The Sartorial Thread

User avatar
Mongrel
Posts: 21290
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:28 pm
Location: There's winners and there's losers // And I'm south of that line

The Sartorial Thread

Postby Mongrel » Thu Feb 06, 2014 7:45 pm

So, I have a ridiculously shaped body that makes finding clothes impossible. I have a short torso/arms, long legs (for my height) and thanks to years of biking and also sitting on my ass, I have huge, disproportionate thighs (and a "nice ass" if you believe my wife - I just think of it "huge").

This means it's bloody hard to find clothes - shoes, coats, shirts, pants... all nightmarish. On top of that, I wear out the asses of my pants due to biking. I've tried different brands of jeans, different bike seats, nothing fixes the problem. Okay, fine, I can live with that, but it means I need to treat pants as essentially disposable items and buy cheaper ones.

I used to buy off-brand jeans because they were cheap, but they fit really badly and then the ones that did were constantly discontinued. So maybe two years ago, I switched to Levis, because 1) lots of the stores around here carry them as a loss-leader, $50/pair is a hell of a lot better than $100/pair when you're buying a couple pairs every six months, lemme tellya, 2) I figured hey, Levis' isn't about to go under or anything, so I'd finally have a reliable supply, and 3) their "core" styles have been around forever, which is again, reliable. I found a "core" style that fit (the 550s)! Would wonders never cease.

So of course Levi is gonna discontinue that series. OF FUCKING COURSE.
Image

User avatar
Blossom
Posts: 2297
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:58 pm

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Blossom » Thu Feb 06, 2014 8:07 pm

The Land's End website lets your order pants with entirely custom waist and leg sizes, rather than just what physical stores usually stock. Very convenient if you are Oddly Shaped.
Image

User avatar
sei
Posts: 1074
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:29 pm

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby sei » Thu Feb 06, 2014 8:42 pm

Mongrel wrote:So, I have a ridiculously shaped body that makes finding clothes impossible. I have a short torso/arms, long legs (for my height) and thanks to years of biking and also sitting on my apple, I have huge, disproportionate thighs (and a "nice apple" if you believe my wife - I just think of it "huge").

This means it's bloody hard to find clothes - shoes, coats, shirts, pants... all nightmarish.


If you like Levi's and want to check on their fits specifically, the Levi's fit guide will give you a rough inkling of taper. You may want to try 505s. That or stock up on 550s before they vanish. 508s are also supposed to have roomy thighs, but they may taper more than you'd like.

For info on other pants, try checking threads for athletic types, including people trying to find fits for monster thighs, in various fashion forums. For traditional fashion info, try these sources:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/
http://www.styleforum.net/
http://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/ ("Lawyer up, delete Facebook, hit the gymOxford cloth button down shirt, chinos, Clark's desert boots.")

Less traditional? I've seen these two places get mentioned:
http://supertalk.superfuture.com/ (Search SuFu via Google using site:http://supertalk.superfuture.com/.)
http://stylezeitgeist.com (If you want to spend thousands of dollars to look like a goth nomad, I guess try here.)

I imagine you have some other options that I've overlooked, since you speak French.

Mongrel wrote:On top of that, I wear out the asses of my pants due to biking. I've tried different brands of jeans, different bike seats, nothing fixes the problem. Okay, fine, I can live with that, but it means I need to treat pants as essentially disposable items and buy cheaper ones.


Have you considered keeping a second pair of pants in a bag? Treat your biking pants as disposable; change at work/destination.
Image

User avatar
Rico
Posts: 548
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 2:29 am

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Rico » Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:21 pm

Tailoring is less expensive than you might think, and a few places do it free or discounted on purchase.

User avatar
Mongrel
Posts: 21290
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:28 pm
Location: There's winners and there's losers // And I'm south of that line

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Mongrel » Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:14 pm

Having separate bike pants gets pretty annoying (I did that for years) and in any case it's not just biking though that wears them out, it's walking too (because fat thighs). Like, a pair gave out today (or signalled, they're about to go out) and I've biked four days in the past two months.

As for tailoring, you can get it cheap, but not so cheap as to be a negligible addition to $30-$45 pairs of pants. Around here anyway, stores offer that very rarely and the only time you get free tailoring is if you're buying $200+ pants.

There are some solutions. Some of the newer Levis might still work (the 559, etc.). Didn't have time to try any today because I was just running out on break to grab a few pairs and come back.

Also, there are motorcycle jeans that are made with kevlar (mid-grade stuff, not super-ballistic) instead of cotton. I've been thinking of trying some of those to see if they'll wear better against chronic friction. That would also carry the non-negligible side benefit of being safer when actually, you know, riding motorbikes.
Image

User avatar
sei
Posts: 1074
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:29 pm

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby sei » Tue Feb 25, 2014 11:15 pm

I can not see short sleeves paired with ties without thinking "scumbag."

Makes me think of salesmen and Mormons on mission.

EDIT: Meant a short-sleeved button-up shirt.
Image

User avatar
TedBelmont
Posts: 472
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:28 pm

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby TedBelmont » Wed Feb 26, 2014 7:52 am

Image

User avatar
Mongrel
Posts: 21290
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:28 pm
Location: There's winners and there's losers // And I'm south of that line

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Mongrel » Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:10 am

It also seems super whitebread, like you need a flat-top haircut and semi-rimmed glasses, a la Michael Douglas in Falling Down.
Image

User avatar
Büge
Posts: 5440
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:56 pm

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Büge » Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:57 pm

Aww, but Sipowicz does it!
Image

User avatar
Silversong
Posts: 714
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:00 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Silversong » Tue Oct 31, 2017 8:59 am

Resurrecting this thread, on this Hallowe'en!

https://loricaclothing.com/collections/ ... more-dress

I don't really think I'd wear it but I want SOMEONE to wear it :O (Büge?)

User avatar
Büge
Posts: 5440
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:56 pm

Re: The Sartorial Thread

Postby Büge » Tue Oct 31, 2017 9:50 am

Heck yes, I would. I'm a little leery about that neckline, though.
Image

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests