I can't patch patches on crotch air-conditioning any more.

July 1, 2011 10:39 AM

Tall AND fat husband needs durable, non-cargo work pants for two jobs.

He's 6'3" and somewhere between 310 and 320 lbs now. Current size is 46x34. Job #1(appliance delivery) requires some color of khaki with no cargo styles allowed. Job #2 (grocery stock) requires black.

We have rarely been able to find suitable pants or jeans locally that fit even at smaller waist sizes. Big and Tall here seems to be Big OR Tall. LL Bean and Land's End are being considered but he wears through the inside thighs very quickly so cheap is also a requirement.

Ideally, I want to find a supplier that has the same style with the correct fit in black and khaki, and will not discontinue them next season.

5.11 Tactical used to have a Covert Cargo style that he loved, now discontinued and replaced with visible stitching on the cargo pockets even though the pockets are internal.

posted by Talia Devane to clothing, beauty, & fashion (18 answers total)

JC Penny mail order is pretty reliable - they will have St. Johns Bay stuff year round, and available online unhemmed at 37" in big waist sizes. Right now, they're on sale for $20, and figure $5-$15 to get them hemmed at the local tailors. Occasionally they'll have premium brands, like Haagar or Dockers, in Big sizes as well.
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:49 AM on July 1, 2011

My husband is an inch taller than your husband and just about as heavy.

We get him Carhartt pants at our local sporting goods store. They have lots of styles but there is usually only one or two pairs of each in the larger sizes.

Carhartt pants have been really durable for my husband and he wears them both to his office day job and to his Handyman side work (different pairs of course!)

We've been getting him these pants for a couple of years now and we haven't once had a crotch air conditioning problem!
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:50 AM on July 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Carhartts. Maybe Twill Carhartts.
posted by t_dubs at 10:51 AM on July 1, 2011

(The inseam is 37" unhemmed, waist sizes from 46" up to 60")
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:51 AM on July 1, 2011

Dickies work pants
posted by candyland at 10:53 AM on July 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I wear these pants from Land's End daily, and I'm very happy with them. The "comfort waist" treats me well, and they last a good long time.

(Off-topic, does your husband wear a belt or suspenders? I ask only because switching to suspenders was the best sartorial decision this fat man has ever made. I buy mine from Holdup.)
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:56 AM on July 1, 2011

I would go with Dickies brand. He might also want to look at carpenter style pants.
posted by oddman at 11:00 AM on July 1, 2011

Duluth Trading Company. Fire Hose Work Pants (currently wearing them) are ridiculously comfortable and seemingly indestructible. They have ball room. They have waists available in most products up to 48 and inseams up to 34. Some Big and Tall stuff goes up to 50 and 36. I will say that their waist sizes can run smaller than expected and length longer than expected compared to my previous brand Levi's.

If he goes with the fire hose material, expect the need to beat them with a baseball bat for 10 minutes to lose their stiffness. They wanted to fold back up on themselves out of the packaging.

Triple stiched seams. Extra material on the hemlines to stop them from wearing out. Their commercials crack me up. Free shipping promo codes come up constantly. Most importantly: I have worn two pairs of their pants for about 4 months straight. I have yet to even put a dent into the crotch of the fire hose pants and the jeans are just barely worn. Their pants are hands down the best everyday pants I've ever owned. They haven't even so much as paid me a dime to sing their praises.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:03 AM on July 1, 2011 [3 favorites]

Old Navy is having a sale on these linen-blend pants, in his size. Probably you can only get these through mail order.
posted by annsunny at 11:22 AM on July 1, 2011

Seconding Dickies work pants. Roomy, many sizes, very durable, and available with a useful 'cell phone pocket' which should pass the 'no cargo pants' rule.
posted by jpeacock at 11:25 AM on July 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Dickies are the best.
posted by Think_Long at 11:26 AM on July 1, 2011

and will not discontinue them next season

When you do finally find something suitable, why not preemptively solve this problem by buying a dozen pairs of each?
posted by elizardbits at 12:13 PM on July 1, 2011

Seconding the Duluth Trading company pants. The fire hose pants are much heavier and more durable than Carhartts but also stiffer. The stain resist thing on mr oneear's pants seem to be working and I expect these to last awhile.

If you do want Carhartts go with the Dungaree fit - it is the roomiest. I agree that the Duluth Trading waists seemed smaller than the Carhartts of the same marked size. Sierra Trading Post sometimes has good deals on Carhartts - but they do closeouts so this won't solve your problems with things being discontinued.

elizardbits - a dozen pairs of each would run $1000+ which might be more than one wants sink in spare pants.
posted by oneear at 12:30 PM on July 1, 2011

Thirding Duluth's fire hose pants.
posted by saladin at 12:40 PM on July 1, 2011

Fourthing Duluth's stuff.
posted by zombieApoc at 1:25 PM on July 1, 2011

Definitely interested in the Duluth stuff. That's exactly what I was looking for. So, follow up question is: Any catalog codes to save a few bucks?
posted by Talia Devane at 2:03 PM on July 1, 2011

T11C102P is a code for current specials. T11RT07 is the current free shipping code (orders of $50 or greater.) Both good until 7/27.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 2:36 PM on July 1, 2011

Land's End and LL Bean both have unlimited lifetime warranties on all of their products. That means that if the pants don't hold up, even years later, you can return them for a full refund or an exchange. So they're very cost effective over time.
posted by decathecting at 9:07 PM on July 30, 2011