'Slim-fit' doesn't fit. Where else should I shop for shirts?

May 8, 2008 8:05 AM

For years, I've bought my favorite work and casual shirts at Banana Republic. I like their styles, which are not too conservative, but not too out-there either. This year, they suddenly stopped carrying normal cut shirts. Instead, every single shirt in the store is 'slim fit', which doesn't fit me at all. What other clothing stores (in NY) should I visit to find nice shirts but a normal fit? I checked out Gap, but they have the same problem as BR, and only sell 'slim fit' shirts now. I'm not interested in 'fashion designer' clothes, so Bloomingdale's is out. What other stores should I check out that have a similar style as BR?
posted by lsemel to clothing, beauty, & fashion (7 comments total)

Not quite the same style, but close enough, perhaps: Eddie Bauer? Their sizes seem to run larger than most brands (note that I am a petite woman).
posted by desjardins at 8:11 AM on May 8, 2008

Not directly addressing your question, but you're sure to be able to find your old faves at a BR Outlet. Also don't forget eBay. Search 'banana republic' 'regular' 'nwt' (new with tags).

This has worked for me with my favorite fit of pants.
posted by k8t at 8:20 AM on May 8, 2008

I think the majority of your men's "mall" brands have shirts with wider torsos. Try J. Crew or the shirts in Macy's department store. I think Express Men has non-slim fit shirts. After that, browse around A|X, H&M, Club Monaco, and ZARA.
posted by junesix at 8:32 AM on May 8, 2008

There was a whole thread on a similar subject on TomatoNation last week. Specifically, it is about t-shirts being too long, but I have found the the too-long shirt trend has a direct coorelation with the 'slim T' thing.
Link is here, scroll down to the second question and the comments from readers for recommendations.
posted by 8dot3 at 8:35 AM on May 8, 2008

My husband has the same issue--all of the new BR clothes are too slim for him, which is a laugh because he's spent his whole life dealing with being too slim for the way most clothes were cut, and even now his new slightly thickened, early-middle-aged waist only puts him on the slim side of regular, in my opinion. Macy's (at least our Macy's) is kind of crap for women's clothing, but they have a huge men's department that's not half bad, and you can find the same kind of BR-type styles there, which I don't feel you can at J. Crew, Eddie Bauer, etc.
posted by HotToddy at 8:57 AM on May 8, 2008

Normal cut shirts make you look like a sloppy American. By "normal fit" I am assuming you mean baggy and long. If your body is not model-perfect, try having them custom made or buy European labels. This is not "fashion designer" - it is just taking pride in your appearance.

If you buy at least a few, you can generally get a nice custom made shirt for not much more than what you would pay for a nice shirt at an upscale department store.
posted by charlesv at 9:40 AM on May 8, 2008

H&M sells some nice men's dress shirts, if you avoid the very cheap ones. A fair number will be slim fit, but they have plenty of traditional fit as well at around $40 a shirt. Check out the H&M on 5th Ave. and 51st, which has a much larger men's suiting department than others around the city.
posted by monkeygenius at 1:33 PM on May 8, 2008