T-Shirts That Fit Tall People - The Quest
Posted 15th July, 2007 in by Sam
Anyone who is tall knows that finding shirts that fit can be a pain. At 6'6" whenever I go looking for a T-shirt to buy, I end up trying on a bunch of belly shirts that really should fit but seem to be more suited for playing pick-up football games in the 80's.
Manufacturers seem to put less emphasis on the length of a shirt and more on the width. I guess this makes sense because most people are of average height (hence the word average). Here's a sizing chart from American Apparel - they don't even have length on the chart at all:
Length not mentioned. Hrmm...
Well this is great for people who vary in width only, but people vary in width and height. When I buy a Large T-shirt I want it to be longer, not fatter. Fat people need a good reason to lose weight, but tall people are stuck the way they are. T-Shirts should be tall and skinny - fat people should have to go to special stores to buy T-Shirts.
I've decided it's time to find the ultimate T-Shirt for tall people. At least the ultimate shirt for tall people who care about that way they dress. This quest began years ago and ends when I find a T-Shirt that fits me - AFTER it's gone through the wash.
Here are our main choices for quality T-shirts: American Apparel, American Agents, Gildan, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and bella (yes, they make men's shirts too).
For the purposes of comparison, let's compare a large T-shirt from each manufacturer:
| Length |
Chest |
Waist |
|
| American Apparel |
30.375 |
21-22 |
16.5-17 |
| American Agents |
? |
? |
? |
| Gildan |
30 |
22 |
22 |
| Hanes |
30 |
22 |
22 |
| Fruit of the Loom |
29.5 |
22 |
22 |
| bella |
33-34 |
21.5-22.5 |
21.5-22.5 |
Apparel Agents is an off-shoot (is that the right word?) of American Apparel. They started their own company when American Apparel practiced union-busting tactics. They do not have any measurements on their site as far as I can find, but I assume they're about the same as American Apparel.
My goal is to obtain and compare one of each of these shirts. I will be using the scientific method and use as my control an old shirt that fits me well and came from a company that does not make shirts anymore. I will be comparing how the shirts fit both pre and post wash and comparing them on feel and quality.
bella is the dark horse - I didn't even know they made mens stuff. I'll be excited to try them out. According to their measurements - their shirts are a few inches longer but not fatter at all.
Stay tuned for an in-depth comparison of each shirt.
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10 comments so far:
Dean (not verified) says: I'm right there with ya
I'm right there with ya brother. I will be waiting eagerly for any follow up and will update you if I find any myself.
Lincoln (not verified) says: Dude this is so true. I
Dude this is so true. I found one shirt that fits me really well recently, and I got it at goodstormshirts.com - they sell lots of interesting shirts and you can also custom-design your own! I bought a "fashion-fit" shirt that is meant to be slimmer, but still the same length. It's a large and fits me great but you may need an extra-large.
Whoa, I just looked and it's made by American Apparel - I guess you were already one step ahead of me on this one. Anyway check out that site - it's a good place to custom-design shirts cheap!
ginger (not verified) says: i hear ya...at least mens
i hear ya...at least mens get a length option for pants.
Dave (not verified) says: Amen brotha! At 6'4 I HATE
Amen brotha! At 6'4 I HATE buying t-shirts because they always make me look like a tank.
Dan (not verified) says: Dave, you are a tank.
Dave, you are a tank.
 T-Shirts That Fit Tall People - The Quest by fashion.Za (not verified) says: [...] continues at Sam
[...] continues at Sam brought to you by FASHION and [...]
iknow (not verified) says: The trick is to buy online.
The trick is to buy online. You can buy cheap "tall" shirts at oldnavy.com, gap.com, and lots of other shops. They are too lazy to stock in store. Another place to check out is Kohls, in person. They have some of the longest shirts I have ever seen.
Danny (not verified) says: Where's the update on your
Where's the update on your findings?
I agree and have also been on a quest for the perfect T-shirt (undershirt). I finally found a nice long (tall) tagless T at JC Penney, but then the sleeves are too long to wear under short sleeve shirts.
What To Wear » a gthing science project (not verified) says: [...] search continues to
[...] search continues to find that perfect shirt. I thought I’d give you all a little [...]
bobby (not verified) says: i agree with you. most
i agree with you. most shirts look and feel stupid because they are wide and short. WTF!! why dont they design them skinnier and longer.
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