The Big and Tall Section is Over There
April 28, 2008
Michael Ball
Ms. Robinson
AP Lang. & Comp.
13 April 2008
The Big and Tall Section is Over There
In the United States, the leading Big and Tall supplier is Casual Male XL. They have over 500 stores across the nation, and have departments within many major retail stores. With this many stores, the stereotype of Big and Tall shoppers being overweight is spread thin. With Big and Tall now a euphemism for overweight, more and more oddly shaped people fall into the stereotype. Many Big and Tall shoppers do not utilize both the “big” and the “tall” aspects of their clothes. Many of the shoppers are big or tall, not both. Others are embarrassed by even walking in the store as to what others who saw their entry would think. It’s this worry about what other people think that brings concern from people who fall under this stereotype and all others too.
I am at least one “Big and Tall” shopper who contradicts the common stereotype that all men who shop at Big and Tall stores are overweight. At six foot, eight inches tall and 300 pounds, it is obvious that I need clothes a bit bigger than the average shopper. At a regular department store, the shirt sizes often end at 2X and 3X. This is acceptable because I wear just in between these two sizes, of which I own plenty of both. The only dilemma raised by the shirts purchased from regular stores is that they do not come down far enough on my torso. With the height comes a longer body. Big and Tall stores are a savior in this forte. At Big and Tall stores, I can purchase 2XT or 3XT shirts, both of the “T’s” symbolizing their extra length (tall). Along with the conflict of shirt sizes come pant sizes. In a regular store it is not uncommon to find a size 42 waist. The only problem is that in a regular store, any size 42 pant is likely to have a length built for someone who is just as tall as they are wide. To get this length (34 or 36), shopping at a Big and Tall store offers such convenience in their selection and fit. Along with the pants and shirts, another clothing item that is impossible to locate in certain sizes in retail stores is shoes. I sport a size 17 shoe, with a special width (EE or EEEE). It is a stretch for any regular department store to have any shoes over a size 14. Having passed that size some years ago, even in a Big and Tall store, it is nearly impossible to locate shoes in my size. With these size issues in mind, you can see that I do not shop at Big and Tall stores because I am overweight. I shop at these locations because my height is much more than average.
When it comes to a size range, Big and Tall stores, especially Casual Male XL has a huge range, much larger than almost any store I’ve ever been in. Their jeans selection is enormous. Most regular brand names stop their pant sizes at 42, with only some companies going to 44. Big and Tall stores go well into the next two decades of pant sizes beyond the previous maximum. Many of these companies also stop their pant length at around 30 or 32. Big and Tall companies can sometimes hit the 40s in lengths. People should be more accepting of Big and Tall, not as the euphemism for overweight, but as a tool for oddly shaped men in need of a few sizes not offered at regular stores. The stereotype could be downplayed if people did not take so much offense to the idea of shopping at a Big and Tall store. It is understood how it can be taken offensively, the idea that you need to shop at one of these stores, but it shouldn’t be.
Big and Tall stores are a saving grace for me, but they are also taboo for many others. Taking offense to consideration of being a consumer at a Big and Tall store only propagates the weak basis for a stereotype. This builds the euphemism to include people who are insecure about being overweight. If it could be understood that Big and Tall stores are an amazing tool for disproportioned people as opposed to the ignorant idea of it being a place for fat people to get clothes, then there is a possibility that we can eradicate this stereotypical concept, completely.
Resources:
Brown , Rodger. “CASUAL MALE GRAPPLES WITH ‘BIG AND TALL’ STEREOTYPE.” International Council of Shopping Centers March 20062006 10 Apr 2008 <http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/sct0306/retail_casual_male.php>.
Brandon. “JC Penney: Excuse Me Sir, ‘The Big & Tall Section Is Over There…’.” The Consumerist March 2008 10 Apr 2008 <http://consumerist.com/364777/jc-penney-excuse-me-sir-the-big–tall-section-is-over-there?cpage=2>.
