Adds ease at every point so the cloth drapes instead of following.
Also called: loose fit, easy fit
The basics
What to know about relaxed fit
Relaxed fit adds ease everywhere at once: a fuller chest, straight sides that skip the waist, wider sleeves and legs. Where classic keeps roughly a hand's width of room at the chest, relaxed carries two. The cloth hangs from the shoulders rather than resting on the torso. Drape, the way fabric falls under its own weight, becomes the whole silhouette.
In wear that translates to swing and airflow. Nothing binds when you sit, crouch or reach, which is why work jackets and hot-climate clothing lean relaxed. Fabric weight decides how the cut reads. Cloth around 8 ounces per square yard or heavier holds the volume in clean folds. Thin jersey collapses against the body and looks accidental. Crumple a corner of the fabric in your fist for 5 seconds; cloth that springs back into shape will carry a relaxed cut well.
The cost is definition and bulk. A relaxed top over a relaxed bottom removes every line the eye can follow, so pair the cut with something fitted above or below. Under outerwear the extra cloth bunches at cuffs and hem, and in tailored settings the fit reads one register too casual. Size normally: buying up in a relaxed cut doubles ease that is already generous.
In photos
Relaxed Fit on real products
See this option on different products. Open a photo for a larger view, or select the name to read its guide.
