Since my wife and I were in town together with some time to kill last night (rare occurence) I suggested we stop by the malls and look into getting me a couple pairs of new slacks (Dockers) for Father’s Day. The ones I have now are kind of ratty. Well, turns out, there is nothing in my size (32W/34L). What is a 6’1 1/2", 155 lb. guy to do? There is hardly anything in the stores where the inseam is greater than the waist size! I guess my chioce is to either wear high waters or put on some L-Bs. I thought that my size just sold out quickly, but one salesman said the buyers buy only one of each color/style in that size.
Anybody else have the same issues? Is this another symptom of our grossly overweight populace?
shut up. I have the same problem with shoes, they usually only stock one 13. Also, at 6’3, I’m borderline between normal and tall, I hate trying to find shirts that are long enough. Ever go into a big and tall store? They must equate that with having no fashion sense whatsoever. I have seen the most hideous clothes in those places.
Yeah, I have a problem with shirts too. If I buy a medium, the body fits okay, but my bony wrists stick out (I have a complex about this). If I buy a large, the arms are long enough, but I can wrap the body around me twice.
I feel your pain. I’m a 31x34 or a 30x34 depending on how the pants are cut, etc. I find good deals at places like Banana Republic who carry these sizes. Often they are the only ones left on the clearance rack (it pays to be skinny). Try places that cater to a younger or high school crowd, they may have more of these sizes than a regular department store.
My own gripe is how they have re-sized everything shirt wise. In high school, 15 years ago, I was a size L. I am still the same height/weight, possibly a little more muscular up top, and I now wear a M. Is this a conspiracy by clothes companies to make people feel better about themselves, or what?
Yeah I have this same problem. I’m 6’1", 160lbs, and also wear 32W/34L pants. They’re damn near impossible to find. Anything that’s supposed to fit tight is especially a problem. Like running tights. Any tights that are the right length tend to be about as loose around my legs as sweat pants.
“That’s what you get for being a skinny punk”, as one of my old track teammates at Kansas State used to say.
“Is this a conspiracy by clothes companies to make people feel better about themselves, or what?”
Basically yes. They are trying to make fat people think they aren’t so fat by making the shirts so baggy. They have been doing the same thing in women’s clothes and shoes for years.
It’s worse for women. I am probably 5-10 lbs heavier than I was in high school, but wear clothes 2 sizes smaller. Shopping in junior’s stores just makes me feel like a 30 yr old “mutton dressed as lamb” case.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Gap will special order sizes that they don’t have in the store and ship them free of charge to your house.
Yup. 33x30. I’m told they only carry one because it’s not a common size, so I have to go back a few times over the course of a couple of weeks when I want new pants(I only buy on sale.) I’ve taken to going once a month, so that I’m always rotating my wardrobe, as opposed to going twice a year, which is what I used to do. When I was a 36x30, I’d buy 3 pairs at a time, and they’d still have some left on the shelf.
Shirts are bad for a couple of reasons. Regarding dress shirts: I buy 15-1/2 34/35 because I like the neck a little loose, and the sleeve length is just right, but the shirt hangs on me like a tent. Fitted shirts(or “athletic cut”) are next to impossible to find, and I’d hate to pay a tailor to alter a shirt that I’ll only wear for three to six months. As for casual shirts, depending on the shirt, I could be a large, or a medium, or maybe a small. I have some large golf shirts that are tight around my chest, but have a casual long sleeve Izod that is a small and is very loose on me(But my wife digs it so I wear it a lot. Rearh!)
I believe it is because the stores don’t want to waste money stocking inventory that no one will buy, and yes, there are a lot of guys who are your basic frame size, but are carrying around an extra 20-50 pounds.
One irony here is that the casual observer could look at this thread and interpret it as, “Eeewww! Behold my plight! I’m just so ripped that I can’t find clothes that fit me at the store. Waahhhh!” Another irony is that despite not being able to find clothes in my size, I still weigh more than my alleged “ideal” weight.
same problem with shirts, they look like freaking tents. i have to get my shirts tailored or if the wind blows i’m sailing away.
and since were bitchin about things why do my running shoes come in size 9, 9.5 and 10. yet all say 44eu sizing. go figure. also from one year to the next the same shoe is either a 9.5 or +/- .5. I’m sure my feet don’t change size that often.
being fit is a bitch!
I agree, women’s clothes are sized WAY different than they used to be. I’m still close to the same size I was in high school (24 years ago - yikes that was a long time ago) but I now wear a size 0 instead of a size 5 or 7 like I did then. And size 0 sometimes is big on me. What do I do next? Wear children’s clothes?
I get the feeling that if most member’s of the general (rotund) public caught a glimpse of this thread they’d puke-up their bacon, but I’ll go ahead and add my whine: try finding men’s pants, size 29 or 30 waist and 30 length…
I know “short people got no reason…”, but apparently they got no pants either…
I have noticed that some of the larger clothing brand names have really increased the size of their “large” garments - shirts in particular. At 6’2" I am definately a large but at only 160 pounds a medium is better. Typically I have to try on both the large and the medium to get the right fit. But years ago I was always a large and now I tend to be more of a medium as many of the larges are ridiculously large on me.
My problem has always been with suit sizing - 40 talls are really hard to find other than in high end men’s apparel shops. I have wide shoulders and a 42 would be better on me, but then the pants won’t fit.
I’ll contribute my whine and cheese to this party.
At 6’5" and 200lbs, there aren’t a lot of options to start with. It’s either go swimming in the clothes or look like a puppy dog that body hasn’t caught up to it’s overgrown paws, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“My problem has always been with suit sizing - 40 talls are really hard to find other than in high end men’s apparel shops.”
That is another problem for me too. I can wear a 40L jacket right off the rack. Fits perfect. Only problem is it comes with a pair of trousers in a 36" waist. WTF? When I ask the salesperson why, they just shrug. So, I have to pay to get the trousers taken in. Seems like maybe something the tailors union has in their contract.
Now a lot of men’s slacks have the “Expand-o-Matic” waistline too. Sheesh! Used to be when your pants started to get tight, you layed off the beer and chips and hit the gym for a while. Now I guess you just say screw it, let the pants out.
I guess if I just give up triathlon, start going back to McDonalds, all my clothing problems will be solved.
gap has jeans & pants 30/30. I pick 'em up all the time.
speaking of our fattening nations, I decided to pick up some roots olympic clothing. I’m a “M” guy in most normal stores. Ended up with a XS tank top. I couldn’t even see myself in their t-shirts. C’mon, olympics, athleticism? no? eesh. Maybe I should’ve just bought a girl’s T… haha
I’m 6’7" and have a 32 waist. no one makes 32-38. 32-36 gap jeans worn low work or my nice pants I buy unfinished and have them hemmed. 34 waisted gap pants are actually 36. women’s 6 is actually 8-10 depending on the brand from the national clothiers standard. Gap admits they re-sized their women’s 10 to be labeled a 6. And big and tall should be called fat and tall.
didn’t ya know they make in guys your height but you are expected, by the clothing manufacturers, to have the waistline approaching 48…bet you didn’t know that now did you…LOL…Yeah know what ya mean …I can’t get pants that fit all that well either…my size is all outta proportion too…5’7", 133, waist 30, inseam 29…crap…nothing fits well in dockers or anything else and I’m not about to get pants custom made either…well guess just hang out in sweats? LOL
try being a 46 chest with a 32 waist… That is what I was when I first entered the wear a suit everyday world that I live in. It was impossible to get a reasonably priced suit. I had to go to a high end store.
with dress shirts. I have found that getting a custom shirt is not that much more expensive -and usually better quality. I used to order from www.justwhiteshirts.com. You select your sleeve, chest, waist and neck and they build the shirt to fit. I think it is about 20% more than the basic shirt but if it fits properly it will probably last longer and wear better.