L. Paul Cline August 27, 2013

Weight gain – usually not a welcome event, but it happens in almost everyone’s life.  So what can you do about your wardrobe when life takes a turn toward expansion?  We’ll address the main elements of your wardrobe individually.

1.    Shirts
Most men’s dress shirts are constructed to fit guys with healthy midsections, so the body of the shirt may fit for a good while if you are gaining weight.  However, the neck and sleeves may be less accommodating.  Sometimes the neck button can be moved about ½ an inch or a collar extender can be employed to offer relief.  A good tailor may be able to replace the neckband and collar with an almost matching or contrasting fabric that can also offer a better fit.  Replacing cuffs with slightly wider ones can relieve the sleeve length issue, but anything more than ¾ of an inch would be pushing it.   Shirt seams rarely leave any room for alteration, so when fit issues go beyond collar and sleeve length, it’s time for new shirts.  Remember, to replace with neutral shades and patterns if your weight isn’t stabilizing.  You’ll want your wardrobe to be flexible until your weight changes settle down.

2.    Jacket
Jackets offer the most flexibility to handle weight gain because, for a while, leaving the jacket unbuttoned may be adequate to handle your weight gain.  Also, jackets are usually constructed with wider seam allowances than the other pieces in the male wardrobe.  If your jacket is not lined you can see how much fabric is available for expansion, but with a lined jacket your tailor will be able to advise you as to the alteration possibilities.  Often alterations can accommodate 25 to 35 pounds of additional weight.

3.    Trousers
If you have been wearing custom made trousers the seam allowances are probably wide enough for alterations allowing up to two inches of expansion, but machine cut pants don’t usually have any room for change.  Trousers made without back pockets often allow for better alteration success than trousers with back pockets, so if your weight may still be moving upward and your trousers are custom made leave out the back pockets for a while.  The current fashion calls for flat-front pants, but if you enjoy great food you should take pleasure in wearing trousers with pleats for comfort and camouflage.  Finally, large men are generally more comfortable in pants that hang from the shoulders, so consider quality suspenders.

4.    Shoes
Surprisingly, weight gain can affect shoe size and is usually first noticed when suddenly your feet hurt.  If this becomes a problem, a cobbler may be able to professionally stretch your shoes for you.