Why Do They Make So Many Large, XL, XXL Clothing

[XenoX101]

Originally Posted by Another level

I would very much prefer a sizing system based on actual measurements since there are huge variations about what measurements consititutes a small, medium, large, etc.

Gotta love suit sizing (chest width), there's too much variety in casualwear though that a designer's discretion of half an inch extra here or there could make the garment fit better based on its fabric and cut, another aspect is the less chance of someone buying a garment with the 'wrong measurements', nobody would buy a suit that isn't in their size, it's much easier to convince someone they need a medium over a small than it is to convince them their chest is 2" bigger than they thought

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[clarity]

Heh yea. I've had salesmen at Macy's try to tell me that a medium classic fit RL shirt looks "OK". For comparisons sake I fit comfortably in a flat head 36 or a rrl small, rl custom fit small, things like that.

I think he was just bummed because he knew nothing on his shelves would fit me the way I was hoping(even custom fit small fits nice otr, but no stores carry it).

 

[onion]

You guys would really hate brands like Needles then, who produce some items in only 2 sizes.

 

[Another level]

Originally Posted by clarity

Heh yea. I've had salesmen at Macy's try to tell me that a medium classic fit RL shirt looks "OK". For comparisons sake I fit comfortably in a flat head 36 or a rrl small, rl custom fit small, things like that.

I think he was just bummed because he knew nothing on his shelves would fit me the way I was hoping(even custom fit small fits nice otr, but no stores carry it).

Yeah, I've had this done to me a few times. Luckily, I know what suits me without resorting to sales assistants for their help.

My view is walk away from the garment if the sizing is not right. There are plenty of choices out there and there's always something better around the corner. In other words, save your money for the better opportunity.

 

[EdenResident]

The OP has a point. Clothing manufacturers are not catching up. No one wants to wear XL or XXL anymore. Most of my friends who used to wear blousy shirts now tend to wear smaller, more fitting ones. The average guy wears a medium now. There are more people in XS than in XL. For most brands that do carry XS, it's usually sold out pretty quickly, even at full retail. Manufacturers need to catch up on this trend.

 

[BOF]

I have a hard time believing that the average person in the US would wear a medium, as the majority are overweight.

Also, I think that sites like this, SuFu, etc., have a biased view as the members tend to be slimmer.

 

[Another level]

Originally Posted by BOF

I have a hard time believing that the average person in the US would wear a medium, as the majority are overweight.

Also, I think that sites like this, SuFu, etc., have a biased view as the members tend to be slimmer.

With your view I guess the more slimmer fashionable members are willing to buy more clothes that actually fit them better. My question then would be whether the overweight person would be willing to spend a similar amount of money on clothes than on their food. I mean, if an overweight person cannot control their size for whatever reason then it's very unlikely they would ever make an investment on more expensive clothes in fear of out slimming down / growing out of them. Even if the obese person bought fashionable clothes it would only emphasise what's bad about their body as most high fashionable clothes tend to be slimmer cut in any case.

 

[Big Pun]

Originally Posted by BOF

I have a hard time believing that the average person in the US would wear a medium, as the majority are overweight.

Also, I think that sites like this, SuFu, etc., have a biased view as the members tend to be slimmer.

Most people wear oversized clothing.

 

[BB1]

1. Most people have poor sense of fit. Everyone I know whose not into clothing or fashion tends to believe their actual size is a whole size (or more) larger than they actually are.

Case in point is my father. I recently lost 30 lbs so I invited him over to my house to see what clothing he might want before I donated it all to Goodwill. Most of my old shirts were labeled as size M or L. I tried to get him to try on the Mediums but he kept insisting that he was a size Large. After a lot of coaxing he finally agreed to try on the M. Most of them fit him far better than the L. But he claimed all of them felt "too tight". Yet, by SF standards they were still baggy as hell. So he ended up leaving with a collection of huge shirts that he claimed fit great. I felt like I had done him a disservice.

2. There is a stigma against men being "Extra Small". How many real men would say "I'm an Extra Small"? Look at Revolve Clothing. They stock XS and size 0 for woman, but for men they don't. Conversely in many woman's brands they don't stock XL, but they stock XL for the men.

The labeling of sizes is all relative and the manufacturers clearly feel like this....

Women's XS: Marketable
Women's XL: Not Marketable
Men's XS: Not Marketable
Men's XL: Marketable

 

[EdenResident]

The point is any time there's a sale in any brand, the only items left are in L and XL. S and XS are bought very quickly sometimes even before sales. That means L and XL items are over-produced while XS and S are under-produced. Simple supply and demand. Manufacturers basically do not do their homework. If I'm, say, JCrew and I realize that everytime at the end of a season, I end up with a bunch of XL shirts that nobody wants that have to be put on deep discount, I would just simply make less of it. Here's a specific example. http://www.jcrew.com/search/searchNa...22fd70d17da1bb 33 in XS, 63 in S 71 in L, 77 in XL, 30 in XXL. <-- People simply do not want to buy these.

 

[DesignerValet]

The assumption that all people who wear XL are "fat asses" is obviously from someone with the build of a prepubescent girl. At 6' 1" with a broad back and shoulders and a long torso, I always wear either an XL or a XXL. Granted, I could be in better shape, but I'm not grotesquely obese either.

Even if I were in excellent shape, I would NEVER be able to fit in a size smaller than a L standard or XL designer (with the exception of judiciously oversized brands like Pendleton or Polo). Hell, even my EU size sz 54 shirts are occasionally tight across the shoulders.

 

[BB1]

Originally Posted by DesignerValet

The assumption that all people who wear XL are "fat asses" is obviously from someone with the build of a prepubescent girl. At 6' 1" with a broad back and shoulders and a long torso, I always wear either an XL or a XXL. Granted, I could be in better shape, but I'm not grotesquely obese either.
So those whom wear XL are "fat asses" and those whom wear XS are "prepubescent girls". Seems like only those whom wear are M are free from being ridiculed.

 

[Trackstarr]

About 65% of Americans are overweight so naturally there would be more sales on loose fitting clothes. More sales is more profit, selling XL and XXL makes companies millions.

 

[Another level]

While I don't disagree with your figures, I'd suspect the companies making millions from overweight people tend to cater for the lower end of the market where fit, quality and style are a mere afterthought over costs.

For other parts of the market, companies have overestimated demand for larger sized clothing which is reflected by unsold stock and underestimated demand for smaller sized clothing which is reflected by stock selling out too fast.

I often wondered whether most retailers cared whether their customers bought clothes that fit them properly rather than seeing them as idiots and selling them any old junk as long as they get a sale.

 

[deveandepot1]

Went to outlet mall today. Polo had a full rack of clearance clothes, All XL, XXL, XXXL...