Hey, Fellow KY Big Dudes, Here’s Where I Look for Big & Tall Clothing

When I was 19, I had a summer job at a men's clothing store called Mr. Fashion Big & Tall. It was in the Wesleyan Park Plaza tunnel next to what used to be the Plaza Twin Theater and is now Bridgepointe Church.

I've been "big & tall" since I was a freshman in high school; on the door frame "pencil mark chart" in the kitchen, I went from 5'4" tall in sixth grade to 6'5" tall in the ninth grade. Mom had a terrible time keeping me in clothes with that kind of growth spurt.

And some things never change.

After peaking at 6'6" somewhere in my 30s, I am back to my 15-year-old height once again. But while I don't have the difficulty my mother had, it's still not the easiest thing in the world finding big and tall clothing. If there'd been video platforms like YouTube back in the day, I would have been THIS guy, one of my kindred spirits.

I had a good thing going, to a certain extent, with JC Penney, but then that once-venerable department store chain started closing locations, and Owensboro's was one of them.

Where to Go for Big & Tall Men's Clothing

Yes, there are multiple options in Evansville, but, for a variety of reasons, they're not always 100% reliable. So I hit the road from time to time. There's a Belk in Bowling Green, and they have a pretty decent big & tall department. And there are always options in Louisville and Lexington with much BIGGER departments. But understand this...not all "2XLT" and "3XLT" designations are created equally. One brand's 2XLT might be another brand's "XLT." You get the idea. That's why I don't always hit home runs when I go looking for clothes.

What About Online Shopping?

As for online shopping, I wasn't very comfortable doing that until it occurred to me that, over the years, I've come to know the brands I can trust to make big & tall clothing correctly. That makes them safer to buy on any of the online retailers. Yes, I know you can return items purchased on the Internet, but who needs the hassle?

Alas, my journey will continue as long as I'm on this big blue marble.

While my search continues, you can check out a variety of issues us tall guys have to deal with from time to time, if not always.