This post is a long overdue and I just thought about it this morning, for the first time in a long time.  I pulled a nice t-shirt out of my dresser that I haven’t worn since I was larger – and had to put it back because, on inspection in the mirror, it made me look goofy.  I have an excellent job, where jeans and a respectable t-shirt are options, though business casual is wisest.  That said, once we are to a point where we are fit – the inseam is greater than the waist size, for instance – the wardrobe options shrink immensely.

When I went through my transformation years ago, I was lucky.  My younger sister has a degree in fashion from Michigan State University – she knows her stuff.  Now before I thickened up I just didn’t know any better – I figured that because I was thin clothes were supposed to fit loosely. Before I get into the particulars, when purchasing clothes, the first thing I had to accept was the fact that the letter on my shirt tag is not a status symbol.  Who cares if it says “L” or “M” on the tag?  All that matters is how the shirt fits.  As far as “Dockers”, slacks, and jeans go, I’ll get to those last.

At 6′ tall and 156 lbs, and a 31″ waist by 34″ inseam, I cannot shop at your normal clothing stores (Sears, JC Penny’s, Macy’s, Kohl’s etc.) if I want my shirts to fit properly because the major clothiers make their clothing to fit larger, average people.  As an example, if I want to buy a golf shirt I can’t just head over to Macy’s and pick up a Polo.  If I go by width, I wear a medium shirt but because I’m so long, if I purchase a medium at one of the normal mall shops, it’s too short to tuck in.  If I buy a large, the arms are too wide and long and the waist is too wide by a matter of several inches so I end up looking like I’ve got a sail tucked into my pants – it just looks ridiculous.  That said, there are national brands that cater to fit people – they design their clothes for the average fit person rather than the average person.  My sister recommended years ago that I start shopping at Express and I’ve been infinitely happier with how I look since.  Their medium shirts fit perfectly.  The length is right –  and they’re tailored for thin people:

The dress shirt and the golf shirt are the best examples – as you can see, they don’t leave any room for the gut and love handle combo that most men have.  The trick here is to find the right brands to fit you.  This is not unlike picking the proper bike – some manufacturers are better than others for different sizes and styles of riders.

For the slacks, I’ve found that Dockers and slacks fit differently than jeans (as most worldly men already know, I had to be told) – and as one would expect, they vary by manufacturer (though not as wildly as women’s clothing).  For jeans, I find that Levi’s and Express jeans are fantastic for thinner folk, though I usually stick with Levi’s because they’re sturdier and they’re half the price.  I’m one of those guys who wears clothes until they’re ready to be turned into chain cleaning rags so I like ’em to hold up.  For the jeans, up until recently I was a 32 x 34, but I’m going to have to bite the bullet and switch to 31 x 34 or 30 x34 by the end of the summer – the only thing that’s saving me from having to run out to the store now is my cyclist’s butt and a good belt.  Once we men find a brand that fit us well in jeans, the days of trying them on before buying are pretty much over – I’ve been buying Levi’s for decades and haven’t tried a pair on since my mom took me shopping in middle school, though I did size up a couple of times at the height of my poundage.  That said, Dockers and Slacks are different.  Until recently I was between a 32 x 32 and a 32 x 34 depending on the style of slacks.  Slacks and dockers should be tried on before they are purchased every single time, there’s just too much of a variance between pleats and no pleats, cuff and no cuff and everything in between.  Also, if you can afford to, have the slacks tailored – they may be expensive, but the extra will be worth it in fit…and if you’re thin, avoid the big pleats, they’ll make your hips look like you’re cross gendered (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

So concludes the wardrobe lesson for the average fit guy.  Do not settle for “meh, good enough”.  When you try a new manufacturer, try it on – if it doesn’t look stellar in the store mirror, don’t buy it.  Why spend all of that time making yourself look awesome only to buy clothes that make you look like you’re average – or worse, too thin.