Personally fitting a blazer is the best way to determine the right blazer size, but customers can also use measuring tape to find the perfect fit. Choosing the correct blazer size involves measuring one’s chest width and accounting for height. Once these measurements have been obtained, the customer should examine the blazer's size as listed in its tag. The number in the figure indicates the garment's chest measurement, while the word or letter describes its length. Special considerations should be made for male and female buyers, as measurements can differ between genders.
Individuals should always fit the garment or measure themselves before buying a blazer; making the decision through guesswork often results in an ill-fitting purchase. In general, buyers should choose blazer sizes that end at their rear ends without going lower. The length of the sleeves should fall precisely on or just above the wrist, and the garment should not appear baggy. If the buyer cannot personally try the blazer on, she can determine her correct blazer size by asking another person to take down her measurements using measuring tape. This allows for greater accuracy in measurement as compared to the individual doing it herself.
The first step in determining the correct blazer size is to measure the buyer's chest. Women should wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of the bust with the arms relaxed and the midsection at the natural waistline. The arms should then be measured for their length from shoulder to wrist and from armpit to wrist. Measurements on the length of the torso should be taken from the innermost corner of the armpit down to the top of the hip and from the bottom of the nape to the hip. Customers can choose the blazer size that best matches their own measurements, according to the manufacturer's system.
Men’s blazer sizes, on the other hand, usually come in two parts: a number that stands for the chest measurement and a letter that indicates the blazer's length. Chest measurements should be taken by wrapping around the fullest part of the chest just below the arms, over the shoulder blades (over-arm), and under the underarms. If the over-arm measurement is larger than the chest, roughly 7 inches (18 centimeters) should be subtracted from the figure; the result is used as the chest measurement. If the over-arm and chest measurement are the same, the chest measurement is used to determine the correct blazer size. Length is measured in the same fashion as in women's blazers, and in order to choose the right fit, buyers should ask the tailor or salesperson which length — often demarcated as S, R, or L — best matches their own measurements.