Tall men in search of jeans should take a look at Shepler's for the best selection of Wrangler jeans in extra long inseam - 38 inch, 36 inch and even some in 40 inch inseam, as well as some extra long jeans from Levi's and Petrol. Shepler's claim to be the world's leading provider of clothing for the country/western lifestyle, starting from humble origins as a small store in Kansas in 1899.
In a spirit of optimism, I've been on the hunt for polo shirts, hoping the weather will soon be warm enough for me to wear them. In this post, I've highlighted four brands that feature tall sizes as well as good quality.
I've always worn polo shirts more than normal T shirts - the collar looks smart and breaks up my height a little. Styles with horizontal stripes also work well to make tall men look less tall and thin. Personally, I like the texture and airiness of the pique cotton polo, but for a dressier look you can try smoother, glossier mercerised cotton. In many offices, polo shirts even pass as smart casual in the quiet summer months, making life that little bit simpler in the morning!
If you're after function rather than fashion, Zappos.com offer Cutter & Buck polo shirts in tall sizes that includes DryTec moisture wicking fabric (65% cotton, 35% polyester) in case you're doing something more energetic than strolling around the office. There are more styles on the Cutter & Buck web site but I recommend Zappos.com because delivery is free, while both charge around $60 for the shirt. I also have a slight gripe that the tall sizes cost around $20 more than the normal . . . for just a little bit more length??
As spring finally seems to be in the air, I thought it was time recently to spruce up my wardrobe and revitalise my shirt selection. Having previously extolled the benefits of Charles Tyrwhitt for excellent shirts with long sleeves, I thought it was only fair to try out something else this time.
After having a look at the selection in various British shirtmakers (I make no apologies for being biased - I find the cut of British shirts better for a tall, slim man, as well as the slightlier dressier collar and cuffs), I was pleasantly surprised to make the discovery of the TM Lewin Luxury range
The Luxury range (its not actually a range as such, you just need to look for the shirts that have Luxury in the description, and written on the label) uses extra fine long staple cotton, which gives the shirt a unique and slightly heavier, glossier texture. While the normal TM Lewin 100 fabric is fine for a casual or standard work shirt, the luxury fabric adds an extra touch of quality. The great thing is that they do not cost any extra!
If you're tall and of average or slim build, I strongly recommend the Slim Fit, which has plenty of room, but avoids what I often get with 'normal' shirts, which is extra fabric sticking out at the back above where I tuck in the shirt. You can get extra long sleeve sizes online, up to 38" in most neck sizes.
Although the list prices for these shirts are high, they can usually be found on special offer at discounts of at least 50%. Delivery cost is reasonable for the US and also UK, and TM Lewin offer free returns for these countries.
While I seem to be on the topic of jeans, here's another premium denim brand that offers jeans with a 36" inside leg (look for styles marked X-LONG). 7 for all mankind is a brand started in Los Angeles in 2000, and started producing jeans for men in 2002.
Since then, they have been worn by all sorts of celebrities, but more to the point, they offer a variety of extra long styles that are fashionable but will not be 'one season wonders'. The styles featured also have a cut that is lower at the front than the back that will sit a bit lower than a more traditional pair of jeans like Levi's 501s.
I have just discovered the Buckle web site and wanted to share the discovery. The first great thing about Buckle is that you can select jeans by length of inseam. It seems like such an obvious idea you'd think every online store can do it. When you know that only 5% or 10% of the jeans are going to be suitable for tall men, sites without this facility are really frustrating! (web site authors please take the hint!).
The second great thing is that as well as their own BKE range, they offer long jeans from some other higher end brands, with a 36 inseam from at least ten brands including Silver, MEK, Big Star, Hurley and Affliction. In fact, you can find long fittings in these jeans on Buckle that aren't available through other sites, even the brands' own web sites.
If you need a 38 inch inside leg, the choice is still limited. There are five styles from BKE and the Tyler pictured below is available in 32 - 40 inch waist. There is also one style of the Big Star Vintage voyager. All the rest of the brands below come in a 36" inside leg.
It could be a motto for tall people everywhere, but I'm referring to inept online stores that make life difficult for themselves and tall customers.
It was the difficulty of finding basic sizing information on some clothing sites prompted this short rant.
Rochester Big & Tall was the least serious offender. A good selection of dress socks included XL sizes - but didn't explain what extra large meant. The size charts didn't mention socks at all. All credit to their customer service department, who replied within hours to my email. Apparently, their XL socks fit shoe sizes 12-18, which leaves me wondering whether they are made of cotton or elastic!
Thinking the manufacturer might have more information, I headed over to the Polo range at Ralph Lauren. Their tall range is pretty good, but its mainly for big and tall men so if you're tall and slim you might struggle a bit (see
size chart). In any case, if it's large socks you're after you can save yourself the trouble (unless you're into pink cashmere, in which case act quickly as they're down from $200 to $60!).
Once I found them (socks are Accessories, not Underwear, as I learnt after seeing more tightly packed undergarments than in a week at the gym) it turned out seven pairs were available, most of which are "One size". I coldn't find out which size that was, but I'm pretty sure it's not large enough.
At least both of these sites mention sock size. Today's prize for poor communication goes to Cole Haan, whose impressive collection of elegant dress socks gives no size information at all.
Should my enquiries throw any light on these mysteries (or if any reader visits the sites and realises I've missed something really obvious), you will be the first to hear!
As I write, 'double denim' is back in fashion. Instinctively, the idea of wearing denim trousers and a denim top sounds like a recipe for fashion disaster, but you can read articles like this one to make up your own mind.
Denim jeans, however, are clearly a must for almost anyone's wardrobe, and Levi's are probably the first denim brand you'd think of. So where can a tall man find a good selection of long Levi's jeans?
With a 36" inside leg, I have always been able to find one or two pairs in a Levi's store, but not a wide selection. You can also try a major department store like Macy's or John Lewis, but the selection there is also likely to be limited (as I chronicled in San Francisco).
Going online is definitely your best bet. To check what style you want, Levi's have a fit guide to compare the different fits. Avoid a skinny fit as this can emphasise a 'beanpole' effect of long, thin legs. Some of the styles available in both 38" and 36" inside leg are:
The best selection of Levi's jeans in both 38" and 36" inseam actually seems to be at Amazon, where you can filter by inside leg. The pictures below are a sample from Amazon Denim Shop
You can try the Levi's international site, although other online shops probably offer better value.
