What Size Am I!?

[ouroborous 519]

I have to say that figuring out what size I am since surgery is really challenging!

Before surgery, I really thought of myself as a "big guy" -- not just fat, but huge across the chest and shoulders. Well, I'm sad to say that a lot of that was just plain old fat. Now since the surgery, I'm finding that I don't seem to fit cleanly into a particular size range. In the shoulders, I'm slightly larger than a large but probably a tad below extra large. I'm also starting to notice how almost all of the guys I see browsing extra large ("Big and Tall" -- what a lovely euphemism for "obese and tall") are, well, fat. I certainly was.

In the stomach, aside from this stupid, stubborn pooch of fat and loose skin (I WILL get a Tummy Tuck this year, dammit!) I'm a medium, if not smaller. That is a BIZARRE problem for me to have; I'm starting to have that stereotypical male "wedge" shape, and I'm discovering that clothes for the American male simply aren't tailored for that body type! Stuff that fits me in the shoulders is huge and billowy in the arms (despite my rather impressive "guns," if I say so myself ) and just VAST in the waist. Also, because of that "pooch" I mentioned, my pants don't... fit right. They ride a little low, giving the impression of a saggy butt when really the opposite is true, but my waistband isn't where it should be!

Last but not least, I'm discovering that different brands seem to have vastly different definitions of sizes! I've been used to wearing Eddie Bauer and Old Navy stuff, and I'm suspecting that they are VERY generous in the cut, because when I went into the Gap to try on a sweatshirt that looked nice on the mannequin -- size large -- I looked like the bloody incredible Hulk in it! Not only was it VERY unflatteringly tight across my tummy, but it was so tight across my chest and arms that I swear, if I'd "flexed" I would have ripped out of it like a stripper in the Full Monty! And yet a size "large" from Eddie Bauer is loose and billowy! SO either the Gap is drastically undersizing things, or Eddie Bauer is (more likely) doing "vanity sizing."

This is all so new to me; before I lost the weight everything I could wear was only one size "vast and tent-like." The thought of ever fitting into a medium ANYTHING would have made me laugh out loud!

[Liliana Arleen 173]

Gap clothes tend to run small for what I seen. I shop there for my daughter more than for me but even the kids clothes run small.

[Beyon Sleeve 57]

Well, I'm not a "big and tall" guy, but i feel your pain. I've recently moved from the catagory of "a petite woman size" (a.k.a. short and fat) and I too find it hard to find things that fit in all the right places. Fortunately for women, some clothes are made with Lycra or another stretchy material. It might be time to treat yourself to a few tailored items

[lunarose 97]

My sizing can be all over the map too. I wear mostly a large (10-12) on top and small to medium (2-6) on the bottom. I have several silk blouses that I bought years ago in my twenties size 8 and larges that I kept over the years hoping to one day fit in them and there still is no way I can wear them too small it is called vanity sizing so to make matters worse there are no standards to sizing.

[mesaucedo 207]

You could try out clothing made for younger men. I have noticed that these tend to be more "wedged" shaped. American Eagle makes some nice simple t-shirts.

[Puja 148]

Have you tried "slim fits"? I know banana Republic carries them, and I believe the Gap does, as well. You could also try Abercrombie and Fitch, though I'm not sure if they have slim fits, or their shirts are just tailored smaller.

If you can go to a Van Heusen or Louise Phillipe type of store, the employees will measure you and find shirts that suit your body type.

[ouroborous 519]

Well, I don't want to give the impression that I'm some god of Adonis-like proportions; until I get rid of the tummy "pooch" I still think it would be embarrassing to have a made-to-measure shirt fitted. But I could definitely use that after I get the Tummy Tuck, so thanks for the advice... in the meantime I'll probably stick with the huge, billowy Old Navy shirts just because they're cheap and while my proportions AREN'T "classic wedge" yet, I don't want to spend a ton of money on clothes that I'd be too embarrassed to wear.

I also want to avoid the "older guy trying to wear a young kid's clothes" effect.

[SouthernSleever 228]

Gap tends to run truer to size while old navy and eddie bauer are bigger or vanity sizing. The other thing is the style. People who wear EB traditionally don't wear tight clothes where as many dudes who shop at Gap do the whole skinny jean/fitted shirts. So it is made to fit tight. I'd say it's more the style than the brand and to try penny's or belks for some nice fitting clothes where you can choose from a range of designers/styles.

[SouthernSleever 228]

Oh and btw, I've missed you!!

[Lissa 2,631]

You're ourborous sized!!

I kwym about weird sizing, though, although I think women's clothes are worse than men's about crazy sizing. I wear anywhere from 18 to 26, depending on who makes the clothes.

Lissa