Clothes to fit tall, skinny type

splash

Heeeeeeeeeello!

I'm 25 and am tired of looking like a shlump. A huge problem, as it has been throughout my life, is that clothes made here never seem to be intended for people like me. I am 6'4" and 160lbs skinny and very Swedish genetically. To get this out of the way, I've done strength training and increased food intake to gain weight but genetically it doesn't work. Whether I'm really active or not my body stays the same.

I'd like to ask for some help from you guys. I don't know how or where to shop for clothes that will fit a body type like mine. I've heard stores like GAP have a special size called long on many of their clothes. Is this true? Are other popular stores like this? In general just having that option would probably make things a lot better. As you can guess what I need is usually about the width of medium clothes but the length of large. I tend not to see this. For example, how common is a jean size to be 32-36?

More formal shirts I wore for the office was size 15 1/2 x 34/35 medium. I found this to be pretty acceptable as clothes usually go for me. Do I need to start looking for more fitted clothes like this and avoid generic medium/large sizes because they just won't work?

Lastly to keep it pretty short, is there a type of fit for jeans that looks better on skinnier men? I'm still confused about the straight-leg, boot-cut, whatever whatever. I have relaxed fit, which is too bulky, but straight-leg seems to go to far and makes me look and feel like toothpicks. What is a big & tall store? Do they have brand-name clothes? Does it mean big & tall or big OR tall? Where do you find just tall?

metaghost

Hmmm. I'm pretty much the same build (6'3", 165lbs), but don't seem to have that much trouble with clothing myself comfortably. This might be a regional thing?

I will say that I don't shop at the Gap as their shirts and whatnot seem more geared towards bulkier dudes ("meatheads") and I like things to be more form-fitting. Of the WASP retailers, I spend most of my dollars at Banana Republic, but they can get hella expensive. In my experience, a girlfriend can be a great tool for finding good deals on classy clothes.

I wear 32-34 for pants, though ideally I would be able to find 32-35 depending on the cut. Relaxed fit is definitely not the way to go. I like a good boot-cut, but I don't especially mind looking like toothpick, as I basically am a toothpick. No need for illusions.

I think big & tall stores are not generally geared to our shape, being more for giants (professional athletes and the like) rather than slightly abnormal humans. Their apparel is also usually very boring unless you have access to one of the primo variety in well-to-do metropolitan areas.

RUNN1NGMAN

Most places like Gap, J. Crew, or Banana Republic offer "tall" sizes tall their websites/catalogs. Same overall fit as the regular stuff, just longer in the sleeve and longer in the body. You want to stay away from Big & Tall places.

You won't really find the tall sizes in most stores, but almost every clothing store with mail order has tall sizes that are just longer and won't be baggy on you.

oldsak

Try levis. They have a fit guide on their website

Going with fitted shirts is probably your best bet for dress shirts. As for casual clothes, European brands tend to fit a bit slimmer, so you might want to check into some of those.

Ritchmeister

For shirts I like Hugo Boss's slimline variety. I'm also 6'4" and im only 154 pounds.

Thylacine

Yeah...this kind of thing is generally annoying. My husband has the same problem, he's 6'3" 155 lbs or so. I have the same problem, but in the other direction. I'm 5'3" and have to find short stuff that doesn't make me look weird.

Husband says for Jeans, online shopping works well if you know your measurements. Places like old navy have sizes online they don't carry in stores. In general I think he looks pretty good in carpenters or painters style jeans. They're loose but not gigantic in my opinion.

X3x3non

Ritchmeister wrote: »

For shirts I like Hugo Boss's slimline variety. I'm also 6'4" and im only 154 pounds.

I second these. I have one and it fits me very nicely. Worth the money!

Joe Chemo

Some of the major brands like American Eagle have shirts that are "slim fit" or "athletic fit." I'm 6'4 and 155lbs, and I find those are the best fit for me.

Kealoha

american apparel stuff and urban outfitters stuff is very much made for tall skinny people. however, they have the possibility to make you look super hipsterish, but it's avoidable.

splash

Nice

You've all been helpful, thanks. I'm going to spend time looking online. At this point even if I don't get to try something on first I'm willing to try a purchase and see how it is. I probably just need to overlook any regular sizes, they just never ever do me enough justice. I'm glad there are some in-store options as well. Not that I love Gap or such stores but it helps to know specific brands that will work.

That might be the explanation as to why my super skinny Japanese roomate liked American Apparel so much.

I'm checking out the Levi's thing right now because I really need some new jeans. I have 32-34 that aren't long enough plus they are too baggy on the top half due to the relaxed fit.

Maybe sounds weird but finally getting a few things that will fit correctly is a drastic improvement in my life..

Edit: On the Levi's website the only size I can find close enough on the slim fit jeans is 32-34. Do you know if they ever have 35 or 36L?

metaghost

I have never seen a 35 length. Don't hold out for them.

METAzraeL

I've been recommended H&M, but I don't know how they are for someone of your height. I'm 6'0" and 140 lbs, most of my clothing comes from the women's section of thrift stores, though

Maxim Tomato

I don't know how much you're willing to spend on denim, but I would recommend Nudie jeans. The Slim Jim is a great cut for thin people, and they come in a 36" inseam.

Rhino

splash wrote: »

I am 6'4" and 160lbs skinny

I'm 6'4" and used to weight 160lbs when I was younger!

try eating more. I didn't start putting on real weight till I hit 29 years old.

For jeans, I ussually try 32/34 (waist) with Belt and try to get 36 or 38 inseam!

trantramp

You're sweedish?

Nudie jeans are made for you man. Try the thin finn cut, they look awesome on tall thin people like you.

Not to mention chicks dig guys in nudie jeans. I don't think their big in the states yet but their huge in Europe, Japan and Australia.

BlackbeardonGuitar

So me and you are the same size. Like almsot exactly. I might have 5 pounds on you.

Anyways.

First, wear mediums. I used to wear large/xl, give my and your size, mediums should look good and fit well without being too tight.

As for jeans/pants

American Eagle, Old Navy, Gap, and Lucky Brand Jeans, amongst others all make extra long pants. Most of the time I get by on 32w34L but I would prefer 32x35. But I digress, you can find 32/36 from most of these retailers although your best bet is online. If it doesnt fit, bring it back to the store. You'll be out postage, but fuck it, if it fits you'll also have saved the gas to drive to the store. As for dress shirts I'm not sure.

The_Glad_Hatter

So i'm about as tall but even more slim.

i thoroughly dislike the slim skintight jeans. your legs will look like twigs and all your jeans and pictures will look horrible outdated in a few years time...

I get my 32-36 jeans at Levi's. The 512 model, with the slight bootcut, doesn't emphesize the skinnyness of your legs as much. Don't get them too loose (looks sloppy). If you have acces to a levi's outlet store you can even get these great jeans very cheaply. also, these last a really long time.

shirtwise, make sure the body part of the shirt isn't too wide. ESPRIT makes the best "slim fit" shirts i've fitted. Mind you, slim fit doesn't mean skin-tight (which, according to me, just doesn't work for skinny people). In esprit, it means the shirt is slightly centered. eg. the body part doesn't look like a huge cloth square, but it tapers gently towards your stomach line.

tapered shirt + bootcut looks great.

Elrosst

Try the Levi's 511 if you don't like bootcut. Especially the 511's that have a slight bit of *stretch* material in them; i forget what that material is, but the 511's they sell at urban outfitters do not have this.

Post Blue

Well, I'm average height, but on the slim side, and up until a couple years ago I'd always had trouble finding clothes that didn't feel like they were made to accommodate some imaginary pear-shaped version of myself. Jeans were always too wide, and slacks all seemed to be designed with the elderly in mind, as though tailored for a frog standing on its hind legs. International Concepts (INC) has some excellent jeans that fit slim people without looking like tight pants, and Kenneth Cole makes great slacks for younger men whose bodies haven't been disfigured by decades of desk work. You might look into those brands.

Maxim Tomato

Also, don't wear bootcut pants unless you're wearing boots. Just...don't. A slight taper or a straight leg works best with shoes.

splash

I hadn't heard of Nudie before except when I started looking for the jeans online yesterday. Interesting. I want to try that out as well as probably Levi to get started with. If there's no 35 length I can definitely go with 36.

I know what you mean about the shirts. I could have also mentioned I'm quite broad shouldered so add that into the mix of medium/large shirts and it really is a mess. I hate some of the shirts I used to have that are like square-shaped. Tons of material loose at the bottom 1/3rd! That's another reason why my work shirts worked so well, because I tucked them in.

Have you guys ever used a tailor to fit clothes you've already bought? They can't exactly lengthen clothes right? But they can shrink their width? Does that work for casual clothes?

the user

hi mate

i had the same problem, there is an undergarment that you can wear to look bulked up. its on ebay uk as paded slim fitted t shirt. you can wear that under your clothes, and magicly all the clothes fit tight, and you start to look not thin.
have a look.

worked for me

Shogun

Levis 512s. You'll look great in them.

SammyF

Lucky-brand boot-cut jeans. I used to be about the same build (6'4", thankfully my metabolism slowed down when I hit 30 and filled out to a HWP 200 lbs) and I had roughly the same problem -- most places have a "big and tall" section but not a big-and/or-tall section! So I wore Levis mainly because I felt like I had to. Lucky-brand was the first pair of jeans I owned that actually made me look good, though -- I finally looked like I had a bit instead of two skinny legs that jutted out the bottom of my torso.

Toastie Toast

I have a friend who's of a similar build and height, and he says a lot of good things about Zara as far as clothes for tall, lean types.

Good luck though. I'm pretty lean too, and I've discovered over the years that I have to shop at places that are deemed more trendy or fashionable (and therefore more expensive) if I want to find anything that fits my body type. I've had luck with places like Guess and French Connection, but those are a bit less conservative than say, Banana Republic or J. Crew if that's what you're going for.

I'll also second Lucky Brand for jeans. I've owned a couple of those and liked them very much.

Draco_Auric

American Eagle has 32x36 jeans on their website. They've always got stuff in their clearance section too, so you can get some good deals.

For shirts I'd suggest getting some custom made, you can get them from a tailor for the same price or less then mid range brand name stuff, or cheaper online if you're confident in your measuring skills. Getting shirts taken in at a tailor shouldn't be a problem either. I've done that a few times and it'd a definite improvement, but not as nice as custom tailored stuff.

Reckless

METAzraeL wrote: »

I've been recommended H&M

Seconded. I'm a similar build to you, Splash, and in the past year my closet has been increasingly made up of H&M, American Apparel, Threadless, and Levis 511s for jeans.

Pheezer

Guys, you're posting in a thread from NOVEMBER.

I think it is unlikely that the OP is still checking up on it.

splash

Hi



By large coincidence someone posted in the thread and I'm here to read it.
This is giving me a chance to re-read new and old suggestions getting ready for summer. At the time I was working on the winter wardrobe. Now, the summer challenge.

I've found some success with Levi jeans (the brand I prefer most), but Banana Republic/Old Navy tall-sized shirts of various kinds are one thing I can't recommend. I followed the washing instructions completely but they shrink too much. GAP is the better of those three mainstream stores for sure. I've been hit or miss with places like Macy's (online they carry a good selection of Levi jeans though) and JCPenney (they carry some tall sizes online), and I need to try around more. Initially I did online orders only because it was the easiest to find the right size, so American Eagle, Nudie Jeans, etc I haven't even tried out yet because their websites I had a hard time with.

METAzraeL

Reckless wrote: »

METAzraeL wrote: »

I've been recommended H&M

Seconded. I'm a similar build to you, Splash, and in the past year my closet has been increasingly made up of H&M, American Apparel, Threadless, and Levis 511s for jeans.

Yeah, I've since grabbed a pair of extra slim fit jeans from H&M that are pretty excellent, not to mention shirts and other whatnot that fit quite well. I need to get an American Apparel hoodie for next winter at some point...

BrotherVoodoo

My advice is try no to wear too baggy of clothing. I'm your height but about 10 more pounds so we're pretty close. I usually stick to medium shirts and frequently one thing I do is wear a hanes white undershirt. Makes my body look a little less whispy I thinkand makes the shirts hang a little better on my frame.

Topia

splash wrote: »

but Banana Republic/Old Navy tall-sized shirts of various kinds are one thing I can't recommend. I followed the washing instructions completely but they shrink too much.

Hang dry. Better for your clothes, and keeps em the proper size. Or you can ask before you buy if they are pre-shrunk clothes.

Urban fit (it's a style, short short sleeves, and a lot tighter in the shoulders are the most noticeable things for us skinny guys) clothes are what I buy, a lot tighter, although, they are usually more expensive, at least what I've seen.

Leitner

splash wrote: »

Heeeeeeeeeello!

I'm 25 and am tired of looking like a shlump. A huge problem, as it has been throughout my life, is that clothes made here never seem to be intended for people like me. I am 6'4" and 160lbs skinny and very Swedish genetically. To get this out of the way, I've done strength training and increased food intake to gain weight but genetically it doesn't work. Whether I'm really active or not my body stays the same.

This straight up isn't true. It may make things more difficult, but you're probably simply not eating enough. I was always the same (except four inches taller and damn near as light at points), but it turned out I just needed to seriously up my intake and push myself harder. You are the same unless you somehow defy the laws of physics.

Anyway, I’m going to back all the people who’ve suggested H&M. They have a good range of slim fit clothes.

METAzraeL

I dunno, I haven't changed at all in weight since I grew up in high school, not when I was eating a whole frozen pizza at lunch and steak at dinner, not now as a hard-for-money vegan. I mean, hell, I was so poor recently that my meals were always white rice with nutritional yeast, and that didn't do jack. I'm not as tall as you cool cats, either. How much are you talking when you say up your intake - eating twice as much as a normal person?