As you age...

[Renault78law]

As you age, which parts of your body get bigger, which parts get smaller, which parts will never change in size? Does your suit size get bigger? In particular, do your shoulders get smaller or stay the same? Chest? I'm assuming most peoples' waistline grow over time. Neck size? Height? What about shoe size? To keep this related to clothing, I'm asking for a few reasons: 1) As a young man (26), the more I consider commissioning bespoke articles, the more I have to consider how long they will last. 2) I have a few pieces of high-end clothing that don't fit perfectly, and I wonder if I should keep them in hopes I'll grow into them.

 

[amirrorcrackd]

Your nose and your ears grow. So hang onto the ear muffs, but dump the suits.

Dan

 

[marc237]

In many respects, the choice is yours. With proper exercise and diet, you can be the same size (or better) in 20 years as you are now. Differences in bone structure are not likely to be an issue for at least 40 more years (assuming good health and proper maintenance.)

 

[johnnynorman3]

Renault,

You're in good shape, and you clearly took care of your bones as a youth, which means that you won't have any osteoporosis problems for a LONG time (if ever). So, I'd say that your bone structure won't change at all. Your musculture is only not likely to shrink significantly if you keep exercising moderately, because you aren't that brawny.

I think my feet grew about 1/4 size from June 2004 till present -- I had knee reconstruction, which I think caused me to stand awkwardly during recovery. This flattened my arch a bit, which I think caused a very small lengthening.

 

[JohnMS]

Renault,

Here is my experience.  20 years ago I graduated from college and basically wore a size 7.5 shoe, a 15-32 shirt, and a size 39 regular suit.

Since that time, I now wear a size 8D shoe, a 16-32 shirt and a size 41 regular suit.  My weight is about 10 lbs more than back then, but my weight has been the same for the past 10 years.  I exercise regularly, running, which I attribute to my needing a larger shoe size.  The shirt size is a bit bigger in part to buying 1/2 inch bigger than I need in the neck, as a comfort issue, but mostly because my body "structure" seems to be a bit larger.

Regarding a change in suit size, although I don't lift weights, I've found my chest is bigger than when I was in my 20's, hence I can't wear any of the made-to-measure suits I bought years ago.

I attribute all these changes somewhat to aging, but also not being able to be as active as I would like having many kids and all.  I think for the most part, one can control what size they wear, depending on genes.  I have brothers who have not done as well as I have over the years in terms of keeping their weight down.

FWIW

 

[nightowl6261a]

It is good to see sensible men realize that not only the waist and hairline will change throughout life, but the FET as well....it is so hard to convince people that the feet change as long as you walk on them, and at some point gravity will do the same to a persons arch as it will do for the feather in the sky, pull it down.

Your feet on average througout your adult life, and doing the considerable amout of waliking that the normal adult does in this fast paced world, will change at least one whole size. Most it does not occur to until after the age of 40, but in some cases it can be sooner.

Please, from a shoe mans side of the counter, buy the shoe to FIT, every brand and every mans foot will fit different at some time in thier life.

 

[JLibourel]

Based on personal experience as one of the older forum "regulars," (I'll be turning 63 next month), I still have some sweaters giving good service that my mother knit for me while I was in prep school. As to shoe size and waist size increasing, I had both occur during my 40s: Since the time I had been 15, I took a 13C or sometimes a 13B shoe. During my 40s I went up to a 13D (which is nice because D width is generally more available). As to waist size, from the time I was 22 to about 45 I was normally 36, then rather suddenly went up to a 38 and continue to wear a size 38 although depending on the cut, they can be rather loose. I think I am actually about a size 37. I did a lot of running and worked out a lot with weights for many years. Since I blew out a knee about 8 years ago, I haven't been able to run any distance without aggravating it, and my primary exercise has been walking my dogs--usually three to four miles on working days, sometimes much more than that on weekends. I like to think I'm in pretty good shape for an old buzzard...or maybe I'm just deluding myself.

In brief, if you stay in reasonable shape and don't overeat, there shouldn't be too much change. I would however counsel against undertaking a vigorous bodybuilding regimen AFTER you have accumulated a wardrobe of good suits. (I made that mistake after inheriting about a dozen really high grade suits from a rich relative who had passed away--one of my many youthful follies.)

 

[nightowl6261a]

I will say one thing about things getting bigger and smaller, as I look down and my waist gets smaller, 42 to a 33, something seems to be etting much larger...even my wife has noticed, gosh, if I loose to much weight I may have to join a carnival.........IMO

 

[norcaltransplant]

As to shoe size and waist size increasing, I had both occur during my 40s: Since the time I had been 15, I took a 13C or sometimes a 13B shoe. During my 40s I went up to a 13D (which is nice because D width is generally more available).

NOOO... Not the shoes, anything but the shoes (and, sadly, the vintage hardwood shoe trees I've begun to amass).

 

[BjornH]

This is all a bit alarming. Turning 40 is just around the corner for me so based on your experience, I run the risk of outgrowing any shoe I currently have or will aquire in the next few years.

B

 

[JLibourel]

I don't know if you can universalize from my personal experience. This topic has come up before on the forum, and I don't recall anybody else having an experience similar to mine. In my late 30s and early to mid 40s I did a tremendous amount of running--10 or 11 miles a day was quite common, and so this may have affected my feet and shoe size...if that's any comfort to you fellows.

 

[stache]

Weight gain = shoe size gain. Mens' thighs get smaller later on in life. A constant measurement is armpit to armpit across the front of the chest.

 

[jerrysfriend]

I will say one thing about things getting bigger and smaller, as I look down and my waist gets smaller, 42 to a 33, something seems to be etting much larger...even my wife has noticed, gosh, if I loose to much weight I may have to join a carnival.........IMO

Seems like a lot of wishful thinking going on here.

 

[JLibourel]

Stache: I disagree about weight gain translating to increased shoe size (and vice versa). When I was working out a lot and bulking up, I got up to 238 pounds. A few years later, when I was doing more running and dieting rigorously, I got my weight down to 176 pounds. Heavy or light, there was no change in my shoe size.

Mr. Pollock, You have in all probability the finest shoe wardrobe of anybody in this forum. You have obviously been acquiring shoes over a long period of time. Have you experienced any changes in sizing? The fact that my feet did change in size about 17 years ago makes me less rueful that I wasn't acquiring good shoes in the days of my young manhood or even early middle age.

 

[stache]

You're allowed to disagree. That's the beauty of a forum.