Once you pass a certain point (and are a taller guy, like me) - you just can't find stuff that fits you unless you go to "big and tall" stores like Casual Male XL by the Alderwood mall.
I've been buying all of my shirts and pants at this place for years, because it's about the only option. It's a blow to the self-esteem, and a bit limiting in terms of what you can get. The store itself is fantastic though, they are very helpful and have plenty of things to choose from. Still, every time you buy clothing at a place like this, you think to yourself.. "If only I could just go where normal people go and buy a few shirts."
I've been buying 3XLT shirts for years. That's Extra Large (x3) Long and Tall for the layperson who might not know it. Guys built like me usually carry most of the extra weight up front, in the good old 'spare tire' arrangement. Being 6 foot 1 also means the combination of height and forward girth makes most XL or 2XL shirts to 'short'. I don't have much extra weight in my arms or legs.
It means generally speaking, shirts are too loose around the collar and shoulders and upper chest, and long enough that I am tucking quite a bit of shirt into my pants. In other words, they are the only shirts that (used to!) fit me, but they still did not fit.
Pants are worse. Obviously, they are cut to be work at the waist level - but a lot of guys with my body shape wear pants 'tucked under the belly'. Trust me, wearing pants that way and tucking in a too-long shirt makes you feel less fat than wearing a paid of 56 waist-size and looking like tweedle-dee.
That leads to another problem - the inseam. I have to buy pants with a much shorter length because I am really wearing them 'too low' - so I wind up with a smaller waist size, shorter inseam... and the legs in any pants I buy are like a tent. I can't believe there isn't someone out there going, "Hey. Fat guys might wear their pants under the chub, we should make some with shorter inseams that aren't designed to go around legs the size of trash cans.
Here's another Crudely Drawn Sketch I made to help illustrate this:
Needless to say, wearing clothes for someone with my build is usually not a very comfortable and awesome experience. I have long refused to be one of those guys that just wanders around in sweat pants and stuff too. So I've been dealing with clothing that doesn't fit for a long time!
Most recent shopping trip with Dawn, though, I was able to go from 3xLT to 2XL shirts. I was blown away by that. My pants size has gone down from 46 to 44. Even my shoe size went down - from 11½W to 11.
You have to celebrate the little things in life. :D
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