I’m female, 5’7" and average weight.
I can’t find a baseball hat that fits me to save my life.
Too much hair, too thick…<sigh>
I like tall guys, and I feel for ya–I find shopping hell–it must be awful for all of you!
phouka: *And yet, somehow, my younger brother - at 6’4" and 275-300 lbs […] finds clothes that fit him quite nicely […] *
IMHO, it’s that magic “proportion” issue. I’ve read that guys, on average, have more “standard” proportions than women do—that is, men tend to be more uniformly proportioned compared to our all-over-the-place range of body types (long-waisted, short-waisted, long-legged, short-legged, triangle shape, inverted triangle shape, hourglass shape, you name it). It may be the greater variety in distribution of body fat, which women of course have more of, that makes the difference.
But near the ends of the bell curve, apparently, men’s proportions tend to be much more variable. There are very short guys with long legs, very tall guys like Max with short legs, tall and skinny, short and broad-shouldered, etc. And since men’s clothing usually has less variation in the proportions than women’s clothing, the “non-standard” guys are up the creek. phouka’s brother may just be lucky enough to have the proportions of the “average” big guy.
I know what you mean. I don’t bother going into department stores, because they don’t know what 36-inch inseams or sleeves are. However…
Hats: If it’s a baseball cap you want, go to your favorite team’s ballpark or website. New Era makes them in real sizes, identical to the uniform cap. I wear a 7 7/8ths or an 8. (My team has different caps for home and away games, plus a third for Sunday games. For a while, I would choose the red or blue, according to where that day’s game was.) For other hats, check out HatsInTheBelfry. You can get a fedora, a bowler, a newsboy cap, whatever.
JCPenney’s big and tall catalog is a solid resource. Lands’ End sells dress shirts sized in collar and sleeve numbers, with tall options. Eddie Bauer offers many of their clothes in tall sizes. Sears discontinued their main catalog, but they still have a big & tall catalog. Duluth Trading Co. sells work clothes aimed at the construction industry in talls. They sell lots of neat tools and gear, too.
Hunting: Bass Pro, Cabela’s, and Gander Mountain catalogs all offer tall sizes in some of their gear. I got a Realtree insulated jumpsuit to fit my oversize.
Athletic shoes: Try Road Runner Sports. That’s where I get my 13 EE’s
I didn’t give URL’s because I’m not sure of the board rules about a fistful of commercial websites in one post. In most cases, just remove spaces and add “.com” to the store’s name.
I’ve always wondered that about really tall guys dating really short women…I would think it would remind me of hugging my dad.
Anyway, I sympathize. I’m a 6’0’’ female, long-legged and long torso-ed, so I was a pioneer in the midriff-baring, low-rise jeans look, though inadvertantly, of course. I usually have to choose between too-short pants or shirts or the ultra-low-rise look. There are stores that have tall sizes (JCrew, Banana Republic, Gap) but they tend to be costly and/ or perpetually out of 8Tall.
Major pet peeves:
Not being able to cross my legs under tables. This really annoys me. Damn you, benchmark!!
Having to bend over to work in the kitchen. When I’m a rich professor (ha!) I’m going to have a kitchen that has higher countertops. (If I ever have kids, they’ll be tall, too, and I was a little monkey when I was little.)
The agony that is clothes-shopping.
Guys telling me how tall I am as a pickup line. :rolleyes:
Re cars: It may not be your style, but I would definitely give VW a shot. I have a Jetta, and knew a guy that was 6’6’’ and over 200 pounds that had one, too. The seats go up and down in addition to back and forth.
When I was in college I drove a dodge neon for a while. (It was a hand me down from my parents). I fit into it just fine. It’s surprising what cars fit people and what cars don’t. A little Dodge Neon fits four big guys just fine. A big Ford Explorer SUV doesn’t even let me sit in the drivers seat comfortably. It’s odd, because it must be costing them business.
They’re all easy enough to find. Thanks!
I feel for you. This is based not mostly on me, although there are very few shirts that fit both a 44" chest and a 35" waist.
It is based on my 6’8", 295 pound nephew - and his size sixteen feet. I have never seen him in a suit coat that fit. He sleeps crosswise on beds. And he’ll be bald by the time he’s thirty from his head rubbing on the car roof.
You have my sympathy.
Regards,
Shodan
I can understand your feelings. My husband is six feet four+ inches tall, but slender with very broad shoulders. He needs 33 waist and 34 inseam measurements on the pants he wears for welding because of all the crouching he has to do. (His dress pants have a size 30 waist.) Finding pants with those measurements that aren’t of the stylishly baggy fit all over, and are dureable are almost impossible. I have to buy t-shirts to fit his shoulders, not his waist, so they end up being a baggy fit. He doesn’t fit normal chairs, and this decently roomy desk for me isn’t so much for him. At least the stores around here do carry size 12 steel toed boots, though they tend to sell out quickly. The last time we were in we also noted size 11s, 12 and 1/2s, 13s, and 14s! :eek: They very kindly held back the next size 12 steel toed boots they got and called us so he could go buy them.
aurelian my husband is a good foot taller than I am. It’s not so bad, though I remember once asking him to “Please sit down to talk to me, my neck aches!” when we were newlyweds. He laughed, blushed and sat down. It doesn’t remind me personally of hugging my dad, but that’s because my father is short. It is odd, to have his waist at about chest level for me, but I stand on his steel toes, then on tiptoes and I can look in his eyes more easily. I feel more for my husband in a way, things seem to be made to cater to people about five feet ten to six feet tall. At least I have a bit of leg room in places.
When he’s done with his welding course he should have a decently paying job. After our debts are paid off I intend to see about finding some furniture that would fit him better, like at least an armchair, computer chair/desk, and a dining table that’s a compromise in fit between us if possible. A wider waterbed would be nice, he has asthma, (a regular mattress produces too much allergins) and the one we have is long enough, but could stand to be wider so we can both sprawl a bit, instead of having to take turns.
I feel so at home in this thread, for I too have a big melon head.
I’ve never found a hat that didn’t squeeze my noggin like a vise.
Oh, and I wear a size 11 AA shoe. Try finding that in a store. sob
I’m 6’2 and 260 pounds, and I fit just fine in my girlfriend’s Subaru Forester (she’s only 2 inches shorter than I am). I’m a little more comfortable in my truck, but the Forester’s not at all bad.
But I hate airplanes. I’ve got short legs (I wear a 30" or 32" inseam), so I don’t have that much trouble with my knees spilling over anywhere, but my shoulders are far too broad to sit anywhere. If I sit on the aisle, I get bumped by the beverage cart on every pass and middle seats force me to encroach on two other passengers. I choose a window seat whenever I can; that way I can lean over the armrest and try to keep my shoulder and elbow in my own space. It doesn’t work, but it’s the best solution I’ve been able to find.
I can empathize with your frustration, but there’s no need to take it out on the short. It’s not like the world was made for us “elves.” It was made for those average fuckers.
Too big for a 12 and too small for a 13? Must be uncomfortable. Try spending 4 hours in a mall trying to find dress shoes, when nearly every pair that fits your feet have pink sparkles and bows on them because they are made for little girls. I have marykateandashley sandals in my closet, but at least they don’t flop around and trip me.
Your head brushes the roof of your car and messes up your hair, y’say? Must be frustrating. At least you don’t have to sit close enough to the steering wheel just to be able to grab it and see over it that you’re at an increased risk of getting killed by the air bag in even a minor accident. The master speaks.
Don’t even get me started on buying clothes. Even when I only check out stores that sell “short” or “petite” jean lengths, half the time the cuffs are still way past the bottom of my feet.
I went to a jewelry store once to have a ring sized down. No problem, they say, hand it over, what size? … OH. Well. I don’t know if we can get it THAT small. (They eventually coaxed it down.)
And as big as you may be, when’s the last time you were ignored by salespeople or other customer service types because they mistook you for another customer’s twelve-year-old child?
(Disclaimer: I know that disparaging those who don’t suffer from your own problems is an important part of every rant. This is just giving you some of your own back. 
I am very sympathetic to the plight of the freakishly large, though, because my last SO was 6’5. Huge monkey arms, huge clown feet. Adjusting the car seat when the other wanted to drive was… interesting.)
My brother, who is about 6 foot, maybe an inch taller, has a tendency to place his paper cup on top of tall things when at parties. (you know the type of thing, twelve people in the room, everyone has a cup, how do you keep track of which one belongs to each person so it isn’t neccessary to use three times as many cups as people?)
Apparently, when the Super Bowl Party he was invited to ended, he took his wife and child and went home. A week later, the hostess discovered an empty cup on top of the bookcase. She blamed my brother- and was reminded of this when she watched him place a cup on top of his own refridgerator- with a smug comment about how no one else would do so, so he didn’t need to label his cup with his name.
I guess that was his payback for having discovered that one of the party decorations had been hung at “face” level–over the host and hostess’s head, but not over his.
(The second tallest person at that gathering was probably about 5’ 9", most were under 5’ 5"- even if you don’t count those under age eight.)
I’m 6’ 5", but skinny at only 206 lbs. I am all legs (37" inseam), and my arms are longer (38" sleeve). To top that off, my feet are size 15 AA. Anything off the rack that even comes close to covering me, could fit three of me in.
There is no solution but to find yourself a tailor, and accept that you will pay a premium for everything you buy - at least it will fit better than anything you could get off a rack, and then if it doesn’t, someone is accountable. I have had shirts, pants, and even shoes custom made. I cope with air travel by always flying in an emergency exit row (and on several occasions, either planning multiple plane changes or missing flights entirely in order to accommodate that need). Like you, I am unable to drive many vehicles due to insufficient legroom or headroom. I drive an enormous Ford full-size van. I sleep with my feet extending off the end of the bed.
You can’t win.
I am 6’6" and about 260-270, and I can empathize. I have a 35" inseam and waist. Do you think they make 35" inseams and waists in jeans? Hell no, they make all the odd numbers up to 33, then just even numbers. The result is that I either am constantly pulling my pants up, or I keep popping the buttons off of them, and I wear out the cuffs because I end up walking on them.
The worst part was last fall though. I ruptured my Achilles tendon and had to have it surgically repaired. The grief started when they tried to get me a soft cast until I could get into surgery. It wasn’t tall enough, and the edge of it dug into my leg, right where the raw painful end of my used-to-be Achilles had balled up. Hell, I had to use 2 ace bandages to keep it wrapped, because they aren’t long enough.
Then I couldn’t find crutches tall enough, and had to stoop to walk. Instant back pain. Not to mention the sheer amount of cutting they had to do to re-construct it. I have a scar up the back of my leg taller than some people I know, wound care was fun.
I also didn’t fit on the table in the surgery. There was this giant vise like thing that my head went in that held it still, and kept my face up off the table, since I was lying face down. My feet hung over the end. Not good if you are having foot surgery. (I think they used some sort of extension thing to make it work, the drugs were kicking in about then) I can’t imagine how many lifters it took to get me in and out of that thing.
Then I didn’t fit safely into some of the equipment they have to do rehab, so I can’t follow the usual rehab routine and use the high-tech torture machines, I have to use the older medieval style machines.
If you are over about 6’2" injure a leg or foot, you are screwed.
As far as cars go, the Honda Accord coupe that I have I actually don’t have the seat all the way back, and I have plenty of headroom, even with a power moonroof to take up space.
Have him try winter BDU [battle dress uniform] from an army surplus type store…they come in up to 36 inseam, and the 33 waist is not a problem either. Double or triple layer fabric on ass and knees, and will go through hell and back and last forever. Winter BDUs are cotton, summer ones are synthetic ripstop so not good for welding. Also has great thigh pockets for holding extra tchachkage like the igniter, gloves, spare lenses for masks, rolls of wire … and they are actually comfortable=)
It’s like reading my own story. I’m 6’2" and about 250 lbs. Luckily my mother makes all my trousers and I’m able to find some sweaters that fit me. As for the car: I’ve been driving a '95 Skoda Favorit for all my life and when recently my mom purchased a used Renault Clio, I drove it twice and then decided that I rather walk than bump my head in the car roof and have the steering wheel trapped between my knees if Skoda is not available with my younger brother on its driving seat.
I’ve got to second JC Penney. That’s pretty much the only place I go to buy clothes now, except that I shop for dress clothes at Men’s Wearhouse. JC Penney’s suits and such seem to stop right before they get to my size. At least, I remember that coming up when I went looking for an overcoat. The problem wasn’t so much my gut or my chest but my shoulders. Anyone who’s seen me knows I’m a pretty big guy. Well, I’m actually only 5’10", but I need to lose some weight. Anyway, the funny thing is that, other than my neck size (generally get a 20), it’s not incredibly hard to find clothes. A 44" waist (but I’m almost down to a 42", and hey, every two inches is an accomplishment) is about the upper end of a place like Costco or Wal-Mart, though I’ve started wearing nearly St. John’s Bay from JC Penney pretty much exclusively. Jeans, some dress pants, and just about all my t-shirts and polos. In fact, the one big problem I have is with dress shirts. In order to be comfortable closing the collar, I have to get a 20. Problem is, the shirts that are made with a size 20 collar are freaking huge. I need to get them altered to bring them in, as they are way too baggy. For that matter, I’ve got to get my suit pants brought in, while I’m thinking about it. Those were not comfortable to wear last week, considering how much I had to cinch the belt in to keep my pants from falling down.
Anyway, I need to lose weight and would love to get down to about 200 pounds, but I’ve got a big enough bone structure–pretty wide shoulders, huge knees, 13EEEE shoes, and the like–to not look like I weigh as much as I do. I’ve never tried it, but I bet the “guess your weight” guys at the fair would be way off with me. I’ve only got a 30" inseam, so that isn’t bad and by itself is easy to find and flying isn’t bad in terms of leg room, but losing more weight would be helpful as the seats are so narrow. Actually, what Enginerd describes also sort of fits me in regards to flying and the like.
Pulling out my tape measure (I had to measure myself when I had to buy a tuxedo, and though I did pretty good I was slightly off in a couple places) I see that I have:
Probably a 52" chest (thus a size 20 neck means that I’m buying shirts sized probably 54-56)
About a 34 sleeve. Tough to get because I had to tape the tape to the back of my neck
The aforementioned 44" waist and 30" inseam
The aforementioned 20 neck
So, as I said, while it’s not really hard to for me to find things that fit about right, that neck size makes shopping for dress shirts a real pain.
Ah, my people! I have big but narrow feet, women’s 10 or sometimes 11. Big melon head, which sucks because I love hats, but the only thing that’s going on this noggin are men’s caps, and not easily. Huge hands, I wear a size 10.5 to 11 ring and my wrists are thick, so not a lot of bracelets or women’s watches fit. Big neck too. Long arms and legs, broad shoulders, not the typical hourglass figure at all. To fit my waist, pants and shorts are enormous in the legs. I’m only 5’8" and I need to lose quite a few pounds. To make matters worse, losing weight doesn’t solve many of the problems. I can get down to a fairly normal clothing size but still have proportion issues. The head, hands, wrists, and feet don’t change at all. I feel like a huge freak no matter where I go.
I hear ya!
I’m 6’4", about 297 lbs. (some of it muscle, I assume, as I am able to walk about under my own power), very large framed, and wear size 16 shoes.
Shoes are hard enough to find, of course, but cars are even harder!
:smack:
I don’t anticipate too much difficulty there, as I am apparently just huge-freaky enough to fit in cars. But damn, everything else sucks!
I took a picture of my hands for an e-pal. She was frightened. The huge rings on my fingers probably didn’t help matters.