Short and Skinny

Hello,

I'm 32 years old, and just 5'5" and 130 pounds. I was around 142 pounds, but I got a disease called ulcerative colitis, and it caused issues with my eating and left me at around 116 pounds, I've gained a bit of weight since my diagnoses but I'm still having trouble with hunger issues. My question -- I've always been slim and small, and everything I pick up off the rack always seems to make me feel "boxy" and even more so now. I was wondering if there are any stores out there that cater to smaller slimmer guys? I don't need to be fancy, just casual.

Thanks!

As you know, there are big and tall stores. I am not aware of any for short and skinny. What about shopping in the youth department? Your build sounds like that of a teen. Teen clothes are cheaper for same item, so maybe that's a plus for your budget.

Good luck and I hope you get on top of your disease.

Dead serious: I had yor same problem. I used to buy teens clothes. That meant high end brands at 1/3 their price.

Macassar, Ulcerative Colitis ?

Macassar said:

Dead serious: I had yor same problem. I used to buy teens clothes. That meant high end brands at 1/3 their price.

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I was thinking the high end brands as well. They typically seem to run smaller in size to cater to their target demo.

Hollister, Abercrombie, Aeropostale, Gap, Hurley, True Religion, PacSun, Vans, and on and on.

Old Navy to. I know JCPenney carries some good brands and has a teen department.

Check out Peter Manning. Clothing line that caters to men 5'8" and under.

I haven't heard about that disease until I read this thread, but I'm terribly sorry to hear you're dealing with that. Rest assured - we'll help you any way we can.

I have a loosely relatable experience. A year and a half ago, I was 220lbs. Now mind you, i'm a touch over 6'2 - so it was what you'd call "burly" but just a slow pitch roll away from "husky" territory. I liked being that weight - I was big, strong and comfortable. The problem was - I was terribly out of shape, i'd have mild issues with my back, I'd have knee issues (from a prior dislocation) and the prospect of jogging one mile was about as inviting as getting a cavity drilled out... in fact - I couldn't jog a mile without being pathetically out of breath, I would have much preferred the cavity. As I type now, I have my Nike GPS watch plugged into my computer and am uploading a 9 mile run I just got back from (I run between 20-30 miles a week) and I now weigh about 180lbs - a shocking 40lbs lighter.

In that 40lb journey - i've gone from a waist size of 38 (and some 38's wouldn't fit), all the way down to a 32 - so as you could imagine, I can't wear a single piece of clothing I had a year ago. I used to be able to go to any random store be it a Ross or a Macy's - get whatever was on sale and throw it on. Now, if I do that - 99% of the time it'll look like i'm wearing a bed sheet. So the journey to find properly fitting clothing began and I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is - if you're skinny (even if you're short) there are WAY more (and better) clothing options. The bad news is - they're expensive. You see, most folks who are willing to pay boku bucks for a shirt, really care about their appearance - and as a result their step 1 is to be in superb shape, meaning they're skinny/fit. That's not to say folks that aren't skinny or in peak physical condition never care about how they look, but when you go into a lot of high end designer mens stores, you'll quickly find their "Extra Large" is similar in size to a Ralph Lauren "Medium" - and i'm not exaggerating. Try on a pair of Diesel anything in what you think is your size and you're in for a surprise... at least that's been my experience, but I digress.

Go to Diesel or 7forallmankind and try some clothes on - you'll find them to be far more form fitting than the average big box brands. Also, check out specialty stores like UnionMade - which have a million options for fellas your size. I've gone in there (they have a store in San Francisco only about 30 min from where I live) and the place is full of well heeled, incredibly stylish men your size. Again though, some of their items can be surprisingly expensive - but they do have sales several times a year and offer items at reasonable prices. Lastly, the quality of these items is MUCH better than what you're likely used it. If well cared for, these quality items will last 2-3X longer than what you're likely used to - so while many of these items are expensive, they do provide a return on investment that you might be able to stomach.

What I will say is this - if you find clothes that fit you well, and they're well made (see union made, diesel, etc) - the "boost" in your appearance is shocking. If you're single, you'll also notice a big difference

Levi's® has a whole range of 'skinny' jeans.

http://us.levi.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3691988

Hanes® also carries slim fit Tees.

@Joel, Grats on the weight loss! Unfortunately I am trying to do all of this on a budget, as the meds alone have me by my wallet.
Lialda costs me around $1100 a month, and remicade costs me $2500 per dose. I might have to learn how to tailor clothing, haha!

@august I may have to check out those slim fit tees.

jshnks said:

@Joel, Grats on the weight loss! Unfortunately I am trying to do all of this on a budget, as the meds alone have me by my wallet.
Lialda costs me around $1100 a month, and remicade costs me $2500 per dose. I might have to learn how to tailor clothing, haha!

@august I may have to check out those slim fit tees.

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Holy moly - that is absurd! Again, really sorry to hear this - wish I could better assist.

Life of no insurance!

I'm about your height and weight, and it's difficult. Almost everything I buy has to be tailored.

Look for shirts that are labeled "slim fit" or such. I can often wear those with little to no tailoring. Some brands will fit you better than others; try a few on to see.

Same goes for pants - look for slim fit. Sometimes you can strike gold and not have any tailoring done but more often than not you'll at least need to get the hems taken up. That's inexpensive, usually around $8 per pair. If you need to buy a suit, definitely get it tailored.

Two other pieces of advice that are related - 1) Wear your size. You are're a small, no matter how much you want to think you are a medium; and 2) get your sizes from a tailor. Know what your neck size, chest and sleeve length are, as well as your waist and length. Good luck!

Reading this thread ... this might not be totally in your price range but ...

... just in case. Check out these guys: http://outlier.cc/

Their pants go down to a "28" waist (lots of actual measurements for each garment provided) and the "climbers" are slimmer pants which might help.

@Doc4 Oh yeah, the price range on those are out of my ball park, Haha. Thanks though!

@MrSpeedy Yeah, I went today and got measured. 36s for a suit, but I am trying to find one a bit cheaper on ebay or etsy.

i am around the same size, and it definitely sucks.trying to find cloths that dont make u look like a kid in dads cloths

I'm 5'4" @ 135 with a long torso . I know what you're going through. I find that Banana Republic, Inc. & Alfani (Macy's house brands) are good for me shirt wise. As far as pants goes, I got Adriano Goldschmied (AG) since I need a full thigh that allows for a little room.