Keeping a sharp eye out in the news for all things Big & Tall, I ran across this Huffington Post article reporting about a recent editorial in Fantastic Man.

With the recent, if not now-forgotten, fury over a few Plus-Size female models gracing the pages of Glamour and other magazines, this is a development that I wasn’t sure that I’d see happen.  There’s much to like here, but I’d like to know the height and weight stats on these “Plus-Size Male Models” to see just how “Plus Size” they are.

Nonetheless, some of the models and the examples they are modeling are pretty good.  I see an example here for most walks of life, but only really one “size”, which happens to be the “over-thirty everyman”.

Reading the article and seeing that big & tall men are now being portrayed in a more fashionable and positive light is nice, however the reality is that the men portrayed here are most likely barely XXL at best.  They probably have a sub-40″ waistline and are most likely able to find clothes in the average store… and maybe the occasional trip to the JC Penney’s big and tall section.

And before jumping to conclusions, not all big and tall men are grossly overweight, either.  Sometimes we are little more than the average man plus 30 or 40% in overall weight, height, shoulder measurement, inseam and just about everything else.

If you ever pick up a catalog for a big & tall retailer, they tend to go with men that are most definitely larger than the normal guy, but they are almost always athletic or at least have a somewhat defined upper-body.  Perhaps the “aging college football player look” best defines their appearance, which isn’t necessarily representative of the entire segment, just like the male models linked above.

It seems that the effort is forward progress, which is a good thing, but we’ve got a bit further to go with this to make it a little more useful.  A more realistic approach of how a big & tall man can dress would be helpful, and models who are a bit more average would probably sell the “look”, and the clothing to go with it, a lot more convincingly.  Frequently I’ll be scanning the catalog pages or big & tall retailer websites and see a look that I think would be great… but can I pull it off?  Show us someone who looks like us.  Show us we can, and we will buy.

Categories: Apparel / Clothing, Big & Tall News
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Airline seating has always been tough for a big guy.  You have few choices.  Suck it in and live with the tight seating, upgrade to a business class or first class seat to get a little more comfort, or purchase a second seat.  Otherwise, for comfort’s sake, we will choose to travel by other means.

Kevin Smith took to Twitter on Saturday after allegedly being thrown off of a Southwest Airlines flight for being “too big to fly.”  I’m still absorbing and processing all the information about what happened, but here’s how the average media outlet covered the situation. Kevin Smith is not known for being a modest person, especially about uncomfortable topics, and his weight is no exception.  He really has never had much of a problem speaking about his weight, but based on comments he’s made in the past, he’s just as conscious and apologetic about his size as most big and tall guys when he is in public.

Smith produces an audio podcast called SModcast, where he lambasted Southwest for the poor decision-making and customer service extended to him regarding the incident.  Apparently, Smith bought multiple tickets for a flight earlier in the week to the MacWorld convention because his wife was supposed to go with him but ended up canceling at the last minute, however this information has been spread as that he routinely does this because of his size, which he claims is not the case.

When he found he could get a standby seat on a flight that would allow him to arrive home earlier in the day, he jumped at the opportunity.  Only after he had his baggage on board and stepped on to the plane for the 5:20PM flight was he told that he was deemed a “safety risk” by the airplane’s captain and asked to leave the aircraft.

Smith claims both passengers on either side of him weren’t bothered by his presence (he asked) but the the flight attendant persisted, stating “We’ll try to make it up to you outside”.  He also claimed that he saw and made eye contact with another large man on the plane who appeared to be in a panic that the same thing was about to happen to him.  Smith claims he felt targeted as the other overweight passenger was not asked to leave the completely full airplane, however Smith didn’t want to draw attention to his fellow big & tall passenger.

During and immediately following the incident, he began sending twitter messages and certainly had a lot to say on the topic, which I’ve outlined below.  The screen shot of the above tweet was the first tweet, here’s what followed  There’s a lot to read, so bear with me…

Dear @SouthwestAir, I flew out in one seat, but right after issuing me a standby ticket, Oakland Southwest attendant Suzanne (wouldn’t give last name) told me Captain Leysath deemed me a “safety risk”. Again: I’m way fat… But I’m not THERE just yet. But if I am, why wait til my bag is up, and I’m seated WITH ARM RESTS DOWN. In front of a packed plane with a bunch of folks who’d already I.d.ed me as “Silent Bob.”  5:58 PM Feb 13th from Echofon

So, @SouthwestAir, go fuck yourself. I broke no regulation, offered no “safety risk” (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?). I was wrongly ejected from the flight (even Suzanne eventually agreed). And fuck your apologetic $100 voucher, @SouthwestAir. Thank God I don’t embarrass easily (bless you, JERSEY GIRL training). But I don’t sulk off either: so everyday, some new fuck-you Tweets for @SouthwestAir.  6:06 PM Feb 13th from Echofon

Wanna tell me I’m too wide for the sky? Totally cool. But fair warning, folks: IF YOU LOOK LIKE ME, YOU MAY BE EJECTED FROM @SOUTHWESTAIR.  6:10 PM Feb 13th from Echofon

Dear @SouthwestAir, I’m on another one of your planes, safely seated & buckled-in again, waiting to be dragged off in front of the normies.  6:41 PM Feb 13th from Echofon

And, hey? @SouthwestAir? I didn’t even need a seat belt extender to buckle up. Somehow, that shit fit over my “safety concern”-creating gut.  6:44 PM Feb 13th from Echofon

Hey @SouthwestAir! Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off! http://twitpic.com/1340gw 6:52 PM Feb 13th from Echofon

After being booted from the plane, Smith was told at the customer service counter that he was not kicked off the plane by the pilot after all, but was removed due to a “safety concern” which he believes stems from a male employee in the jetway who questioned his presence boarding the plane.  Southwest staff couldn’t seem to appropriately explain the safety concern, other than that he was taking up more than the standard passenger “space allotment”.  Employees appeared not to use the word “fat” because of their fear of getting sued over using such terminology.

After being offered a one hundred dollar voucher for his troubles but not many other answers in regards to the situation, Smith decided that he would take to Twitter and rely on social networking to spread the word about his story.  After arriving home that evening, it was then that Smith took to his podcast, along with his wife with whom he was telling the story to, explaining the details of his side of the story.

There’s a lot more to the story, and perhaps it’d be easier to listen to the whole SModcast Episode to get a better idea of Kevin’s side of the story.  In essence, he claims that he planned to let the whole thing go and vote with his dollars (by choosing a different airline) but heard a really similar story of mean-spirited customer service towards “people of size”  by a shy young lady sitting next to him on his now much delayed flight home.

So, Southwest has offered an official apology on their blog to Kevin Smith entitled “Not So Silent Bob”.  But it’s not exactly convincing.  The verbiage is vague and still points to his weight, when he claims to frequently fly purchasing only a single seat.  Here’s what Kevin had to say about it:

@SouthwestAir “Our apology to KevinSmith and more details regarding the events from last night: http://cot.ag/96KHC7 ” So your apology is “Sorry, sir. But you ARE kinda fat…”? I flew out AND back IN ONE SEAT, YOU PIECES OF SHIT! SModcast in two hrs tells WHOLE story.  about 20 hours ago from web

Smith has a platform to speak out against Southwest, and he’s certainly using it.  From what you read on Twitter and in other places, it’s become large versus small in a battle of who deserves the seating more.  A few folks told me they wanted to see what I have to say on the issue, and I suppose that’s what I should write here…  The above is mostly just reporting what actually happened from a few different angles.

When I find out I have to fly, I immediately get nervous about it.  Even if it’s months in advance.  I’m not just big, I’m also tall, which Kevin Smith isn’t.  I have several aspects to consider when I fly… the seat width is generally less of an issue for me than is the headroom and legroom.  But combine the lack of all these things into a complete package which will make me just about as uncomfortable as I’m ever going to be in any situation.  Also, when I “encroach” on to someone else’s space…  it’s not my torso that’s the problem (Kevin Smith calls this his “gut”), usually it’s my shoulders.  I’m built like a linebacker, which means I’ve got some weight packed on the torso, however my shoulder width and legs are literally enormous when compared to the average sized human.  I fit in the seat, I just take up more of the free space in the area it provides.  I wouldn’t call it comfortable, but I wouldn’t say I don’t fit.  I’ve seen men taller and some much wider than me “fit” into places they shouldn’t, and yet they live with it.

Smith makes a really strong point on his podcast, one that I have always lived by:  “I would never choose that seat if there was a fraction of a chance that I could not fit into it.  That’s how I live my life, I’m a fat person.  We navigate the world differently than other people, we have to think ten steps in advance for our own dignity.”  The preceeding quote may be the most profound piece of this whole insane story…

We do live differently day-to-day, we navigate it with the knowledge that if we don’t think ahead that an embarrassing situation is sure to await us.

This reference to dignity is something that most airlines haven’t been very good about when it comes to their policies on people of size.  Southwest says that you must be able to sit in the seat with both armrests down or else you are a “person of size”.  I would say on most planes, my torso fits in that area well enough, but I still like to have the aisle armrest up so I’m not forced to be restricted.  It helps me angle my body out into the aisle a little better so I can put my leg out there and stretch it out a bit.

On an Airplane, we are given a box to fit in.  If you don’t exactly fit in this box the way that they want, you are not an optimal customer.  An optimal customer is a high revenue customer, and thus they are the most appreciated.  Those customers who cause issues or don’t fit into the airline’s “box” for which they get the best revenue often get the short end of the stick.

Society has many boxes for us Big and Tall people.  These boxes are very interesting.  If you are large,  you are given a free pass if you are wealthy or famous, but otherwise they’d rather not bother with treating you in a similar fashion as everyone else because it’s a hassle to them.  Kevin Smith finally got treated, maybe for the first time since he was young, how we all get treated for being big and tall.  Did the airline handle this properly?  No.  Could Kevin Smith have done something differently to alter the outcome of the situation?  Possibly.  But ultimately, there’s still a long way to go before we figure out how to treat people who don’t fit into society’s little boxes with some dignity and respect.

While Kevin seems to have mostly laid this to rest on his blog, as it appears he’s now tired of fighting about it, I think the point still remains that we all need to be a little more tolerant.

Categories: Travel
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1.  A friend recently purchased a nearly 100 year old home.  I helped him move. There were rooms in that house that had ceilings that were roughly 6 1/2 feet tall or slightly less.  After two nasty head bangs, I finally got the idea.  The basement of my home has a large beam that I have to duck for, but thankfully that’s about the only thing in the house.  Not that I don’t bang my head on it occasionally anyhow, I guess I never learn.  You’d think with as much damage as my forehead and brain have suffered since I reached adult height that I would have figured this out by now.  Apparently not.

2.  Content?  What content? I’ve got some great articles partially written or completely in the can, but they aren’t exactly “timely” for our current season.  They are more or less for summer sports and things that don’t really apply to those of us in North America who are currently starting into our winter months.  Over the next few months, I’m scheduling time to head up to the Detroit Auto Show (again) as well as the International Motorcycle Show at the IX Center in Cleveland.

3.  Speaking of the Detroit Auto Show… It’s always unforgivably crowded, and often hot as hell inside the Cobo center.  I plan to go again this year and do reviews of the vehicles I test on the show floor, and I’m hoping my friend from Chicago will be able to meet me there again this year.  He served a few purposes that were somewhat helpful.  First off, he tells me when I just look plain stupid in something because I’m cramped.  Secondly, he’s pretty average size, so he will sit in the car with me so that I can gauge weather a passenger would be comfortable in the car riding with a Big and Tall guy.

4.  But we need to go to a few other auto shows, as well. I plan to hit a few of the regional auto shows here in the Midwest simply because they are significantly less crowded and I can get more seat time in vehicles that are generally impossible to get that same time in at the Detroit show.  Consequently, these smaller shows usually don’t have the brand diversity that an international show will have, so there will be drawbacks to these shows as well.

5.  Ski gear for the Big and Tall is gonna be a tough one to write.  I need to spend more time collecting information as well as get to a few gear outlets to try some stuff on.  If I can’t find what I need to write a decent article, I may just make some footnotes about what I bought and post the information.

6.  I still haven’t gotten the 5.11 Tactical Pants hemmed yet to give them a full review.  I’ll try to get to that next week.

7.  Zappos.com is giving away free VIP level account upgrades to both new and existing members. They sell Big & Tall shoes and have a pretty good selection.  I’ve never purchased from them, but have heard good things.  With the new VIP status I’m hoping to get a pair to try out and do a review of their site.

Happy Holidays!

Categories: Largely Miscellaneous
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I really need to keep writing and update this site more, however I’m not going to commit to the yearly phenomenon known as National Blog Posting Month.  What I am going to do is commit to getting out posts on a more frequent basis with my day-to-day thoughts.  I still intend to do structured reviews and articles, but this will be a way for me to get my thoughts out there that will never really make it to the stage of a structured article or post, yet keep the site moving forward with new-ish content.

Therefore, I bring to you:  Largely Miscellaneous.  My collections of random thoughts related to (but maybe not always) being Big & Tall.

1.  Known by some and a huge surprise to others, but my wife and I used to own and autocross (a form of amateur timed racing) a MINI Cooper.

The car was my wife’s daily driver, my occasional fun-car and boy was it a hoot to drive.  However, as all things do, it got old and had a lot of miles.  We had a baby and thus it was time for a change.  After long deliberation, we chose a vehicle and sadly were forced to trade it in on a gently used 2007 Honda Element.  I’ve been lusting after an Element for a while, and even gushed about it on this site, but other things always took priority.  I’m glad we finally took the plunge.

2.  The 5.11 Tactical Pants I ordered from L.A. Police Gear on clearance have arrived.  I talked about them in a previous post here.  After trying them on and wearing them around the house for a day or so, I have to say I’m pretty impressed…  however only time will tell once I’ve spent a full day wearing them with a belt on and trying to do my everyday job with them.  Also, they come un-hemmed in the larger waist sizes, so I need to have them hemmed by my tailor before I can do a full review.  I’m impressed enough to order another few pairs in different colors and do a long term review.  But then again, when I find something that fits well enough to warrant purchasing, I usually buy 2 to 3 if quantities are available.

3.  Follow @sizeoflife on Twitter.  My updates are protected, but just request a follow and let me know that you’re a reader from the site.

4.  It’s time for new ski gear, mine is done for.  My ski boots were purchased second-hand and the straps are finally to a point of being unrepairable.  Looks like I may be writing a new article on this as I go through the purchasing process.  My friends and I usually do a ski trip sometime in February, so I need to get this done soon so I can spend a few days on the local hills getting used to the new gear.  If you’ve got any recommendations, let me know in the comments line…  I’m specifically on the hunt for new boots, the bindings and skis should come pretty easily.

That’s all for now!  Questions, comments or rude remarks always welcome in the comments section below.

Categories: Largely Miscellaneous
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A fresh article on the USA Today website, “Smaller jets squeeze big and tall fliers“, caught my attention this morning as I was digging through my daily news feeds.  I especially like this part, which I find to be quite interesting…

Macsata says airlines’ “fat tax” overlooks the fact that seat size hasn’t kept up with increasing girth. From 1960 to 2002, Americans have become on average of about 25 pounds heavier. The typical seat width — at 17 inches to 18.5 inches — hasn’t changed since 1958, he says.

They haven’t changed the seat geometry since 1958?  Wow.  Not only does that make it tough for Big and Tall flyers, it also just goes to show that they really aren’t working much on the ergonomics of the seats…  which is something that has probably advanced quite a bit since 1958.  No wonder I’m stiff when I walk off the plane.  Ow.

There are a few good tips in here, which have been mentioned on this site before in our travel series:

Tealer has simple strategies for air travel: book as early as possible; fly during less-busy hours, such as early in the morning or overnight; and avoid exit and emergency rows where armrests don’t go up.

But there’s something in here that I’d like to specifically address, especially as a tall person, that I believe is not true:

SeatGuru’s Daimler says legroom in regional jets isn’t less on average than on mainline aircraft. But the ceiling is lower, and the aisle is narrower. “There is a feeling of being tighter overall. For those sitting in window seats, the wall curves earlier.”

If I fly Northwest out of Port Columbus International to the west, I usually end up on a Canadair regional jet to Minneapolis where I lay over and hop on a bigger plane to head to points west (Omaha, Salt Lake City, etc).  I’ve spent my fair share of time on them, and I disagree with the above statement.  I think you feel tighter overall because you ARE tighter overall, especially in the legroom department.  Go take measurements from the seat to the back of the upright and locked seatback in front of you on a Canadair CRJ-900 and then do that same measurement on an Airbus A320 variant.  I haven’t done this, but I’m guessing there’s a difference…  Sure, narrow armrests add to an overall feeling of discomfort…  but when my knee will literally not fit in the regional jet, but has enough room to wiggle around on an A320?  Yeah, there’s a difference.

I have to admit that I often consider driving anywhere (and often do end up driving there) if it’s less than 500 miles.  By the time I drive to the airport (1.5 hours), trudge through security (30 minutes to 2 hours), fly there (1-2 hours+), de-board and grab my luggage, rent a car (another 1-2 hours) and drive to my destination, I’m already at a point where I could have done 400-500 miles in that day in a car with a lot less stress (depending on traffic) and a lot more freedom to do as I please.

Regardless, air travel is a necessary evil that I often fight, but I’m always taking notes on a way to make the experience better for me and for those who would have to sit near me on the plane.

Comments, questions or otherwise?  Leave us a note in the comments section below!

Categories: Big & Tall Lifestyle, News, Travel
2 Comments »

A while back, I was listening in to a tech podcast of some kind with the ever famous podcaster Leo Laporte, as well as one of my favorite characters, Chicago Sun-Times technology columnist Andy Ihnatko.

Andy, for some reason, had made a point to mention about his favorite new pants.  Sounds weird, I know, but I was intrigued.  Upon a little more investigation, it revealed some pretty interesting information as well as an observation I should have already made.  That observation is that manufacturers of tactical clothing for police and military are forced to carry a wide and varying amount of sizes to appease the needs of those government agencies.  And they also sell them to the general public.

Andy Ihnatko was specifically mentioning a company by the name of 5.11 Tactical and what he referred to as his Internet Tactical Pants.  You can take a look at their selection by clicking the following link:

5.11 Tactical Big and Tall Section

Andy Ihnatko, explaining the origin of the “Internet Tactical Pants”:

Look at all the crap he packs into those in this video!  Unreal.

Further exploration of 5.11 Tactical’s website reveals a pretty decent big and tall section, although some amount of ordering and trying things on may be necessary to figure out what your actual size is with these folks.  I haven’t ordered from them yet, but I intend to, and I plan to let you know how it goes.

A few things of note:

Pants aren’t the only thing they sell…  5.11 Tactical appears to have a selection of Polo Shirts ranging up to 5XL-Tall as well as other shirts, undergear and other big and tall items.

Some of the pants, specifically the ripstop nylon variant of the Tactical Pant, come in sizes like “XXXL” rather than standard waist inch measurements.  Your mileage will definitely vary with these, so do your research.

The 5.11 Tactical pant in most big sizes is only available with an unhemmed inseam/length.  This can be challenging for those with a “normal” inseam of 32″ or less, however this could be seen as an opportunity to get that custom fit by having them hemmed at your local tailor.

Personally, I see this as an advantage…  I ride motorcycles and pant legs tend to be too short once I’m sitting on the bike and feeling the wind hit my ankles because my pants are not long enough to reach down there once seated on the bike.

All needs aside, this looks like an excellent new source for Big & Tall clothing that fits an active lifestyle (or particular career) and I hope to be trying their products out soon.  Once I have an idea of how their sizing fits me, I hope to report back and give a review once they’ve seen some action.

Categories: Apparel / Clothing, Big & Tall Lifestyle
2 Comments »

The first Monday Night Football of the season, although an exhibition game only, has now come and gone.  September is nearly upon us and the cold weather will soon find us relaxing lazily in our homes until Spring appears.  My favorite place to spend the winter?  You guessed it…  my recliner.  When I’m not doing other things around the house, that is…  or getting ample exercise.  Ahem.

Recliners and large furniture presents less of a challenge than many other common issues for Big Guys, and comfort is generally assured in this realm.  Perhaps not perfect comfort, but comfort nonetheless.

However, Big guys are always looking for that custom fit, that perfect size just for us, and normally it’s very difficult to find…  Especially when it comes to furniture.  In a recliner, as a Big & Tall guy, you need to be looking at certain things that will help you determine whether the chair is right for you.  We’ll cover these in this article, and then tell you about the chair that I personally own and like…  and the problems I’m now experiencing with the chair after nearly six years of use (and abuse).

What to look for:

Seat Width – The seat should be wide enough to accommodate your derriere with an inch or two to spare on either side to allow for changes in seating position and weight distribution.  Too wide will make a strain on our shoulders because your arms will be resting too far away, too narrow and it’s an uncomfortable squeeze which can affect your shoulders and hips, also affecting your ability to find a comfortable seating position.

Footrest – Most footrests are fixed, and on normal recliners will hit on the calf or just to the lower half of the calf, which is usually fine…  however, I find that some recliners (we’ll show you a few in just a minute) have footrest extensions which push out to just above the ankle, leaving my my feet free to flop about and not putting undue pressure on the back of the heel.  For me and folks of similar build this is quite comfortable, however your mileage will definitely vary here, so think about what is most comfortable for you when shopping.

Backrest – On the average recliner, the backrest is tall enough to support the head and neck of most people.  On someone who is over six feet two or three inches tall, you’ll find your head and/or neck unsupported causing fatigue over time and making difficult to truly relax.  Finding a chair that is tall enough to support your height is difficult, so pay attention to dimensions when shopping online and (as always) try it out (a lot!) when shopping in the store.

Armrests – Armrests should be high enough that they don’t force you into an uncomfortable position for your wrists, elbows and especially your shoulders.  Too low and your shoulders will slouch, putting tension and stress on your upper back from the additional pull.  Too high and it will put your elbows at a sharp angle that is uncomfortable for anything more than short amounts of time.

I would stress that making sure that the chair has the right amount of support and cushioning, however this is really down to individual taste.  Don’t buy same day, go back and try them out multiple times without allowing yourself to give in to pressure from commission driven sales people…  they’re only going to see you once or twice, but you’ll be living with this choice for many years.  And don’t forget to bring your significant other along to help with choosing, they will have to live with the color and upholstery for just as long.

Two chairs that I have found are both in the La-Z-Boy line.  No, I’m not getting paid, those were just the two I’ve come across that are meant for the big guys.  In fact, I have a complaint about La-Z-Boy and the documentation / marketing of their furniture lines.  Finding these took a fair bit of research as the company DOES NOT put any marketing into directing the Big & Tall crowd towards these chairs and their website barely mentions at how accommodating they really are.  So, without further delay, here are a few examples:

La-Z-Boy Atlas model, Style # 354

I don’t personally own the Atlas model, therefore I can’t comment on specifics of this chair as I’m still trying to find one locally (my nearby La-Z-Boy Gallery closed recently, however there are many other local furniture stores who still carry the full La-Z-Boy line).  I do, however, own the following chair:

La-Z-Boy Crandell model, Style # 433

For this find, I must credit my lovely wife for purchasing me what she has, in the past, proclaimed as the “world’s worst Christmas gift” to me.  Why does she consider it the worst Christmas gift?  Because she’s always sitting in it.  I’m sure there are other brands, but it’s easiest to review and talk about what you own, and I am fortunate enough to own a La-Z-Boy that I actually fit and feel comfortable in.

Bad review for leather model:  http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/crandell-recliner–official-la-z-boy-website

Good review:  http://www.expotv.com/videos/reviews/12/131/LazboyBigManRecliner/67881

The version I have of the Crandell is an upholstery model rather than the leather model shown, and was purchased for about 40% less than the leather model.

After six years of use and abuse, a few items are starting to show their wear, but the issues are mostly benign.  The chair’s mechanism works great to this day, however the padding in the seat cushion is starting to break down badly and even push through in a few spots if you flip the chair over and take a look underneath.  This is probably something that a competent shop could fix quickly and put the chair’s seat back in like-new condition, however I won’t do this until it’s absolutely necessary as the comfort level of the chair has not yet been affected.

Categories: Uncategorized
2 Comments »

With the economy shriveling up day by day, we’re faced with many bad things and a a few good (lower cost of gasoline, but that can’t last forever).  You can tell things are kinda rough right now, even Knicks player Eddy Curry is being sued by Casual Male Retail Group for neglecting to pay his bill… Ouch!

Being Big & Tall presents some challenges when things get economically tough, as specialty stores with thin margins tend to get hit hardest of all retail outlets.  In times like these, it’s pretty common for some outlets and small shops that carry a limited but necessary supply of apparel and shoes to see a drop in business as people tighten up the purse strings for the tough days ahead.

I employ several gnomes to scour the internets for information on all things Big & Tall, and some of the articles we come across are downright depressing.  News article after news article from hometown newspapers around the country mentioning shops with big and tall sections are closing thanks to the current economic climate.  Some places seem to be thriving, though…  (Even Casual Male posted a Q1 profit)  and I’m very happy to see that.

The drawbacks of being Big and Tall are such that finding good clothes that last can be fairly difficult.  I’ve tried spending less money on clothes shopping at places like Wal*Mart, Kmart and the like…  nothing I get there seems to work after the first or second washing, and that’s only IF I find anything at all.

With less local shops and retailers around to support us, only larger retailers like Casual Male, Rochester Big & Tall, etc. will have an actual brick and mortar presence for us to try on clothes and find the perfect fit.  The closest big and tall store to me is a Casual Male XL, and it’s about an hour and a half away.

Some unfortunate business tactics are also taking a lot of choice out of the market…  I recently spoke to a friend, Scott, who happens to be new to the world of Big & Tall shops.  Scott commented about his first ever visit to Dahle’s, a local Big and Tall shop in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin near where he resides…  Dahle’s is closing.  They didn’t really appear to be in financial distress, but apparently Casual Male (who have a store about 15 miles away) has made an offer that the owner of Dahle’s couldn’t refuse.  Casual Male Retail Group purchased the business and is closing out the store with no plans to reopen, forcing locals to travel to their store that is a good distance away.

What truly suffers when shops like this close is that we lose choice.  Choice that is already limited to begin with.  Supporting local shops and stores with Big & Tall sections may make all the difference in having future availability and choice.  A lot of companies are going the mail-order route, but most big guys I speak to agree that they have to try on EVERYTHING before they buy…  paying for shipping back and forth only to try things on can be wasteful and time consuming.

Perhaps small shops offer less selection than online retailers, however that allows for a narrow focus and makes it easy to find things that fit properly and look good.

Categories: Big & Tall Lifestyle
2 Comments »

Things have been quite crazy around here, but I plan to make with the regular posts again in short order.  I’ve got a few new articles coming your way in the next few days!  Thanks for sticking with us, let’s see if we can get things back on track.

Categories: Site News
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With the NHL playoffs going on, I thought now would be a good time to drag an old comment out of the woodwork and highlight it for any potential web searchers or others looking to cover their backs with an NHL Jersey for their favorite team.

Our friend spoon writes:

I want to know why the NHL fails to make decent jerseys available for anyone above an XL? Ever since Reebok went with this streamlined bullshit I can’t find an XXL to save my life. I felt bad because Lushie bought me the largest and it was tight in the shoulders. I’m not even talkin fat here but shoulder width. There are guys 6ft7 and I KNOW they are broader than I am. I’ve seen the XXL, XXXL and XXXXL jerseys but they’re replicas that wear hella easy.

It looks like SportsK.com athletic clothing actually carries the larger sized NHL Jersey’s… unfortunately, i don’t think you are going to find them locally to try them on…

Take a look here: http://www.sportsk.com/newrbkprnhls.html

You can even get your own name and number customized on it if you like. Also, there are chest and length measurements that can help you determine which size you need…  With sizes available to 4XL for USD $108 and just a little more for customized sewn letters for a name on the back that’s a pretty good deal.

Hope that helps!

-Tim

I know It’s been quite a while since my last post…  Things got a bit busy around here, and they still are, but I”ll continue posting as often as I can!  Stick around!

Categories: Apparel / Clothing
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