# What is a 'box suit'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2020, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350 "2020-08-30T03:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/1 "2020-08-30T03:17:30Z")
The question is in the title. ---
**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/2 "2020-08-30T04:40:06Z")
Without any context, I’m guessing it’s a suit made of fabric with a box / square pattern. [Here is a box suit.](https://www.studiosuits.com/suits/look_book/italian_linen_tang_box_suit) [Here is a box jacket.](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/104568022579701454/) ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/3 "2020-08-30T06:13:13Z")
As I recall, a box suit is an untailored suit. Off the rack versus a custom tailored suit. This is from the '60’s, though I think the origin goes back much farther. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/4 "2020-08-30T13:11:36Z")
Or maybe it is some kind of lawsuit? We need the context! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/5 "2020-08-30T13:49:22Z")
> [@yearofglad](#): > > [Here is a box jacket.](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/104568022579701454/) I think I’d have the same expression if someone dressed me up like that. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/6 "2020-08-30T14:29:08Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > As I recall, a box suit is an untailored suit. Off the rack versus a custom tailored suit. This is from the '60’s, though I think the origin goes back much farther. That makes sense. I think someone mentioned one in On The Waterfront. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/7 "2020-08-30T14:41:50Z")
I never heard the term before, but according to several Google Books hits from around 1920-50, a “box jacket” or “box coat” is one that is intended to hang loosely, as opposed to a “fitted” or “semi-fitted” style. The term “box suit” is sometimes used to mean a suit that includes such a garment. Both men’s and women’s garments were described this way. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/8 "2020-08-30T14:51:47Z")
That also makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/9 "2020-08-30T14:52:59Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > I never heard the term before, but according to several Google Books hits from around 1920-50, a “box jacket” or “box coat” is one that is intended to hang loosely, as opposed to a “fitted” or “semi-fitted” style. The far more common term for this is “boxy”. If you google “boxy suit” you get a lot of hits for exactly this, describing the cut. e.g. > **[We don't do Boxy Suits - Orhan London Tailoring](https://www.orhanlondontailoring.com/we-dont-do-boxy-suits/)** > > Tailored made to measure suits | we don't do baggy or boxy ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/10 "2020-09-01T01:12:44Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > The far more common term for this is “boxy”. If you google “boxy suit” you get a lot of hits for exactly this, describing the cut. When I was a suit-wearing man (in Aus), that was referred to as “American Cut” (as distinct from European cut). Although as I remember, the _really_ boxy suits were in Singapore and Hong Kong. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/11 "2020-09-01T16:19:48Z")
I keep expecting to see a link to a picture of David Byrne. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/12 "2020-09-07T01:49:16Z")
I immediately thought of these monstrosities from the 80’s. A perfectly square jacket that made your shoulders look like they came out from your ears, with fitted pants that made the legs look like a Popsicle stick when you were standing still. In fact, it gave me an earworm of this Fine Young Cannibals video: [![](https://baseballfordinner.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/fyc.gif) ](https://baseballfordinner.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/fyc.gif) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-box-suit/919350/13 "2020-09-27T23:48:50Z")
I imagined the home-made Halloween robot costumes kids used to make for trick-or-treating.