The German sizing system is clear and simple - there are four different heights and lots of widths. One thing to consider is that the Germans seem to be an awfully short armed people, basically this means their jacket lenghts are overstated - by about 5 cm. If you're just in between two height sizes, choose the longer one.

Choosing a size is easy - choose the height size you fit into based on how tall you are, then measure your chest and waist circumference to find out the correct width. (If you measure inches, multiply them by 2.54 to convert to centimetres.)

An example

• Our boss is 179 cm tall, has a 82 cm waist and a chest circumference of 89 cm
• Sizes 06-11 are for 170-180 cm tall people, so that's the starting point.
• As his waist is over 80 cm and less than 85 cm, the perfect pants would be a size 07 (85 cm waist, 80 cm inseam)
• His chest measures just under 90 cm, so the jacket is a size 06 (chest circumference 90 cm).