Look at Edwards: It has two different fits of slacks for women. It overhauled styling, and broadened its patterns. There was reason for it, in addition to staying current with the times. A woman’s size is for a different figure that a misses—it’s rounder and fuller in all the important spots. As baby boomers expand into midlife and younger women reap the rewards of the voluminous junk food culture, who wants to deal with the reality that she’s grown two sizes larger?
Edwards has also re-sized its blazers. It used to be that as the sizes grew, a pattern design that was lean to begin with, just got wider and longer all around like a set of nested boxes. Now redesigned and re-proportioned, the larger sizes fit as well as the smaller. Bravo! In tandem, its blouses are mushrooming to size 28 and 30, and yes, made with Spandex in the fabrics for just a bit of easy stretch. Sweaters for men and women are going up and up and up to a 5XL.
The sizes are getting larger for in-stock items, everywhere. Red Kap carries up to a size 68 in a man’s jean. Think about it. While size 54 is standard bill o’fare for most pant styles, the larger sizes are available. Shirts go all the way to a 6XL with available lengths in extra plus 4,” 6″ or 8″ for oversized and non-stock. For a guy to wear a shirt with a plus 8″ tail is either to say he’s very very big, or it’s almost like putting him into a dress—the shirt is that long at 40.”
Dickies, Carhardt, Cabella—wow! They’re out to capture the retail trade in uniform design, and make no bones about varying the larger sizes. One can find their brands with many uniform retailers, as well as in catalogues and online—they sell direct to the consumer as well as wholesale.
Big Top Tees has been around for 20 years. Who would’ve thought this little company that custom-manufactures knit garments for big and tall, would last? The truth is, business—and sizing—are booming. Because “oversized” is all Big Top makes, it can manufacture for fewer dollars what bigger companies have to charge significantly more for—and, in far less time. From T’s, they’ve diversified to fleece, polos, Henley’s, and other knit tops. Their biggest size is a 10XL, with potential to grow.
Broder and San Mar—two of the larger wholesale sportswear distributors—are carrying T-shirts in tall’s as the bigger manufacturers, such as Gildan, are catching on. The larger sizes are becoming commonplace. What used to be a range of S-XL went to 2XL, 3XL, and 4XL. Now, many of the alpha sized companies go up to 5XL and 6XL without missing a beat. Yes, the jacket trade is going in the same direction, too.
Scrubs and labcoats are made in 4XL, 5XL, and larger. Pants and tops in the solids and cute itty-bitty prints that fold around mammoth bodies—Fashion Seal, Medgear, Landau, Cherokee—all of them. Aprons in bib and cobbler styles come in XL’s; there are even styles that are designed for fuller chests and hips, having added fabric to the tops and waists. Fame makes three or four aprons that come from a tuxedo pattern and look terrific, while at the same time don’t fold into a woman’s fuller cleavage.
Our country as a whole has become a nation of wider and taller individuals: Whether it’s that some men are exercising and have athletic builds requiring looser sleeves and broader shoulders; or other guys who have measurements that are portly’s or stout’s; whether it’s larger young women, or older gals who are experiencing “let-go” in every direction—the manufacturers are increasing their size ranges, and paying more attention to comfort and attractiveness, there’s no question.
Nothing is worse than a heavier person who is wearing apparel that is too small and too tight with bulges, and buttons that are popped open, or that is too short and rides up. “Sleek and Chic” is the motto, and no matter the build or the girth, with easy-fit flattering designs that accommodate all sizes and experienced sales reps, more really can be better.
