Thread by @dieworkwear

I think I've figured it out. I think I know why so many politicians have collar gaps on the debate stage. Here is some relatively nerdy tailoring info. 🧵

When shopping for a suit, you will by according to chest size and height. So, a size 38R indicates that the coat was made for someone with a 38" chest and "regular height." But there are many aspects of the coat here that are not in the size. It's just built into the pattern.

One of these is posture. When you go to a bespoke tailor, they will emphasize that you should stand naturally. They do this because people often stand "at attention" when looking at themselves in the mirror.

But if you do this, the coat will be built for a different figure.

A proper coat will be made so that it fits according to your natural posture. Some people naturally stand with a bit of a hunch. Others stand very erect. A proper coat will fit your natural posture so that the collar hugs your neck at all times.

IG dylanandson

If you look at the candidates tonight, almost all the men have collar gaps to some degree. The worst was on Governor Doug Burgum. Yet, when you look up other photos of him, the collar gap isn't there. Why?

With the pressure of running for the nomination and wanting to look like a strong, confident person, I think many of these men are throwing their shoulders back and standing straighter than they normally do.

You can see how the collar gap here disappears when Christie takes a more hunched position (the collar gap appears in the beginning; disappears at the end, probably because he naturally stands with more of a stoop)

Makes me wonder if the reason why we saw less of this in the past is because people naturally stood with a more erect posture, whether on- or off-screen. No collar gap on Kennedy or Nixon during their famous debate.

Anyway, that's my guess.