People vary primarily in height and width. The East Germans (East German Army or NVA) took this into account in a very special way, combining the European sizing system numbers with German language and East German specialties.
Widths are like normal European sizing widths, except they do not affect length, and some sizes are left out to simplify things.
| Size | Chest | Waist | Easy size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 85-92 cm | 71-78 cm | Small |
| 48 | 93-100 cm | 79-86 cm | Medium |
| 52 | 101-108 cm | 87-94 cm | Large |
| 56 | 109-116 cm | 95-102 cm | X-Large |
| 60 | 117-124 cm | 103-110 cm | 2X-Large |
| Size | Chest | Waist | Easy size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 33.5" - 36" | 28" 30.5" | Small |
| 48 | 36.5" - 39.5" | 31" - 34" | Medium |
| 52 | 40" - 42.5" | 34" - 37" | Large |
| 56 | 43" - 45.5" | 37.5" - 40" | X-Large |
| 60 | 46" - 49" | 40.5" - 43.5" | 2X-Large |
As a special touch suffix numbers are used to account for different body types, for an example SK48-0 or G52-1. These add or subtract 8 cm (a wee bit short of 3") from the waist as follows:
Lengths are determined by letter codes. They are short for German words Sehr Klein, Klein, Mittelgroß, Groß, Sehr Groß and Übergroß. Here's what they mean:
| Letter code | User height (metric) | User height (imperial) |
|---|---|---|
| SK | 158-163 cm | 5' 2" - 5' 4" |
| K | 164-169 cm | 5' 4" - 5' 6" |
| M | 170-175 cm | 5' 7" - 5' 9" |
| G | 176-181 cm | 5' 9" - 5' 11" |
| SG | 182-187 cm | 5' 11" - 6' 1" |
| ÜG | 188-193 cm | 6' 2" - 6' 4" |