Clothes for athletic fit men. Where do you buy yours?

[Drakenator]

I have always had trouble finding clothes that fit right. I thought it would be easier when I dropped a lot of weight. It is only slightly better. I have broad shoulders and decent sized arms. Not bragging really but its true. When I was heavier (220's) I wore an XL in just about all shirts. I wore 36/32 size jeans. I am 5' 10" and now weigh 203 ish. I have another 10-15 lbs to go before I reach my weight goal. I don't see my waist size dipping below a size 32 waist though. Even in HS when I was really athletic and skinny I didn't see below that size waist.

Now that I am lighter by nearly 25 lbs Size L shirts seem to fit me better than XL's which are just too large now. I cleaned out the closet last night and it felt great. I got rid of a lot of stuff.

Lately I have had great luck at the Gap Factory Outlet. Their jeans seem to fit me best these days. The shirts and jeans and cargoes seem to fit well but not their sport jackets. My shoulders are too wide or arms too big. Sport jackets have always been an issue for me too. Now all of my current sport coats are too big and baggy looking. All of the jackets I tried on at the off the rack type stores seem made for really skinny narrow shouldered guys. I haven't tried the suit section yet as I don't need anything that formal right now. I may have to do that to get the right fit.

Also, It is tough finding dress shirts that fit correctly. Mainly in the neck area. In order to get them to fit for a tie I have to buy a larger size which looks baggy and sloppy.

Levis jeans seem to run smaller than they state. I have a few pair of 36W/32L that fit like 34 waist jeans. Lucky for me they fit properly now.. Do any of you guys have these issues? If so where do you shop for clothes? What brands fit athletic people better than others? I can't afford nor do I care to spend for tailored clothing.

Brands I like that usually fit me well

GAP

some Old Navy

some Daniel Cremieux

Lucky Brand

Marc Ecko

Brands that fit horrible on me

Calvin Klein

INC (Macy's brand?)

Levis,

Lee Jeans

Anyway I was just curious about your thoughts on this.

[Hermione Gainser]

I suggest tailoring. It's something a lot of people don't ever think about but it's easier than trying to find that perfect fit. For shirts, for example, if you buy a larger size that fits the neck line it's probably going to be easier for a tailor (and cheaper for you) to take in the sides and arms than it would be to let out the neck area on a smaller shirt that might look better around the middle. There should plenty of tailors around. I would hop on yelp to check out reviews and see what they say about pricing. I found one here that's very reasonably priced so it's not like buying a second shirt.

[bigm141414]

Drak, I have similar issues as I have long arms, and long legs. The best thing I hae found is just take the guess work out of sizing. Grab a tape measure and measure your waist, then when going shopping drag the tape measure along with you so you don't have to try on a variety of sizes. Jeans differ by a huge amount from manufacturer to manufacturer. Especially anything labeled "Relaxed Fit". Apparently the fashion world disagrees on the meaning of a size 36 equalling 36 inches.

For dress shirts I have found that Roundtree and York Gold labels fits very well (I have broad shoulders).

As for your comment about tailoring, while it may seem expensive, I have found that having a few good dress shirts tailored really does help. And most mom and pop dry cleaners can tailor a shirt for $5 or less. (depending on where you live etc.) I used to not like tailoring but since I am starting to face customers more I needed something that did not make me look like I was wearing a garbage bag. Who knew that looks can make that much of an impression.

[Drakenator]

I'll have to look at least at custom fitted dress shirts. That seems to be the hardest item to find in the right size. I have a friend who does alterations. Glad to hear that has worked for a few people with great results. Luckily/unluckily I only need them for weddings, anniversaries, and funerals. I am able to dress somewhat casual for my job.

It would be nice to find polo style shirts that fit. Sometimes XL are too big and L too small. How about a new size called Largish? haha!

[Knurdle]

Jcrew has dress shirts that are based on neck/sleeve size. Might want to try those.

http://www.jcrew.com/mens_category/suitinganddressshirts/dressshirts.jsp

You might also want to start looking at slim fit shirts. I'm don't think I'm a small guy at 5'10" and 160lbs and I tend to wear a small slim fit in almost all brands.

Waist sizes are all over the place. I think Levis are actually more accurate. I wear a 32 in Levis but I've fit into 30's in gap jeans.

[wanna_B_nerd]

Im sorta in the same boat you are. Broad shoulders but a size 21 neck, which apparently means I should weigh 500 pounds.

[Drakenator]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Yeah, I am running a 17 inch neck right now. It used to be 18.5. I need to go see what is out there. It has been awhile since I have looked. I just recall that trying to find an 18 neck shirt with my sleeve length (unknown at this time) was difficult because the shirt would be huge and baggy.

I wear size 34W in Daniel Cremieux jeans now where as 36's are really baggy. To be honest the 34's are a little loose but 32's are too snug. 33's would be a good compromise if they were available when I was searching. But I am set for jeans and cargos for now. Just need to find a few decent shirts.

[Oogiem]

You might try Travel Smith for shirts. They seem to have a variety of sizes and the return policy is great. I often buy mens shirts because they are better made than anything for women.

Lands End also has a lot of variations on fit, from relaxed to classic that might be able to be adjusted for you.

I echo tailoring as a choice if you can find a decent tailor. At least men can take or buy good shirts from a tuxedo rental shop and have them tailored there. Women can't easily do that with anything but dresses.

[Zima]

Wow, you're only two inches taller than me yet I have the OPPOSITE problem. I have to get pants that are size 28-29, and shirts that are small/slim fit - from places like Zara, for example. I just bought a pair of dress pants at Express that are 29/30 slim fit and have to get the seat/inner thigh taken in...hah.

And you'd think I must be tiny and weak, but...not exactly - this is me: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Zima1349/more.php?section=progresspics

I do have the neck issue though...with dress shirts, when I button the very top button it always feels tight. But if I get a medium there's SO much excess fabric around my waist it looks absurd.

Anyway, if anyone else is in the same boat as me - my recommendations are Zara, Le Chateau, some Express for dressier stuff, skate shops(pacsun, vans, zumiez) for jeans

[Drakenator]

Holy Crap Zima, you are ripped! You look taller than 5 ft 7 too.

been awhile since I checked out Express. I will definitely hit them up.

[Kain]

Holy Crap Zima, you are ripped! You look taller than 5 ft 7 too.

Just for good measure. Holy Crap Zima, you are ripped!

[scotticus]

I've had pretty good luck with the following:

Brooks Brothers: Dress Shirts in Slim-Fit (for a more traditional fit) and Extra-Slim (for something closer to fitted, but not "metro" fitted)

GAP: For jeans. Diesel also treats me kindly, but I find that I get a better quality/price ratio with GAP.

Indochino: Suits, Dress Shirts. This is an awesome online made to measure company. If your items need to be adjusted, they offer up to a $75 credit to cover alterations, or will do a complete remake if necessary. This place made getting dressed for work and formal events a lot easier. It's the closest thing to custom tailoring you can get while still paying pretty reasonable prices.

That would pretty much cover my wardrobe, actually. Aside from a few American Apparel Cardigans and sweaters.