One of the advantages of losing a significant amount of weight is that it provides one with an excuse to buy a whole new wardrobe. In many ways this has been tremendously gratifying fun. Occasionally, though, clothes shopping for a reasonably trim six-foot-two male body can be a frustrating pain in the ass.
I have mentioned before the difficulties I have encountered buying jeans. Any pair with a waist larger than 31 inches feels baggy and uncomfortable; however, these jeans must also be loose-legged because my thighs are sort of muscular. Just try finding pants like that with a 34-inch inseam. Not…easy.
This, however, is a cakewalk compared to buying a suit. I suppose it is some consolation that I am not alone in my newfound struggle—“Slim pickings in a weighty world”.
Before we begin the chronicle of my futile quest for semi-formal ware, a quick men’s fashion primer may be in order. A “regular cut” suit by an American label has a six-inch drop between the chest and waist, meaning that a jacket with a 44-inch chest (that’s my size) comes with 38-inch-waisted trousers, and the jacket is shaped accordingly. European labels often increase the regular cut drop to 7 inches because Europeans eat fewer Big Macs. ;-) The “athletic cut” suit has an 8-inch drop (although some have as much as a 10-inch drop) and the jacket tapers a bit more nicely, instead of hanging down loosely like a boxy tent. Just in case you were curious, there is also a “portly cut” that has a 4-inch drop.
Even with the “athletic” cut, I knew that I would have to resort to alterations and/or separates (some stores have a limited selection of “mix and match” jackets and trousers). I obviously don’t expect to find any suits with a 13-inch drop (although, that would be great); I would like to at least start with an athletic cut jacket, because the more you alter a jacket, the worse it tends to look (and the more it costs to alter). Okay, I need to rant—what the hell is “athletic” about a 36-inch waist. When I reached rock bottom this past summer, and I realized that I no longer wanted to carry around 65 extra pounds of fat, I was a size 36. Grrrr.
Of course, such an argument about whether an athletic cut suit is actually “athletic” is moot because I could not even find such a suit around this area. Men’s Wearhouse? “We don’t carry anything in an athletic cut.” At least the guy in Jos. A Bank was a bit more helpful. (BTW Jos. A. Bank was where I recently bought the absolute best pair of dress pants I have ever owned—a charcoal merino wool/cashmere blend pair with a 31-inch waist that fits like an oh-so-comfortable glove.) He said that they no longer sell athletic cut suits because this area has become corporate central (Merrill Lynch, Dow Jones, and scads of drug companies). The salesman then added that if I gained some of my weight back, they might be able to help me out.
Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha. Bite my size-31 ass.
How about Macy’s? Yes, they actually had one athletic cut suit in a 44-long, but it was taupe. Taupe? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Taupe?!? Whatever. As I exited the store, I walked past the underwear section, bedecked with rows of boxes with black and white pictures of bare-chested, well-muscled pretty boys, and I pondered, “Where the hell do you guys buy your suits?”
I guess my answer, of course, is the city. I’ll probably end up paying through the nose, and then paying NYC taxes on top of that. I suppose if I had already gotten my physique to where I wanted it, I might spring for a custom-made suit. I don’t know.
Here’s the rub, though. I am not an athlete. I do not have the body of an athlete. I look at myself in the mirror—at the rolls of fat that still spill over my waistband and my still poorly defined chest and arms—and I think to myself that if buying a well-fitted suit now is this difficult, what about in six months or so, when I finally do have an athletic physique?
Actually, things are getting easier for slimmer folks. Consider: when I was growing up a “regular” suit had a four inch difference between the jacket and the slacks. A stout had only two, and the portly had none. (Athletic was a six, btw.)
But Ronald Reagan was still in the White House, then, and all was right with the world…
P.S.-You can always have a look in Syms. They have an extremely variable collection, but they usually do stock a reasonable number of athletic cuts. (Not to mention portly and stout suits if you go for too much chocolate therapy!) They are also noticably cheaper, especially since you usually can get a 10% off coupon by signing up with their website.
Ugh, I’m sorry about your troubles. I definitely feel your pain - try being your height only a girl and trying to find pants that fit. It’s a rare occassion to find dress pants, so I end up with skirts and dresses all the time.
Ah, the Reagan era. Dem was some good years. Stout cut? That’s one I hadn’t heard of before. I really think they need an “Ahnold cut,” though.
I’ve never been in Syms before. I may give them a try.
So, Jenniy, a six-foot-one female would have a 35-inch inseam, right? Wow, those cannot be easy pants to find. Clothes shopping should not be this difficult.
You know, I long for the day when we can get a laser scan of our bodies, upload that info to a central repository, and then access our exact measurements whenever we go clothes shopping. We could still try on approximate sizes at the mall, etc, (or even view a holographic simulation) but then we could place an order to our exact specs, and a custom manufactured pair of pants (or whatever) would arrive on one’s doorstep a couple days later.
I wear a 36” with flats (tennis shoes, etc.) and 37” or 38” if I’m going to wear heels. Thankfully a lot of Gap jeans come in extra tall which is usually around 37”. I can’t agree with you more - that technology would be absolutely wonderful. Why don’t you go work on that in your spare time? ;)
Try finding 42 XL. Suits are next to impossible. You might try a Nordstrom Rack if you have one handy.
Dan, the closest Nordstrom Rack is down in King of Prussia, PA, which is not that far from me (an hour away); I may try them.
At this point, though, I am strongly considering investing in a custom-made suit.
“Abnormally-sized” clothes shoppers of the world unite!
Do you have any idea how much custom suits run? I’m finding myself pretty much screwed as far as finding non-tentlike suits. I’m 6’3”, 240 lbs. take a 52” jacket, but only a 35” waist — and that’ll probably drop to 33”-34” before long. (I’m not some kind of steroid-popping gorilla, either — I’m more muscular than most people, but at least fifteen pounds of fat from that weird, veiny bodybuilder look.) I walked into Chicago’s premier department store last weekend, said I was looking for a suit, and, without even asking my size, the guy at the counter said, “We can’t fit you.” Does anybody do jackets with, say, a 14” drop?
At least at 6’3”, people have expectations that you’ll be big. There are some of us that are much shorter with similar problems. I’m only 5’9” and weigh 220. My 36x30” pants may not sound “athletic,” but pair them with the (tight) 48” jacket and you have a different story. I’m not a steroid junkie either - but I’m athletic and built like an ox. But try finding a suit for an ox!
Custom seems to be the way to go. Once I get back to my “in shape” body weight, that is the road I will be heading down.
Alan David in NYC starts at $600 for custom suits. A bit more than off the rack but potentially worth it.