Big and Tall

Let’s focus on one of my favorite topics: Andy! Andy is many things. He is a superb dad, is nothing short of miraculous in the kitchen, has a naïve innocence that is endearing and yet a hardness that stands up to pretty much anything, and is so unique in his thought process he keeps even me on my toes (!!). And yes, Andy is a wonderfully big man. He’s over 6 feet tall and he’s muscular, and when he engulfs 5’2” me in a bear hug, every single thing in my life clicks into place and I am at peace. Now you know about Andy. But did you know that we carry gear for Big and Tall men like mine?

Most people are aware that we carry larger sizes in pants and shoes and other work clothing. For example, our leather boots are sized up to 18, double-extra wide. Our flame-resistant pants extend to 54 waist and 36 inseam. Shirt sizes are up to 5XL. But when you buy for your man, do you remember your accessories?

To try some of our products out on Andy, I wanted to feature the “extras” you might not consider when shopping for work clothes for your big dog. I picked out Carhartt’s wool socks in Large, Online stores’ budget-friendly reversible belt (choose from a variety of styles regularly priced to $25, for only $5.95 each), and an Ergodyne Core Performance Workwear base layer shirt.

Andy educated me, on our first date, that his homemade daisy dukes (settle down, ladies; his are simply jeans cut off at the knee and left to fray) were like summer in your pants. When we spoke of our mutual admiration of brand new socks, I told him they were like a vacation on your feet. So this weekend, right out of the goodie bag, he picked the socks first. He liked the length – they are no-show but with a slight “lip” in back so the heel of your shoe won’t rub that delicate tendon. “Oooh! Carhartt! Wool! Are they winter socks?” he asked. I pointed to the “All season” text on the package. “Will you wear them?” I asked. “Oh yeah!” he said. That man gets excited about socks. “I like how they feel right away. Not scratchy like you’d think wool would be.”

The belt I wasn’t sure on fit, so I was glad that I could return it after he tried it on (see our return policy here). A few months ago, we had gone to a department store to get him a new work belt and it broke the third time he wore it, and me exchanging the belt for him was a true headache. It didn’t stand up to the rigors of his blue-collar management job and the department store’s customer service was bad enough I almost wrote to the company. Almost. Anyway, the Online Stores belt did not fit. It was the same exact length and stated size as one he currently wears, so it was sized properly – except the belt was made of thicker leather, which would add circumference, and it was wider, which would add resistance against his belt loops. If you order this one, I suggest ordering one a size larger. I got two different belts, both thinner; one his size and one a step up. This morning he showed me that they fit great. They looked great, too! “I love this belt,” he said. At this price, I’ll be buying more. Here’s a photo of Andy in his belt, getting ready for his workday (a little eye candy).

The dry-wick shirt is perfect for this time of year, when we head into cooler weather. It can be worn alone or as a layer. It is cut to fit snugly. “You know this is buff cut,” Andy said. “That means it’s going to be tight.” Yay for me!