Photo/Illutration A man stands on a body composition analyzer to take suit measurements. (Provided by Tanita Corp.)

They say in men’s fashion that “fit is king.” But buying a suit that actually fits is a process fraught with pitfalls, and the pandemic has complicated that even more.

Enter a new electronic tool that helps people choose business suits on their own.

Tanita Corp., a health equipment manufacturer, and Haruyama Holdings, a major suit company, announced April 26 they are starting a service that uses a machine called a body composition analyzer that customers stand on to get their correct measurements.

The companies said the service will ease staff workload and help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus by reducing contact with customers.

"No large-scale equipment is needed, and body shape can be estimated simply by getting on the body composition analyzer,” said Tanita President Senri Tanida. “Customers can choose a business suit by themselves with minimal interactions with store staff.

The new service will begin on April 28 on a trial basis at two Haruyama stores: its Kichijoji store in Musashino in western Tokyo, and its Okayama Daianji store in Okayama.

Customers simply stand on the body composition analyzer and hold onto its grips. It takes about 30 seconds for the software to measure their body size. The data is then sent to a tablet in the store.

In addition to weight and body mass index (BMI), the machine measures the customer’s abdomen and chest, which staff have had to measure until now.

The service will suggest a customer’s perfect suit size from nearly 1,000 samples.

The companies said the accuracy rate for matching the size is 96.2 percent for men and 95.2 percent for women.