bigchris1313
Senior Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2009
- Messages
- 141
- Reaction score
- 13
Gentlemen,
I am a 23 year old male from Los Angeles who has recently graduated from college. I have never owned an expensive suit. While he has possessed the means to clothe me in amply expensive attire throughout my life, my father has thus far steadfastly refused to purchase any suits more expensive than Lauren by Ralph Lauren, which I saw savaged in another thread on this forum that I stumbled upon while trying to find out exactly how cheap my suits are. My father meanwhile gloats over his extensive collection of Hickey Freeman suits.
This lack of expensive dress is due to my size. I am 6'2" and just over 300 lbs. I played college football for the last four years and continue to powerlift recreationally. Since I began playing football nine years ago, my father has always prayed that I would one day stop lifting weights, start running a few miles per day, and drop to a "respectable" weight near 200 lbs. I have no desire to become an emaciated shadow of myself. I will not expound as to why, save that my stature has become part of my identity and that the last attempt I made to shed bodyweight past 285 lbs made for a miserable existence that I did not desire to continue.
I received a job offer last week and am going to be working full time in an intermediate position at a law firm beginning Monday. The employment is only a temporary measure until I go to law school in a year and a half. I am not concerned that the lawyers at the office will look down on my inferior attire. To be frank, I am ashamed of and embarrassed for my father because he has refused to buy me (as well as my brother) semi-formal attire befitting his socio-economic status. I'm not sure how he lives with himself when his friends see the low quality of my suits. More importantly, I think I would look badass in more expensive dress attire. I have managed to acquire some fairly expensive ties (Robert Talbott), shoes (Allen Edmonds), and shirts (Brooks Brothers), but my suits remain dismally cheap.
But this shortcoming has rested entirely on my lack of financial independence, which is currently undergoing a--please forgive the cliche--paradigm shift. Because I continue to live with my parents, this job opportunity is going to yield more disposable income than I've ever seen in my 23 years on this earth. I have already pledged that the first purchase I am going to make is an expensive suit. I have already done some preliminary research, and in doing so, found something troubling.
I cannot find suits above low-level Mens Wearhouse or Jos A Bank attire in a 52, much less a 52 Long (because of the curvature and what not). Not at Nordstrom. Not at Brooks Brothers. To be frank, I don't even know where I should look. I would really appreciate any guidance you guys could offer for finding a decent or even expensive suit for a guy who wears a 52L. I should also note that my large chest size remains relatively constant: when I drop weight, as I am right now, the weight drops from my gut, which makes the jacket an easier fit around my torso; however, even at 285--very close to my ideal weight--the 52 chest remains necessary. I prefer a more traditional look--in fact I routinely shun anything even remotely avant-garde--but if I need to opt for more a more modern look in order to find a suit that isn't absolute crap, I'm prepared to make that jump.
Any ideas on finding an expensive--or at least not cheap--suit for a big guy who wears a 52L?
To give you an idea of my proportions and what I look like in semi-formal attire, here's a photo taken not long ago in which you can see me in a cheap suit (and a cheap tie too!)
I am a 23 year old male from Los Angeles who has recently graduated from college. I have never owned an expensive suit. While he has possessed the means to clothe me in amply expensive attire throughout my life, my father has thus far steadfastly refused to purchase any suits more expensive than Lauren by Ralph Lauren, which I saw savaged in another thread on this forum that I stumbled upon while trying to find out exactly how cheap my suits are. My father meanwhile gloats over his extensive collection of Hickey Freeman suits.
This lack of expensive dress is due to my size. I am 6'2" and just over 300 lbs. I played college football for the last four years and continue to powerlift recreationally. Since I began playing football nine years ago, my father has always prayed that I would one day stop lifting weights, start running a few miles per day, and drop to a "respectable" weight near 200 lbs. I have no desire to become an emaciated shadow of myself. I will not expound as to why, save that my stature has become part of my identity and that the last attempt I made to shed bodyweight past 285 lbs made for a miserable existence that I did not desire to continue.
I received a job offer last week and am going to be working full time in an intermediate position at a law firm beginning Monday. The employment is only a temporary measure until I go to law school in a year and a half. I am not concerned that the lawyers at the office will look down on my inferior attire. To be frank, I am ashamed of and embarrassed for my father because he has refused to buy me (as well as my brother) semi-formal attire befitting his socio-economic status. I'm not sure how he lives with himself when his friends see the low quality of my suits. More importantly, I think I would look badass in more expensive dress attire. I have managed to acquire some fairly expensive ties (Robert Talbott), shoes (Allen Edmonds), and shirts (Brooks Brothers), but my suits remain dismally cheap.
But this shortcoming has rested entirely on my lack of financial independence, which is currently undergoing a--please forgive the cliche--paradigm shift. Because I continue to live with my parents, this job opportunity is going to yield more disposable income than I've ever seen in my 23 years on this earth. I have already pledged that the first purchase I am going to make is an expensive suit. I have already done some preliminary research, and in doing so, found something troubling.
I cannot find suits above low-level Mens Wearhouse or Jos A Bank attire in a 52, much less a 52 Long (because of the curvature and what not). Not at Nordstrom. Not at Brooks Brothers. To be frank, I don't even know where I should look. I would really appreciate any guidance you guys could offer for finding a decent or even expensive suit for a guy who wears a 52L. I should also note that my large chest size remains relatively constant: when I drop weight, as I am right now, the weight drops from my gut, which makes the jacket an easier fit around my torso; however, even at 285--very close to my ideal weight--the 52 chest remains necessary. I prefer a more traditional look--in fact I routinely shun anything even remotely avant-garde--but if I need to opt for more a more modern look in order to find a suit that isn't absolute crap, I'm prepared to make that jump.
Any ideas on finding an expensive--or at least not cheap--suit for a big guy who wears a 52L?
To give you an idea of my proportions and what I look like in semi-formal attire, here's a photo taken not long ago in which you can see me in a cheap suit (and a cheap tie too!)
