PLEASE Help! Fashion crisis for a tall slim guy!

[madtownmatt]

I'm having a real problem. I am 6'3, 165. I'm definitely a beanpole. I cannot find any dress shirts, button down shirts, or short sleeve button down shirts that fit me. It seems I am faced with the perpetual problem of buying shirts that fit me through the torso, but are much too short, i.e. if I lift my arms even the SLIGHTEST bit my shirt comes obviously untucked, or I am forced to buy larger shirts that are long enough, but then I have sails, like on sails on a sail boat, coming out from my sides. What I feel I like I need are shirts that are sized like Medium-Tall, but I don't know where the hell to find them, if the exist. I feel like I need to be either 20 lbs. heavier or 3 inches shorter. If you have any suggestions I would GREATLY appreciate it. I'm tired of settling for shirts that never fit. It becomes even more frustrating now that I am entering the professional world. In the past (as a student/grad student) I have been just wearing nicer shirts that fit through the torso and leaving them untucked so the length is less of an issue, however that will clearly not fly in the professional world. If you have any ideas on big & tall (really thin & tall) websites/national chains, forums, that would offer something like a Medium-Tall size please let me know, I haven't been able to find anything. Although admittedly I am a fasion novice. Why oh why can't they add 3 more inches and an extra couple buttons on a medium shirt, seriously it isn't that much to tuck in, and it would REALLY help out people like me.

Thanks so much,

Matt

 

[Violinist]

Originally Posted by madtownmatt

I'm having a real problem. I am 6'3, 165. I'm definitely a beanpole. I cannot find any dress shirts, button down shirts, or short sleeve button down shirts that fit me. It seems I am faced with the perpetual problem of buying shirts that fit me through the torso, but are much too short, i.e. if I lift my arms even the SLIGHTEST bit my shirt comes obviously untucked, or I am forced to buy larger shirts that are long enough, but then I have sails, like on sails on a sail boat, coming out from my sides. What I feel I like I need are shirts that are sized like Medium-Tall, but I don't know where the hell to find them, if the exist. I feel like I need to be either 20 lbs. heavier or 3 inches shorter. If you have any suggestions I would GREATLY appreciate it. I'm tired of settling for shirts that never fit. It becomes even more frustrating now that I am entering the professional world. In the past (as a student/grad student) I have been just wearing nicer shirts that fit through the torso and leaving them untucked so the length is less of an issue, however that will clearly not fly in the professional world. If you have any ideas on big & tall (really thin & tall) websites/national chains, forums, that would offer something like a Medium-Tall size please let me know, I haven't been able to find anything. Although admittedly I am a fasion novice. Why oh why can't they add 3 more inches and an extra couple buttons on a medium shirt, seriously it isn't that much to tuck in, and it would REALLY help out people like me.

Thanks so much,

Matt

I see. My cleaning person deals with the same problem. A good frame for "fashion", but not OTR. I think that when he gathers all his pennies, he told me he's going to spring for MTM shirts, which will serve him very well. It's odd that for the ideal body type, there's nothing in terms of menswhere that really, really fits.

 

[madtownmatt]

Thanks for responding. Your acronyms are over my head. What do you mean by OTR, and by OTM shirts. Do you have any ideas for what I could do?

 

[Jovan]

OTR = Off The Rack. MTM = Made To Measure, a step up above OTR where they'll just slightly adjust your details on a pre existing clothing pattern. It's not like bespoke where a whole new pattern is created just for you and thus fits better, but it's definitely a step up.

EDIT: I knew, but I got my words mixed up somehow. Thanks, whoopee!

 

[whoopee]

A pedantic note: OTR = Off The Rack. And I would dispute the OP's body as being the fashion ideal.

I also suggest you go MTM or bespoke. Even designers known for cutting slim like Dior Homme and Balenciaga probably won't work well and certainly aren't the best value.

 

[DocHolliday]

I share your problem. If MTM or bespoke is out of your price range, my best advice: Buy shirts that fit in terms of the collar, shoulder and length. Then find a good alterations tailor and have your shirts taken in. Both the torso and the arms can be reduced easily. It's a simple procedure, and shouldn't run more than $20 or so. Well worth the investment.

 

[madtownmatt]

Buying tailored stuff is clearly out of my price range. I'm just a starving grad student entering the working world now. I have something like 100k in student loans staring me in the face. Grew up in rural Nebraska where no one gave a sh*t what you wore. Went to UW-Madison which was something like Berkeley-north and you'd have to look up from your bowl & beer to notice. Now I've been at UVA, country club u, and things are clearly different that way. Now I'm going to be working... Once upon a time it was easy because I was overweight and larger sized shirts are longer. I lost 60+ lbs. Went from 230 to 165. Now it's impossible to find clothes. I have a closet full of Ralph Lauren polo and Lacoste shirts i got for 66% of at Dillards or bought off ebay that don't come close to fitting, and can't find new ones that fit because they are too short... I bought all my name brand stuff for like $25-40 in the opposite season. I guess I'm looking for the magic answer. Do you know of any major department store brands doing something like a Medium-Tall??

 

[hobo]

the body on nordstrom's store brand stuff is pretty long. so long that normal people cannot wear them untucked. You can get tailored and long versions too.

 

[Millerp]

Target offers custom sized shirts on line. $44.95



http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B00023XKFM

 

[whoopee]

Jantzen for custom shirts must be mentioned (~$45/shirt).

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by madtownmatt

Buying tailored stuff is clearly out of my price range. I'm just a starving grad student entering the working world now. I have something like 100k in student loans staring me in the face. Once upon a time it was easy because I was overweight and larger sized shirts are longer. I lost 60+ lbs. Went from 230 to 165. Now it's impossible to find clothes. I guess I'm looking for the magic answer. Do you know of any major department store brands doing something like a Medium-Tall??

Yes, sounds like you need to find a good tailor. Take your shirts that are now to big and see if the tailor can fit it down to your current body shape.

 

[Sator]

BTW anyone here interested in a bespoke shirt for about $150-160 USD (more if you want a 180's or finer cotton) from a shirt maker who doesn't have a minimum order number? Beautiful Italian (and some Egyptian) fabrics, double seam stitching, split yolk, and shell buttons. He is an old colleague and countryman of Alex Kabbaz. Not the same league in terms of quality as the Alexander Kabbaz shirt with single seam stitching and mother of pearl buttons but way better than 99% of ready to wear stuff in terms of fit and fabric quality. Will provide pictures if requested.

 

[zjpj83]

Doesn't Lands End offer a custom program too that would be budget friendly?

 

[philosophe]

Lands End custom sounds like your best bet. You can tweak the fit just about endlessly.

Some of us order shirts on-line from Jantzentailor.com. You send your measurements, pick a fabric, and the shirt arrives anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months later. LE will certainly be quicker, but Jantzen is worth a try. Order one shirt, post a picture of yourself wearing it, collect advice on fit, then order another shirt.

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by madtownmatt

....I guess I'm looking for the magic answer. Do you know of any major department store brands doing something like a Medium-Tall??

DocHolliday has given you the magic answer. I'm 6'3" 160lbs. and followed his scheme for years, while I was po'.

Lands' End will send you a MTM shirt (you do the measuring) and you can return it with no questions asked if you don't like it. You can also tweak measurements for the second order. I've done this: ordered one shirt, measured my best fitting dress shirt and the LE shirt, and altered my LE measurements to replicate my best fitting shirt. It worked moderately well (remember to launder the shirt several times before measuring, to pre-shrink). LE pricing starts at $49 (for cotton/poly oxford cloth, probably 80s 2-ply) plus tax and shipping.

I've now gone custom and MTM with WW Chan ($110 each), Individualized Shirts ($140 each), and Brooks Brothers ($130-165 each).