Approximate clothing sizes?

November 11, 2006 2:34 PM

Can anyone tell me the approximate neck size, sleeve length, waist and inseam for a man who is six foot three and 230 pounds? He is proportioned normally for someone of that height and weight. I need to buy some clothes for a guy and won't have a chance to ask him his sizes before buying.
posted by jayder to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

wow that description fits me to a T. I'm a 38x34, soon to be a 36x34. As far as neck and sleeve size, I remember being 17.5x35 the last time I was measured-I may be 18x36 now. hope that helps.
posted by neilkod at 2:38 PM on November 11, 2006

For what its worth -- im 6'1", 245 and wear a 40x32, and slightly smaller measurements on the arm than what neilkod said. So his #'s make sense to me.
posted by SirStan at 2:47 PM on November 11, 2006

This is a tough one...if you must do this, I suggest you bring photos of him with you to the store, and show them to a salesperson who knows his stuff. My favorite guy (Mark at Filene's Basement on the UWS) can eyeball someone's size with no effort; someone like that may be able to do something similar with a photo.

The nicer the clothes, and the more into his clothes he is, the more you should reconsider doing this if you can't get his measurements.
posted by bingo at 2:50 PM on November 11, 2006

How 6'3" is 6'3"? I'm pretty sure I'm a little shorter than that, but I get lots of people telling me I'm taller.. Something to do with them wanting to be taller than they are, but not really intending to lie about the obvious empirical difference between us. Kind of like mark inflation at school.

Anyway, I just spent some time at 230 this summer Ya, I think I'll stick with that phrasing... I think 38x34 and 18x35 are good guesses. A 36" waist is probably small, if he is really average.
posted by Chuckles at 3:12 PM on November 11, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks so much everyone, for "weighing" in on this. This is a big help.

I have a criminal case set for a jury trial on Monday, and I need to get my (incarcerated) client some street clothes. I will not see him before Monday. I may err on the larger side of neilkod's numbers (38x34, 18x36).
posted by jayder at 3:29 PM on November 11, 2006

Err big, and if you need to take in the torso a bit -- and he's wearing a jacket -- you can use one or two of those fat black clips for holding big documents. Clip the shirt at the center back as needed to make the proper fit in front.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:56 PM on November 11, 2006

Or, simpler, you could get two shirts and return the one that doesn't fit.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:57 PM on November 11, 2006

Before you jump to conclusions on sleeve length, I am 5'11" and have 36" sleeves. While my knuckles may drag on the ground like the ape my wife claims me to be, I know rule of thumb is that your wing span is the same as your height. So, I'd go with a 37" sleeve.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 4:06 PM on November 11, 2006

I know rule of thumb is that your wing span is the same as your height. So, I'd go with a 37" sleeve.

At which point your only hope is to have a shirt custom made, pretty much. I think you forgot to account for hands in your rule of thumb, because off-the-rack shirts don't typically come that long. 34-35" sleeve the standard "tall" length.
posted by mendel at 5:43 PM on November 11, 2006

I'll suggest a big and tall store. My bf is 6'4", and a little bit heavier. Although he isn't around to ask, from my experiences shopping with him, almost everything off the rack is much too short in the torso. Big and tall stores are the only place he can reliably find something that fits. (The very few times we've been sucessful in finding clothes in regular stores we consider flukes are are not to be counted on.). Take those measurements into a big and tall store and ask the salesperson; I'm sure they'll be able to guide you.
posted by cgg at 5:56 PM on November 11, 2006

Don't know what the charge is , but I've heard recommendations to go large on the clothes in that situation, makes the accused citizen look a bit smaller, less imposing . Don't want a man accused of assault showing up , busting out of his shirt like the incredible Hulk.

38x34 trouser sounds right, and the 18x 36 shirt. 44 or 46 Long jacket.
posted by Agamenticus at 6:23 PM on November 11, 2006

Response by poster: Agamenticus, you make a good point. Hadn't thought of that before, but it makes perfect sense.
posted by jayder at 10:55 PM on November 11, 2006

When wearing a tie the neck size is oh so important. I have a 19" neck (I know weird) And at the Big Mens shop some brands of shirts have an elastic attached to the top button of dress shirts to allow for variations in neck size.
posted by Gungho at 6:53 AM on November 12, 2006

38 waist sounds MUCH too small to me. At 6'2", I look fairly trim when I fit 38". That isn't a slim weight for that height. I'd say go for 42, and a good belt, just in case. 34" inseam should work. I'm exactly 33" on the inseam.

Shirts vary. Look for something without numbers, preferably an XLT or possibly XXLT. But my neck is huge (for some reason, weight lifting affected my neck the most).
posted by Goofyy at 3:30 AM on November 13, 2006

38 waist sounds MUCH too small to me.

They're funny that way, though. I'm 6'1", 200 lbs, and I've recently gone from a 38 to a 36 and I've still got a bit of a gut and am outside of the "healthy" BMI range (but just barely). End goal is a 34.

Height isn't that much of a determinant of waist size.
posted by mendel at 12:54 PM on November 15, 2006