My first styling client outside of college friends was my cousin Mike—6’4″, former linebacker build, worked construction in Milwaukee. Poor guy had been wearing the same three XL t-shirts and whatever jeans he could squeeze into for years. “Jack,” he texted me after his girlfriend threatened to burn his entire wardrobe, “I need stuff that fits but I’m not paying designer prices for clothes I might get concrete on.” Fair enough.
I spent a weekend with him hitting every mall and department store in the greater Milwaukee area, and I swear to God, I’ve never been so frustrated in my life. Everything was either swimming on him or cutting off circulation to critical body parts. The “big and tall” sections were packed with awful Hawaiian shirts and elastic-waist pants that screamed “I’ve given up on life.” I watched his shoulders slump with each failed fitting room visit. My cousin—this mountain of a man who could literally lift me over his head—looked like he might cry in a Kohl’s dressing room.
That weekend was honestly a wake-up call. See, I’m built like a slightly taller version of my dad—5’11”, relatively slim, symmetrical enough that off-the-rack stuff generally works fine with minor tailoring. I’d never really had to think about how the industry fails guys with different builds. Watching Mike struggle to find a basic pair of jeans that fit both his thighs and waist made me realize how damn privileged I’d been.
Since then, I’ve made it my mission to find and test affordable brands that actually work for different body types. I’ve dragged friends of all shapes and sizes to fitting rooms, bribed them with beers to try on countless items, and kept detailed notes on what actually works. My apartment has temporarily housed more clothes for other people than for me, much to the confusion of dates who wondered why I had size 42 jeans in my closet when I wear a 32.
“Research,” I’d explain, which sounds way less weird than “I’m trying to figure out which affordable brands work best for my buddy Steve’s dad bod.”
So here’s what I’ve learned after years of this slightly odd hobby, hundreds of fitting room sessions, and approximately 17 arguments with sales associates who didn’t understand why I was taking such detailed notes on shoulder seam placement.
For my tall skinny guys (think more basketball player than linebacker), Banana Republic’s tall sizes are actually fantastic. Not many people know they go up to 36″ sleeve lengths in many styles. Their merino sweaters in tall sizes are especially good—the arms actually reach your wrists, and the torso doesn’t ride up to expose skin every time you reach for something. Their quality has been hit-or-miss over the years (aren’t we all, honestly), but when they get it right, it’s solid stuff that looks way more expensive than it is. Wait for their 40% off sales—they happen basically every month—and stock up.
My buddy Carson is 6’6″ and built like a flagpole. He used to wear exclusively basketball shorts and hoodies because “nothing else fits, man.” After a particularly dire dating dry spell, he finally let me help. We discovered that J.Crew’s tall sizes combined with their slim fits actually created proportions that worked for him. The first time he tried on a properly fitted oxford shirt, he stared at himself in the mirror for so long I thought he might be having some kind of episode. “I look… normal,” he whispered, sounding genuinely shocked. He wore that shirt to pieces.
For my bigger guys, especially those carrying weight in their midsection but with relatively normal-sized legs, Bonobos has been surprisingly great. Yeah, I know—they’re that online pants company that now has brick-and-mortar guideshops and got bought by Walmart, which is… weird. But hear me out: their extended sizes go up to 54-inch waists, and they offer multiple fits through the thigh and seat for each size. Their athletic fit gives room in the thighs and butt without looking like you’re wearing parachute pants. My friend Tony—who’s built like a retired rugby player with a beer appreciation hobby—swears by them.
Tony had been buying pants two sizes too big just to fit his thighs, then cinching the waist with belts, which looked terrible and felt worse. The first time he tried Bonobos’ athletic fit, he called me from the guideshop: “Jack! My ass fits in these pants AND they stay up without a belt! This is life-changing shit!” He was not wrong. They’re not the cheapest option at around $100 a pair, but they frequently run sales, and honestly, having pants that actually fit properly is worth the investment.
For shorter guys, Peter Manning NYC has built an entire brand around proportionally correct clothes for men under 5’8″. Their stuff isn’t dirt cheap, but it’s reasonable, and most importantly, you won’t need to spend additional money on tailoring. My college roommate David is 5’5″ and used to spend a small fortune having everything altered. He literally hugged me when I introduced him to their jeans that didn’t bunch at the ankle or have a 12-inch rise that came up to his ribcage.
For guys carrying extra weight in both the midsection and legs—what my friend Marcus calls his “equal opportunity fat distribution”—Duluth Trading Company has been surprisingly consistent. Their stuff has this reputation for being just workwear, but they’ve expanded into office-appropriate gear that doesn’t scream “I might need to chop wood later.” Their pants have extra room in the crotch (they call it a “crouch gusset,” which sounds vaguely medical but works), and their shirts are cut generously without looking like tents. Marcus texted me last month: “Wearing that button-down you recommended to a date tonight. She said I looked nice and didn’t once ask if I was going fishing afterward.”
Now for my muscular guys—the ones who can’t find shirts that fit both their chests and waists—Charles Tyrwhitt has been consistently solid. Their shirts come in various fits, including their “extra slim” that still accommodates bigger arms and chests. Trevor from college got seriously into CrossFit a few years back (yes, he talks about it constantly, and yes, it’s annoying), and his biggest complaint was finding dress shirts for work that didn’t billow like sails around his waist while still fitting his now-massive shoulders. After trying literally everything, CT’s extra slim fit in a stretch fabric was the magic combination.
For everyone—and I mean everyone—Uniqlo’s knitwear and t-shirts have been consistently solid across body types. Their stuff stretches where it needs to without getting baggy, and their size range is pretty decent. The quality-to-price ratio is honestly unmatched. I’ve put their merino sweaters on guys ranging from 5’4″ to 6’5″ and from 140 to 300 pounds, and somehow they work for almost everyone with minimal issues. It’s kind of witchcraft.
And I would be committing menswear malpractice if I didn’t mention Target’s Goodfellow & Co line, which has quietly become one of the best values in menswear for a variety of body types. Their pants now come in standard, athletic, and slim fits across sizes, and they’ve extended their range significantly. The quality isn’t going to match higher-end brands, but for basics that actually fit decently? You can do a lot worse for the price.
Listen, I’m not claiming these recommendations are perfect. The fashion industry still has a long, long way to go with inclusive sizing. But having watched dozens of friends and clients finally find clothes that actually work for their bodies without breaking the bank, I can tell you that the right fit at the right price is genuinely life-changing for many guys.
Oh, and my cousin Mike? He now owns jeans that fit both his thighs and waist, shirts that don’t strain across his shoulders, and even a suit that makes him look like the goddamn superhero he is. He still works construction, but his girlfriend no longer threatens arson when she sees his wardrobe. I consider that a win.
Finding clothes that actually fit you shouldn’t be a luxury. It’s a basic right. And while the industry still has major blind spots, these brands are at least moving in the right direction. So if you’ve been wearing the wrong sizes or fits because you think “that’s just how clothes are supposed to fit guys like me,” I’m here to tell you: that’s bullshit. You deserve better, and you can find it without emptying your bank account.
Next week I’ll be back with my annual review of white t-shirts, which my editor has threatened to cancel if I submit another 3,000-word opus comparing necklines and fabric weights. But come on—is there anything more important in a man’s wardrobe than the perfect white tee? I think not.
