Big and tall clothing usually refers to men’s clothes as opposed to women’s plus size clothing. There has always been a market for clothes for men and women that may have be taller or have a larger waist and chest size than average. With most people purchasing clothes “off the rack” instead of having them specifically tailored, this market has only grown.
There is some distinction between clothes that are big and tall and those that are merely labeled tall. While many men’s pants come in a variety of inseam lengths and waist sizes, which can help to accommodate taller men, numerous shirts are cut to fit men of a certain height range. Taller men or those with long waists may find that an appropriately sized shirt is not long enough to wear comfortably. Therefore some companies make “tall” sized tops for men, that aren’t necessarily larger in size through the waist or the chest.
Yet some men are taller and may also need more room in the waist and chest too, which has led to numerous companies producing big and tall clothes for men. There are clothing manufacturing companies and retailers that are specific to these needs. Some department store brands sell big and tall sizes under the brand names they carry.
It may be easier to find much larger sizes at stores or Internet sites specifically devoted to big and tall clothing. Size range, though this varies, is usually more plentiful and may help accommodate men who are a height or weight much more than average. Selection and variety is typically better in stores devoted to big and tall sizes and may even accommodate special types of clothing for work like scrubs.
Stores and websites that carry these sizes of clothing may have additional attraction. They may carry larger sized shoes, underwear in larger sizes, and accessories like hats and gloves in sizes that are hard to find elsewhere. Many stores have numerous brand names and can carry sizes up to 10x, which may accommodate up to a 78-80 inch (198.12-203.2 cm) waist and an 82-84 inch (208.28-213.36) chest. Sizes around the neck and in general length of garments are also increased, though it should be noted that each brand may have its own size chart with slight variations.
Some men do note that big and tall clothing may be more expensive than clothing made for “regular” sizes. This is sometimes the case, just as plus size clothes for women often cost more too. With careful shopping, especially during sales, price difference can be negligible.