950s, when even in Italy the most important textile companies, including GFT Gruppo Finanziario Tessile, began to produce mass-produced clothing, which from those years became a real alternative to tailor-made tailoring.
Source: SAN Fashion Archives
What is a drop?
The drop is a measurement expressed in centimeters, which is equivalent to the difference between the semi-circumference of the chest and the semi-circumference of the waist . This ratio is very useful because the same size can correspond to different fits, so identifying the right drop based on your physical structure can greatly facilitate the fit and consequently improve the aesthetics and comfort of the garment.
What are the drops?
The drop allows you to choose a perfect dress for your physical structure and is always associated with a size. The reference drops are:
Drops 10 - extra slim shape (extra slim)
Drops 8 - very slim shape (very slim)
Drops 7 - slim shape
Drops 6 - normal conformation
Drops 4 - medium strong conformation
Drop 2 - strong conformation
Drops 0 - extra strong conformation.
How do you measure size and drop?
The size is measured by dividing the chest length by 2. It turns out that if we have a chest length of 100 cm, our jacket size will be 50, i.e. the result of 100 divided by 2. The same calculation is used to determine the waist (trousers) size.
The drop is measured by subtracting the waist size from the chest size.
Example: Chest size 50 (100cm divided by 2), waist size 48 (96cm divided by 2): 50-48=2 The result is therefore size 50 drop 2.
In conclusion, a dress can be made in various cuts and adapt to the different characteristics of our body. For this reason it is important to know your size and your drop, in order to identify the fit that best suits our physical structure.
