Big and Tall Men's wear!
The fable of ALL MEN being created equal!
Did you know that every REAL man wears up to a size 38 waisted pair of pants and a shirt with a 16½" neck?
It seems that the sizing book most clothing manufacturer's use is missing the back half. It apparently stops and so does fashion stop at size 38 pants. Why does the garment industry not look around at the regular population? Look and see that there are men out in the ‘real world' that are bigger and taller then the cookie cutter patterns the designers are using.
Ostensibly every man over a certain size doesn't have or has lost all sense of fashion and the desire to dress well. Very few men's wear designers can be more than the "average size" because otherwise they would be creating clothes with empathy for the tall and big guy.
The limited availability of decent clothes is actually a major issue that the tall and big man has to content with. It's not as easy as "...I'm going away this weekend I need a new pair of pants and a shirt" and then stop on the way home from work at the department store and pick them up. It becomes a whole agonizing, sometimes embarrassing ordeal. Heaven forbid that the man with a 50" waist and 35" inseam wanting a great looking pair of jeans.
In most cases the department store carries dozens of racks of wear-ables in the ‘average' sizes filled to overflowing and one rack and shelf of bigger sized shapeless stuff that all just looks like fat persons clothes. Having to stop at every mall in town with the same results can be devastating to the morale of anyone.
For the ones living in metropolitan areas there are stores that deal exclusively for the big and tall man. Shopping there the over 6' business man doesn't need to walk with his regular length tie flapping around mid-chest. No they actually come in x-long, xx-long, up to 67"in length; long enough that even the tallest guy needs to watch that his tie doesn't get zipped into his fly. These stores usually carry everything from suits to casual, to sports wear, to underwear, and socks. In some cases they even sell shoes and slippers too, up to a size 20 in quadruple E width. However it seems that the king sized man also needs a king sized wallet to shop in some of those specialty stores as most everything they carry is surcharged.
Predominantly on-line warehouse shopping becomes the norm. Here too most everything is available, but at more affordable prices. The draw back is that the sizing needs to be very accurate to assure proper fit and also the shipping and handling charges will have to be built into the cost.
There is however another avenue that the special sized man can take and that is to have his clothes made from scratch by the neighborhood tailor. These personalized clothes are not a cheap way out either, but they at least assure that the clothes are well made, will fit just right and follow the fashion too.
One question however doesn't seem to have a readily available answer. Why is big and tall men's wear, dumped under one umbrella? Each special size has its own need. Regardless, really tall and slender, tall and wide or just wide, proper fitting clothes make the man; they give a man confidence to become successful at work or in his personal life.
- How to fit pants and jeans
So are you frustrated with ill-fitting pants yet? Before you buy another pair of pants or jeans that sag in the butt, pucker at the pockets and/or fetter around the waist read this guide that will give... - Tips For How To Shorten Jeans!
The problem most have with getting jeans shortened is that they don't look the same anymore once the original hem has been cut. Here I'll give you the basic and easy way. The problem most have with getting...
Photos by www.sxc.hu
Comments
I have found that it's easier to get odd sizes online. Amazon usually has the odd sizes on the items they stock and sell themselves.
There's a rule of thumb that seems to work well with fitting off the rack clothes. It goes something like this... Order Tall sizes if you are 6’2” or taller, and you chest size is greater than your waist size. Order “big” sizes if you are under 6’2” and your waist size exceeds your chest size....It's always worked well for me.
There are more tips for big and tall guys clothes at http://big-tall-clothing-guide.com/
Fashion companies stop at size 38 out of Christian Charity to their fellow man. I know this for a fact, because I am in a constant stage of dieting in order to get into a size 38 once more and I am told that this is doing me a great deal of good, healthwise.
My husband has this problem, too. Appreciate your sensitivity to the fashion needs of "non-standard" people.
Who was it who said, "My weight is always perfect for my height... which varies." ? Similar to your "I'm not overweight just under tall" idea:-)
I think, but not absolutely sure, that you two are talking about something else entirely... ;[
And no, suspenders will not even be considered.
My ultimate goal is to be bigger! broader and stronger!
ps, Right! lol;)
Well Compu, that's ultimately up to you, isn't it?
Yeah, I know: "Shut-the-hell up!" Right? ;-)
I sure aint getting any taller but if and when i do get any bigger i know where to come:)
Thanks for the very good suggestion, Zsuzsy, but there's too much seamstress-type work involved in such a project - on ALL my pants?!?! I can sew, fairly well, but try to avoid it whenever possible.
Zsuzsy Bee, I do the same things!! Then when men increase they can let it out again.
awww CW. I know what you mean. My husband wears his pants below his bely so it's kind of hard to find the correct length for that. Eithr they are high waters or dragging on the floor.
Great subject, Zsuzsy, not that I'm big OR tall. The problem for me is that men's pants always come in even sizes. I typically need either a 31 or a 33, but try finding those sizes. I did once, at a thrift store, but that's it. I have to buy the next size up and wear a belt.
Belts are uncomfortable...
OK, all through whining.
You are right on! My first husband was over 6' tall but he was a bit wide too and my second husband is over 6' too and not as big around. To find clothes for them takes hours! I usually ask for cltohes for him at Christmas. There are no big and tall men shops around here! Yes, they cahrge double and sometime triple the price of regualr clothes for small men. I ama seamstress and it doesn't take but a few inches--not yards to make something longer for a taller man. I can't make men's clothes though--one the material is much more expensive and I don't have the space.
You can ad women to this too. I see some larger and taller women and wonder where they get their clothes!?
We are not all cookie cutter peole. God didn't make it that way so why should the fashin industry!
I hate all those commercials of women who are skinny and perfest-that is only like 20% of the total population--the rest of us are more round. Those models also give young girls the wrong impression.
The world is wrapped up in generalizing everything and the unique individual suffers at it's hands. Great article here ZsuzsyBee. We need to get away from so much mass reproduction and closer to individuality. It would create unique jobs and a need for more of the skilled professions on the creativity. side. Great job. C.S.
23