Marine Corps Clothing Sizes

Original Marine utility uniforms are marked in very understandable breast sizes like modern sport coats IE: size 36, 38, 40, etc. Utility trousers were marked with waist and inseam in inches...easy enough, right? For most work and athletic clothing, civilian sizes were used. However for some reason, the Corps deemed it proper to use an odd numbering system for marking sizes in the winter service uniform, overcoat, canvas leggings and shirts. There has been much interest in exactly what the odd markings translate into in civilian clothing sizes. The following information from Guide to Administration U.S. Marine Corps, 1943 should answer most questions and give additional details on sizes to the information that has been recently circulated. I have quoted only the most relevant passages. If you REALLY need to know sizes of cook's coats, rubber boots, football jerseys and other important stuff, drop me a line.

Bolo

MARINE CORPS ORDER No. 178
HEADQUARTERS U.S. MARINE CORPS
WASHINGTON, March 31, 1942

1. The following tables of stock sizes, measurements, and proportions of sizes of clothing issued to the service by the Quartermaster's Department, which supersede Marine Corps Order No. 150, April 17, 1939, are published for the information of all concerned:

Table of Stock Sizes
COATS, DRESS AND SERVICE, WINTER
Sizes			Breast	Waist	Length	Neck*	Sleeve
No. 1		Long	35	28-1/2	31-1/2	14-1/2	32-1/2
		Medium	35	29-1/2	30-1/2	15	31-1/2
		Short	35	30-1/2	29-1/2	15-1/4	30-1/2
No. 2		Long	36	30	31-3/4	14-3/4	33
		Medium	36	31	30-3/4	15-1/2	32
		Short	36	32	29-3/4	15-3/4	31
No. 3		Long	37	31	32	15	33-1/2
		Medium	37	32	31	15-3/4	32-1/2
		Short	37	33-1/2	30	16	31-1/2
No. 4		Long	38	32	32-1/4	15-1/2	34
		Medium	38	33	31-1/4	16	32-3/4
		Short	38	35	30-1/4	16-1/4	32
No. 5		Long	39	33-1/2	32-1/2	15-3/4	34-1/2
		Medium	39	34-1/2	31-1/2	16-1/4	33-1/4
		Short	39	36-1/2	30-1/2	16-1/2	32-1/2
No. 6		Long	40-1/2	35	33	16-1/4	35
		Medium	40-1/2	36	31-3/4	16-3/4	33-3/4
		Short	40-1/2	38	30-3/4	17	32
Special Sizes
		42-36	42	36	31-3/4	16-1/4	32-3/4
		44-39	44	39	32	16-3/4	33-1/4
		46-42	46	42	31-1/2	17-1/4	34-1/4
*Neck sizes shown apply to the dress coat ONLY.
LEGGINGS, CANVAS
Sizes		1	2	3	4	5	6
Height of Front		12-3/4	12-3/4	12-3/4	12-3/4	12-3/4	12-3/4
Calf		13-1/2	14-1/4	14-3/4	15-1/2	16-1/4	17
Ankle		9	9-1/2	10	10-1/2	10-3/4	11
Bottom		14-1/2	15	15-1/2	16	16-1/2	17
OVERCOATS
Sizes				Length	Sleeve	Breast	Waist
No. 1		Long		43-3/4	33	36	33
		Stout		42-1/4	32	36	35
No. 2		Long		44-1/2	33-1/2	37	34
		Stout		43	32	37	35-1/2
No. 3		Long		45-1/4	34	38	35
		Stout		43-3/4	33	38	36
No. 4		Long		46	35	39	36
		Stout		44-1/2	33	39	37-1/2
No. 5		Long		47	35-1/2	40-1/2	37
		Stout		45-1/4	33-1/2	40-1/2	39
No. 6		Long		48	36	42	39-1/2
		Stout		46	34	42	44
SHIRTS, COTTON
Sizes		0	1	2	3	4	5	6
Collar		14-1/2	15	15-1/2	16	16-1/2	17	17-1/2
Sleeve Length		32-1/2	33	33-1/2	34	34-1/2	35-1/2	36
SHIRTS, FLANNEL
Sizes			1	2	3	4	5	6
Collar			15	15-1/2	16	16-1/2	17	17-1/2
Sleeve Length			33	33-1/2	34	34-1/2	35-1/2	36
TROUSERS: DRESS; SERVICE, SUMMER; SERVICE, WINTER; AND WHITE
Sizes		Waist	Seat	Knee	Bottom	Outside Seam**	Inseam
No. 1	Long	28-1/2	36	19-3/4	19-1/2	40-1/2	31
	Medium	29-1/2	36	19-3/4	19-1/2	39-1/2	30-1/2
	Short	30-1/2	36	19-3/4	19-1/2	38-1/4	29-1/2
No. 2	Long	30	37	20	19-1/2	41-3/4	32
	Medium	31	37	20	19-1/2	40-1/4	31
	Short	32	37	20	19-1/2	39	30
No. 3	Long	31	38	20-1/2	19-3/4	42-1/2	32-1/2
	Medium	32	38	20-1/2	19-3/4	41	31-1/2
	Short	33-1/2	38	20-1/2	19-3/4	39-1/2	30-1/2
No. 4	Long	32	39	20-1/2	19-3/4	43-3/4	33-1/2
	Medium	33	39	20-1/2	19-3/4	41-3/4	32
	Short	35	39	20-1/2	19-3/4	40-3/4	31-1/2
No. 5	Long	33-1/2	40	21-1/4	20	45-1/4	34-1/2
	Medium	34-1/2	40	21-1/4	20	42-1/2	32-1/2
	Short	36-1/2	40	21-1/4	20	40-1/2	31
No. 6	Long	35	41-1/2	21-1/2	20	45-1/2	34-1/2
	Medium	36	41-1/2	21-1/2	20	43	32-1/2
	Short	38	41-1/2	21-1/2	20	40-1/2	30-1/2
Special Sizes	35-42	35	42	21-1/2	20-1/2	42	32
	37-43	37	43	21-3/4	20-1/2	43-1/4	33
	38-44	38	44	22	20-1/2	41-1/2	31
**Outside seam measured from top tip of hip bone.

 

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