Tall and Thin: On the Cheap

[Burgermeister]

I really like TM Lewin, I've got two of their shirts, and they're slightly nicer than my Land's End shirts. They make a 15.5-36 but no 15, mine are slim fit so they're pretty good.

 

[Beatlegeuse]

I'm also very tall, but not quite as skinny (6'4", 185 lbs), and I still have lots of trouble finding any OTR shirts that fit me well, so I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you. With your measurements, I don't think you will ever find an OTR shirt that truly fits, even an Extra Slim Fit shirt from Brooks Brothers or somewhere similar will probably still be a little baggy. You're still young, so you will most likely put on a little more size in the coming years....I know, I was 6'4", 155 in high school and I've put on 30 pounds since then. It still might be a good idea to give MTM a try, just to see how it fits compared to an OTR shirt.

 

[Burgermeister]

Yea I've got Ralph Lauren Oxfords that fit like crap, I've got this one corduroy custom fit Ralph Lauren that fits great, but it's a hideous yellow, and I havent found anything like it online or in the store I bought it from.

Just checked out Charles Tyrwhitt and they make a slim 15-35 which might be a tad better than a 15-36. Four for Two Hundred usd, add to christmas list

 

[Beatlegeuse]

Originally Posted by Burgermeister

Yea I've got Ralph Lauren Oxfords that fit like crap, I've got this one corduroy custom fit Ralph Lauren that fits great, but it's a hideous yellow, and I havent found anything like it online or in the store I bought it from.

Just checked out Charles Tyrwhitt and they make a slim 15-35 which might be a tad better than a 15-36. Four for Two Hundred usd, add to christmas list

I used to wear Charles Tyrwhitt almost exclusively for a while, and their slim fit shirts are not really that slim, most still fit like tents on me....especially their non-iron slim fits. They have a new tailored fit line that is supposed to be slimmer, so I'd probably try those instead of the slim fit.

 

[Burgermeister]

ahhh c'est dommage, the tailored fit comes in a much more limited selection, BUT the 15-35 is still available, so I will check them out. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[TallEd]

I'm 6'6" and 165lbs. Go mtm for shirts. Nothing will ever fit well otr. I promise. I've tried mostly everything, and once I bought my first mtm shirt, I swore I'd never buy another otr shirt. You can get shirts from places like tailorstore.com for under $60.

Pants, you're going to have to work at finding good deals on unhemmed stuff. I check Filene's basement regularly and Gilt daily for good deals on slim pants with 37"-38" unhemmed pants. Jackets and sweaters you should buy in medium tall from jcrew, gap, bn, llbean, etc. They're not the greatest, but it's that or nothing as far as I've come up with. Medium-tall isn't going to fit you very well, either, but it's better than nothing. For comparison, I'm a 40XL if I can actually find the extra long.

 

[ChicagoMediaMan]

Originally Posted by gladhands

The first question is how old are you? If you're under 30, don't invest too much money in your wardrobe. Your body will most likely change in a few years.

All you have to do is exercise and eat sensibly and this won't happen.

 

[Beatlegeuse]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMediaMan-27

All you have to do is exercise and eat sensibly and this won't happen.

OP is under 20 years old...I've been exercising regularly and eating sensibly for the past 12 years, and I'm 30 lbs heavier than I was when I was in high school. Generally speaking, most people will "fill out" due to their metabolism slowing down as they grow older.

 

[blahman]

Why not just go for MTMs like Moderntailor? Test shirt $20, then just go for sale fabrics at $40.

 

[Burgermeister]

what's the general consensus on those mtm's? seem like a pretty good deal.

 

[The Shoe Snob]

seriously? If you are under 20, first I applaud you for being on this site looking for advice but really as a student with not a ton of money you should look at brands like H&M, Zara and maybe Uniqlo. At this age, where your tastes will for sure change as you get older, you should not spend so much money on things like MTM or expensive brands. While these brands I am suggesting are not of the highest quality, they will suffice for a couple of years until your metabolism, income and taste start to change. They all fit slim, so even a L or XL size will not be too baggy looking but might just accommodate your sleeve and torso length.

If I were you and got $200/month I would save half each month, go and spend the other half at the places that I recommended and by the time you graduate you will have a nice chunk of change to go out and buy the nice stuff (MTM, Brooks Brothers, tailoring etc.) for when you really need it e.g. interview time, professional or adult outings etc. Just a thought, but as a young guy myself, I wish that I would have spent less on my clothing then so that I would have more now, considering that my taste changed drastically and I pretty much wear completely different clothing since then.

Think about it...

 

[Beatlegeuse]

Originally Posted by Burgermeister

what's the general consensus on those mtm's? seem like a pretty good deal.

It can't hurt to at least try something like Modern Tailor. As previously stated, the test shirt is only 20 bucks, so it's worth a shot to see if you can get something that will fit you better than any OTR shirt. It's tough to get a perfect fit on your first shirt, but they always have fabrics on sale for $30 and $40 on a regular basis, so I would recommend buying one shirt at a time, making small adjustments here and there until you get it perfect.

 

[cbbuff]

Originally Posted by Beatlegeuse

It can't hurt to at least try something like Modern Tailor. As previously stated, the test shirt is only 20 bucks, so it's worth a shot to see if you can get something that will fit you better than any OTR shirt. It's tough to get a perfect fit on your first shirt, but they always have fabrics on sale for $30 and $40 on a regular basis, so I would recommend buying one shirt at a time, making small adjustments here and there until you get it perfect.

This is the answer. I am about as normal sized as can be and the first MTM shirts I just got from ModernTailor have me convinced I'll never buy another non-MTM shirt.

Try it, you will not be sorry. Take the measurements from the yellow shirt that you say fits you perfectly and 1) either get a $20 test shirt or 2) Get a $20 discount coupon from them (if you ask for it), and get a $40 sale shirt for the same $20, but with a better fabric. I was concerned about the fabric quality, but was pleasantly surprised.

Seriously, nothing else will work out better for you than this.

 

[Burgermeister]

Thanks a lot, I guess I will try one of the formentioned MTM's. What was that you said about the $20 off? I'm pretty careful with my money, I work 2 jobs so that I have a little disposable income. I'm also in a fraternity at school, so I have to dress up a few times each month. I dont allow my brothers to over frat me though, I wear short shorts, but thats all shorts in my case lol. But I dont make sure im in v-vines, brooks bros, southern marsh, prop, or tide b4 i leave the house. Thats why I'm here, to start the foundation for a more adult, professional, nonetheless dapper wardrobe...

 

[Burgermeister]

bump yo, want the info on that coupon business