Paisley
I'll Lock Up
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- Indianapolis
Possibly, many men were thinner than they wanted to be in the 30s and 40s. I've seen 40s style pants make a man look about 10 pounds heavier than flat-front pants and a t-shirt.
Marc Chevalier said:Thinner than they wanted to be at the top. A size 40R 'mass market' suit of the 1930s had trousers with 35 inch waists ... which is in potbelly territory. Today's size 40R suits come with trousers with 32 or 33 inch waists.
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Marc Chevalier said:Interesting. The ones I've come across here are usually 35 inches. Considering how long some men kept and wore their suits back then, it's very possible that with the onset of years (and fat), they let out the trousers at the waist.
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Orgetorix said:Sorry, I should have been clearer: I meant the modern ones I see are 33' or 34'.
Marc Chevalier said:Now I understand!
It could be the Los Angeles menswear market has a relatively small waist size. No kidding. The men who buy the really expensive RTW suits around here tend to live near the beach, go to the gym regulary, and get liposuction.
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Dagwood said:I thought that this overview (http://www.lindyhopping.com/fashionhistm.html) was pretty good.
Marc Chevalier said:More questions, anyone? A kiss from Lady Day?
berrybuzz said:How does the sizing work?
If you've never been fitted for a suit or owned one and were, say, shopping on ebay/online for a new suit, how would you know what size to buy?