Am I in trouble now?

So I've been good over the past year and managed to lose a total of 50 lbs. At 5'9" I'm now down to about what I think my ideal weight is at about 155.

The challenge is this: previously I was wearing a 44R suit and I didn't realize it at the time but I guess I had more than my fair share of selection when it came to suits and jackets. Finding good deals was easy!

So after a trip to my local Harry Rosen this weekend I've determined that I'm now a 38R, bordering on a 37R. What kills me was the complete lack of options in that size - it seemed like for every twenty 44's they had there was maybe one 38. On the sale rack it was even worse - there was a single 38 and it was a short ...

Is this typical? Am I going to have a problem now that I'm into a smaller size? Of course I never paid attention to the selection in any other size other than a 44 so I was surprised that my options have apparently changed so significantly ...

Try being a 36.

Also, if you're 5'9", you're more likely a 38S than an R.

Your problem is fairly typical. When I was a bit lighter, it was necessary to buy a size larger and do alterations from there. Sale racks are futile if you're looking for smaller sizes these days. Good Luck.

Originally Posted by yfyf

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Try being a 36.

Also, if you're 5'9", you're more likely a 38S than an R.

I could only imagine, I don't think I saw any 36's. Do you do MTM?

Tried on a 38S but found it was too short - I have fairly long arms (34 in a shirt) and a somewhat proportionately long torso so the 38R's seemed to be ok on the length. Of course it may differ by brand ...

This is one of the great mysteries of the retail world. Why follow the typical supply ratios of 1 small: 2 medium: 3 large: 2 XL: 1 XXL (or the equivalent in chest sizes), when you know that demand for smalls is much greater than demand for XLs?

I've never understood this, as the evidence is there for all to see on the sale racks, but manufacturers follow the same formula year after year.

DClloyd, I notice you are in Vancouver like me. It's near impossible to find something that fits me (36R) and even harder to find anything on the sale rack (I don't think I ever have!). I would think in Vancouver there would be more smaller sizes available because of the huge Asian population which tend to be wealthier, and physically built smaller, and flood the designer departments. I asked one of the sales associates why they don't order a larger amount of smaller sizes because of this. I'm sure their sales would double if they supplied their market with prodcuts that fit better.

Originally Posted by yfyf

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Try being a 36.
Dude, try being a 34S.

Also, if you're 5'9", you're more likely a 38S than an R.

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I thought the "short" was for men below 5'7"? Or does it change with different brands?

Originally Posted by Real estate

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DClloyd, I notice you are in Vancouver like me. It's near impossible to find something that fits me (36R) and even harder to find anything on the sale rack (I don't think I ever have!). I would think in Vancouver there would be more smaller sizes available because of the huge Asian population which tend to be wealthier, and physically built smaller, and flood the designer departments. I asked one of the sales associates why they don't order a larger amount of smaller sizes because of this. I'm sure their sales would double if they supplied their market with prodcuts that fit better.
Because we buy our clothes in Asia (partly b/c it is so bad here, so chicken/egg) or near Seattle I rarely buy anything from our stores, everything is oversized.

Originally Posted by Viktri

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Because we buy our clothes in Asia (partly b/c it is so bad here, so chicken/egg) or near Seattle
I rarely buy anything from our stores, everything is oversized.

What I'm trying to point out is that the high end stores are packed with asians, without us, Holt's would be empty, yet they tend to skew their sizes by having more larges available than the Smalls or mediums. I think they expanded the building so they could carry more clothing because their are too many of us, but they never changed how they distribute the sizes of their clothing. Asians buying clothes overseas or down south has nothing to do with the reason why Holt's (or other stores) carry 3 large sizes for every 1 small size....it may be why some of us have to go out of country to get our attire because nothing fits us properly in Vancouver

Originally Posted by Real estate

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DClloyd, I notice you are in Vancouver like me. It's near impossible to find something that fits me (36R) and even harder to find anything on the sale rack (I don't think I ever have!). I would think in Vancouver there would be more smaller sizes available because of the huge Asian population which tend to be wealthier, and physically built smaller, and flood the designer departments. I asked one of the sales associates why they don't order a larger amount of smaller sizes because of this. I'm sure their sales would double if they supplied their market with prodcuts that fit better.

That's what I would have thought, with such a large Asian population a size like a 38 should be more average verus considered a small size! I suspect that both Harry Rosen and Holts do their buying from Toronto and don't take the regional differences into account.

Originally Posted by Viktri

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Because we buy our clothes in Asia (partly b/c it is so bad here, so chicken/egg) or near Seattle
I rarely buy anything from our stores, everything is oversized.

Because they're made for oversized people (mostly fat, but I'm trying to be politically correct and all that).