Around fifteen years ago, my brother- in- law Tom called me and asked if I could assist him in shopping for some well-made clothes that actually fit his body. Tom is, generously speaking, “big- boned.” At 6’3”, he played football at Penn State twenty years ago and now has the beer- gut earned from good genetics and an excellent propensity for eating. “Arthur,” he explained to me over the phone, “I hate going into meetings with clients and feeling like I look like my dad dressed me in his clothes.” We spent a miserable Saturday afternoon wandering around King of Prussia Mall. It was eye-opening for me.
I’d been wearing tailored suits for most of my adult life. I took for granted that any guy who went to a good tailor could find clothes that fit adequately. Tom wasted hours exploring the big and tall section.
There were rack after rack of giant tropical prints and clam- colored polo shirts that looked like they were cooked from a kids’ sizes. Tom marched up and down the aisles, pulling liciously horrible clothes out and holding them up in front of him like a child begging his mother to buy him candy.
Each shirt or pair of pants was similar – too small across his chest and back but suddenly extra large from his stomach down.
The sleeves were always too short, and the pants couldn’t fit over his thighs. He pulled up a pair of size 2XL dress pants that somehow had enough fabric to fit his entire family across the thighs but couldn’t rise above his calves. “How am I supposed to dress professionally,” he asked, holding up a shirt that someone clearly intoxicated would wear while intoxicated, “when NOTHING fits me right?” Ever since that day I’ve made it my mission to help men of all shapes and sizes look and feel their best. Sure, I consult with clients about what looks best for their body type all day long, but I’ve also dragged coworkers, friends, and family members into countless dressing rooms trying to find clothes that will fit them off the rack.
I take way too many notes on jacket shoulder seams, and I’ve probably terrorized more sales associates than I’d like to admit. My wife Margaret thinks I’ve lost my mind. She doesn’t understand why this issue is something I’ve become so fascinated with. “You realize that most guys just buy clothes that somewhat fit them and go about their lives, right?” She asked me earlier this month as I was showing her yet another spreadsheet detailing the sleeve length variance across thirteen (!) brands of button- ups.
She’s probably right, but men should know there are options out there. Your body shouldn’t be a deciding factor in how your clothes fit. If you’re a tall guy with a skinny-ish build – think less linebacker and more marathon runner – then Banana Republic tall sizing is surprisingly great.
Not only do their tall dress shirts actually come in 36” sleeves that actually reach your wrists, but the torso and sleeve proportions are much better than their regular line. My junior associate James is 6’4” and built like a caveman. We both hated how his regular shirts would literally fall off his shoulders.
They’re just cut so small! The sleeves always seemed to stop at his forearms. He was always pulling and tweaking at his shirts.
The first time he wore a BR tall fit shirt, he stood in front of a mirror and stared at himself for a solid two minutes. “Holy shit,” he said. “So this is what professional attire looks like?” Pro Tip: wait for the sales at Banana Republic. They mark down items all the time so buying full price is never necessary. I’ve paid 60% or less for pretty much everything I’ve bought there.
Big guys that carry their weight mostly in their midsection tend to do well with Bonobos. Yes, that pants- only online startup that was acquired by Walmart. Their story is… odd?
But their clothes are actually still good. My favorite hack for these guys is Bonobos because they have multiple fits for EACH waist size. Litereally every waist size from28-60 comes in several different thigh and seat options.
Why shouldn’t a 42 waist come in a slim, regular, and loose fit? Most places assume one size fits all for every waist band… but why? My former law school classmate Bill told me he’d been buying clothes, specifically pants, two sizes too large his whole life just to fit his thighs.
You Might Also Like
Everything else would puff out and he always had to wear a belt to keep his pants up. When I showed him Bonobos and their various fits he was incredulous. “Arthur,” he said to me while dressing at their Miami Herald store (they have fancy showroom locations now). “These pants actually fit my ass AND they aren’t going to fall down. I might cry.” For short men- and when I say short I mean anything under 5’8” that are tired of wearing clothes that resemble their brother’s hand-me-downs- look no further than Peter Manning NYC.
Their whole brand is built around guys with shorter stature and clothes that need to have better proportions to fit correctly. They aren’t the cheapest option out there but seriously consider how much you spend altering regular clothes to fit you. My client Aaron discovered them last year and it was life-changing.
He spent years having every pair of pants hemmed up, jackets sleeves shortened, and shirts slimmed down at the waist. He cried when he bought his first PJ NYC shirt that wasn’t too long in the body. Athletic builds with broad shoulders and skinny waste rejoice, Charles Tyrwhitt has you covered.
I’ve had numerous friends and clients come to me complaining that they can never find dress shirts that aren’t too tight across the shoulders but have extra bunching fabric around their waist. That’s where this brand comes in. Look for their extra slim fit with stretch.
It’s perfect for the dude that hits the weight room religiously and can’t find anything that fits. Bonus points, they’re currently running a promotion where all shirts are 30% off! Last but not least, another shout out to Duluth Trading Company.
If you’re like my coworker Matt and you need room everywhere, not just in your thighs or waist, then Duluth gets you. They’ve expanded their offerings beyond WORKWEAR into some stuff you can actually wear to the office. I recommend their dress shirts for the guy that needs more generous sizing all around without feeling like you’re wearing a tent.
Also, if you don’t know already, Uniqlo has some fantastic basics that fit a wide variety of body types. My knitwear stretches when I need it to, but doesn’t sag after a year like some brands. Their sizing is consistent, and the prices are so low it’s worth experimenting with different fits to see what works for you.
MyFavorite Uniqlo find is their merino sweaters. I’ve bought them for men from 5’6” to 6’5” and slim build to stuffed- thanks guys- and they work for just about every body type.
Target’s Goodfellow & Co. line is another budget-friendly option that recently expanded their basic clothing line to include multiple fits across their extended sizes.
The quality isn’t quite there to be considered premium brands but the fit is spot on and the price is right. There’s hope out there for affordable clothes that fit YOUR body. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a ton of work that needs to be done in the menswear industry.
We still have major blind spots when it comes to fitting bodies that don’t match up with their “ideal” mannequin, but at least these brands recognize that men have curves and rolls that need to be accounted for when clothes are being designed. Not everything is going to fit every guy. But if you’ve been living in clothing that “sorta fits” think of how much better you’ll look (and feel) in something that fits GREAT.
Oh and Tom? He now has dress shirts that fit his shoulders, pants that can fit his entire package without feeling ridiculously large, and even found a suit that looked sharp on him. He’s confident in how he looks at work, and no longer feels self- conscious like he did before we took that fateful shopping trip fifteen years ago.
And for the record – it did not take fifteen years to find him some clothes that fit. I kicked that dudes ass in Dress for Success once he figured out what types of fits and cuts worked for him.
