Suits for Athletic Builds: Chest, Thighs and Shoulders

An athletic build usually means broad shoulders and back, a big chest and arms, a comparatively narrow waist and strong seat and thighs. Ready-to-wear suits are cut for an average body and scaled up or down evenly, size by size. If you lift, row, play rugby or simply carry muscle, the jacket that fits your shoulders swims at the waist, and the trousers that fit your thighs gape at the waistband. Once you understand why, the fixes are straightforward.

What is a suit drop, and why does it matter for athletic builds?

The drop is the difference between the jacket chest size and the trouser waist size. On a standard suit it is 6 inches (15 cm): a 40 jacket comes with 34-inch trousers, a 42 with 36. Clothing makers have traditionally described an athletic build as a drop of about 8 inches (20 cm), and men who train often have a drop of 8 inches or more. To find yours, subtract your trouser waist from your chest measurement.

Why don't off-the-rack suits fit athletic builds?

A ready-to-wear pattern fixes the ratios between every part of the body: chest to waist, shoulders to chest, upper arm to chest, seat to waist and thigh to seat. Each size scales those ratios up or down together. A muscular body breaks several of them at once, so no single size fits everywhere.

• Jacket fits the chest, but billows at the waist. The result looks boxy, and the jacket hangs off the chest like a tent.
• Jacket fits the waist, but pulls across the chest. X-shaped creases at the button and strain across the back when you reach forward.
• Sleeves bind at the bicep. You cannot lift your arms without the whole jacket riding up.
• Trousers fit the waist, but strain at the thighs and seat. Pull lines across the front, pockets flaring open and fabric that wears thin where the thighs rub.
• Trousers fit the thighs, but gape at the waist. A gap at the back of the waistband that a belt bunches rather than closes.

What suit cut works best for an athletic build?

Start with a jacket that has room in the chest, shoulders and arms, such as a tailored or athletic fit, then shape the waist. Slim fits usually bind across the back and arms. Keep the waist shaping moderate: overdoing it exaggerates the V into a hard T-shape and makes the jacket look tight even where it is not. Our guide to slim vs tailored vs classic fit explains what each label usually means.

• Shoulders: natural or lightly padded. Your shoulders are already broad, and heavy padding makes you look top-heavy.
• Armholes: set high and fairly close. A high armhole lets your arm move without lifting the whole jacket, which matters more than a big, loose armhole.
• Sleeves: enough room at the bicep to bend the arm, tapering to the wrist.
• Lapels: regular width, about 3¼ to 3½ inches (8.5 to 9 cm), so they do not get lost on a broad chest. Match the tie to the lapel.
• Buttons: a two-button jacket fastening at the natural waist is the most balanced. A one-button jacket cinches the waist and exaggerates the V.
• Vents: double (side) vents hang cleanly over a strong seat; a single vent tends to pull open.

A double-breasted jacket adds width across the chest. That suits a slim man, but on an already broad chest it can look heavy, so keep the lapels moderate if you want one. The full set of jacket checks is in how a suit jacket should fit.

How should suit trousers fit muscular thighs?

Buy suit trousers for your seat and thighs, then have the waist taken in. Standing, you should be able to pinch about ½ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) of fabric at the side of the thigh. A mid to high rise gives the seat room and keeps the waistband in place when you squat or sit. Below the knee, a gentle taper keeps the leg from looking baggy; very skinny legs make the thighs look bigger by contrast.

Pleats are useful here. A single forward pleat on each side adds room through the hips and upper thigh and keeps the front smooth when you sit. A flat front works if it lies flat without pulling across the hips. See pleated vs flat-front trousers.

Are stretch suits good for athletic builds?

Stretch helps if you move a lot, travel often or sit between sizes, but it does not replace a good cut. There are two kinds. Elastane (also called spandex; Lycra is a brand name) is an elastic synthetic fiber blended into the yarn, and as little as about 2 percent gives noticeable give. Mechanical stretch comes from the way the yarn is twisted and woven, with no elastic fiber; wool itself also has some natural give and recovers its shape well.

A sensible approach: choose stretch for trousers and travel suits, where movement matters most, and pure wool or a mechanical stretch weave for the suits you want to keep for years. Our guide to stretch and performance suits compares the fabrics in detail.

What alterations work for athletic builds?

Alterations can close a gap of an inch or two, not a whole size. A tailor can usually take in a jacket by up to about 2 inches (5 cm) around the waist through the side seams, back seam and darts; beyond that the pockets pull out of line. The shoulders, chest and armholes are the parts that cannot really be made bigger, which is why they decide the size you buy.

Before you buy, turn the trousers inside out and check for a wide seam allowance at the center back. The full list of what a tailor can do is in what a tailor can and can't alter.

Separates, athletic fits or made to measure?

Made to measure adjusts a base pattern to your body, which fixes most athletic-build problems at once. Bespoke drafts a new pattern and suits extreme proportions, very developed backs and unusual posture. Online made to measure is an option if you can measure accurately; our guides to online made-to-measure suits and bespoke vs made to measure explain the trade-offs.

Get the shoulders, chest and thighs right, and a suit makes an athletic build look exactly as strong and balanced as it is. For the trouser side in detail, read how suit trousers should fit, and for sizes and drops, the suit size chart.

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