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• off-the-rack
  off-the-rack

  adjective

  (of clothing) not made to specific or individual requirements; ready-made.
• off the rack
  off the rack

  Ready-made, as in She has all her clothes made; she never buys a dress off the rack. The rack here is a frame from which clothes are hung. [Mid-1900s] A British synonym is off the peg, similarly alluding to a knob from which clothes are hung and dating from the late 1800s. Also see off the shelf.

off-the-rack

American  

[awf-thuh-rak, of-] / ˈɔf ðəˈræk, ˈɒf- /

adjective

1. (of clothing) not made to specific or individual requirements; ready-made.

   off-the-rack men's suits.

2. Slang. off-the-wall.

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off the rack Idioms  

1. Ready-made, as in She has all her clothes made; she never buys a dress off the rack. The rack here is a frame from which clothes are hung. [Mid-1900s] A British synonym is off the peg, similarly alluding to a knob from which clothes are hung and dating from the late 1800s. Also see off the shelf.

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Etymology

Origin of off-the-rack

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

off-the-rack off the rack

At the start of the 1970s, before the dollar’s link to gold was severed, an ounce might have gotten you an off-the-rack seersucker at J.C.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

It’s the shift from battleships to PT boats, from handmade suits to off-the-rack ones.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2025

When we accessorize, Herd said, we’re putting a “personal spin” on an off-the-rack purchase.

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2024

Due in large part to globalization and offshoring, the prices of the things we want — electronics, household appliances, off-the-rack designer clothing and so forth — have generally increased slowly, or even gone down.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2024

My pearls, my belts, my cardigans, my off-the-rack dresses from J.Crew, my apparently brave choice of white for an inaugural gown—all seemed to trigger a slew of opinions and instant feedback.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

“Heated Rivalry” hottie, Connor Storrie, wore an outfit that looked straight off the rack at your local H&M, but honestly, who cares?

From Salon ● May 5, 2026

The principal actors wore minimal makeup or no makeup at all, and per Wyler’s instructions, they bought their movie wardrobes off the rack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

“A suit off the rack is not always cut for me,” Robinson says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025

“Find something that protects and secures your gear and displays it well, then take it off the rack and go.”

From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2024

Can buy a darn formal straight off the rack and it fits like a dream.”

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy