Short Shrifted

When Seth Levinsky first contacted me back in May to let me know that he’d launched Shortees — the world’s first-ever T-shirt company by and for short men — I was floored. I broke the news to you in this post (which is worth a read if you haven’t already). And I was excited when Seth sent me some actual tees. With two choices of hem lengths (Short and Extra Short) in sizes ranging from Small to XXL, I figured: What more could you ask for?

Well, some good designs, mainly. But I’m getting ahead of myself… There’s so much they get right.

When it comes to fit, Shortees nails it.

I can’t emphasize enough just how huge that is. Fit is by far the toughest thing for us short guys when it comes to clothes. In some ways, your typical off-the-rack T-shirt is even a lot worse than other articles of clothing. The average industry length ranges from about 28 to 32 inches long. But unlike, say, dress shirts, T-shirts are notoriously difficult to have tailored. They just never look right.

Not a problem with Shortees. Every size (from Small to XXL) comes in two different lengths, both of them significantly shorter than average: 25 inches and 26.5. That’s the thing that I love about Shortees. Not just that the shirts are short, which is great, but that they’re offering us options — something smaller guys are sorely lacking.

These options are an absolute godsend for guys struggling with nightshirt-length tees. Especially heavier men, because as they know all too well, as a shirt’s chest size increases, length usually goes up accordingly. As Seth told me: “If you happen to be more muscular or have some extra pounds there is no way you can go with a typical Small or Medium, so you are always stuck with a 29.5-31″ shirt.” Have you ever seen an XXL shirt that’s 25 inches long? All I can say is: these guys are for f—ing real.

So how does the advertised length stack up against the actual?

Dead on. At least, for the shirts that I tried: a Small in each of the different lengths and a Large in the shorter size. In my experience, actual measurements usually differ a bit (sometimes even greatly) from what’s listed on a company’s size chart. So I really appreciated that these were more exact. That’s the whole point, eh?

How well did they fit me?

At 5-foot-5, 130 lbs, both Smalls fit me great. The shorter one probably better, which squares with what Seth told me originally: “I recommend that people under 5′6″ try the 25-inch length, and those between 5′6″ and 5′8″ go with the 26.5.”

Chest size was 20.5/21-inches across on the Smalls, 22.5 on the Large. And after my usual laundry cycle (cold wash, tumble dry low) they seemed to shrink about half and inch to an inch across and about the same in length. Not bad. Sleeve length was good on the Smalls (about mid-bicep), but a bit longer on the Large. It wasn’t down to my elbow or anything, but my guess is it could stand to be shortened up a tick. Granted, I’m not a Large and was just testing one out to cover all the bases, so take my sleeve critique with a grain of salt; it might be perfect for someone who actually is that size. I also think they could stand to add an XS size. But I’m splitting hairs.

And costwise?

These pass muster. At $20 a pop, that’s a decent price for a graphic tee. The fact that these will actually fit you is almost priceless.

So what’s rub?

In my opinion, the designs are lame. Besides fit, graphics are the next biggest selling point… or potential turn-off. The four designs Shortees currently offers don’t happen to be to my personal taste. But I see other people wearing stuff that looks similar to this, so my criticism isn’t so much that I just don’t like the looks of them. My real problem is that they’re generic-looking. This is, unfortunately, a real bummer.

Luckily, they also come in white and black. OK, twenty bucks is a little pricey for a plain tee, but the material is nice and the fit is unmatched. And every guy needs at least one of each color in his wardrobe — I’m glad mine come from Shortees.

I don’t do much cheerleading on this site. Especially when it comes to official product reviews. As always, I think I’ve been fair with this review, laying out the positives, but not shying away from criticism.

That said, this is a brand that I really want to succeed. You guys probably do too.

Shortees is off to a great start. The length options are unprecedented, the fits are good and will hopefully get even better, and the price is moderate. The only major problem area — lackluster design — is something Seth is fully aware of and wants to improve. At 5-foot-5-and-a-half, he’s one of us.

There is so much potential here. So let’s make sure it happens:

I never cut and past anything on this site, but this is an exception. Jimmy Au’s, a specialty clothing shop for shorter men in Beverly Hills, is coming to NYC for a few days later this month. (see my review) Since NYC — shockingly — doesn’t have any retail options exclusively for short men, this is a great opportunity for those of us in the metro area to check out their options. If you’d like to attend Jimmy Au’s NYC Trunk & Road Show, please note that it’s appointment only. So give Jimmy and Alan a call — and tell ‘em Short Shrifted sent you. Read on for the press release:

For those of you who have never been to our Beverly Hills store, this is a chance to experience a little taste of the selection and fit of a garment that is specifically designed for men of shorter stature. Multiple sizes and styles will be available for you to try on in order for you to get a feel for what our collection is about.

The Road Show will feature items from our Ready-to-Wear collection including suits, sport coats, dress slacks, leather jackets, casual pants, casual jackets, premium jeans, sport shirts, and dress shirts.

The Trunk Show will feature, for the first time, our Made-to-Measure program; including all Jimmy Au suit types in both Short and Extra Short sizes. The program will include hundreds of swatch options, many imported from the finest mills of Italy, like Loro Piana, Ermenegildo Zegna, Barberis, Reda, E. Thomas, Angelico, Trabaldo Togna, Zignone, Amaretta, Fintes, Puro, and Garlanda. All are made with Bemberg linings.

Order three items or more from our NYC Trunk Show and receive a 20% discount; making it a made-to-measure garment at an off-the-rack price. All MTM orders placed after the trunk show will only be available at the regular price.

The Private Trunk and Road Show is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Call us at 310-888-8708 during regular business hours (listed below) and set up an appointment. There are limited appointment slots for fittings and viewings. We’d request that you make an appointment only if you are committed to attending.

JIMMY AU’S FOR MEN 5’8” AND UNDER
Beverly Hills, CA
310-888-8708
www.jimmyaus.com
11am–7:30pm Monday – Friday
10am–7pm Saturday
12pm–5pm Sunday

Seth Levinsky is 5-foot-5. And a half. If he stands with excellent posture. So he’s always had trouble with T-shirts that are too long for him. It’s a problem he shares with a small niche of the U.S. male population (the roughly 35 million men who are 5-foot-8 or under). So he decided to do something about it. The result of his efforts is Shortees.

As far as I know, this California-based company has created the world’s first T-shirt line exclusively designed for short men. How cool.

Their website explains:

“We didn’t just take a shirt and cut the bottom; we completely re-engineered the T-shirt. Every element has been redesigned. The length and width of the sleeves, the size and curve of the arm openings, the angle of the shoulders, the taper of the shirt… everything has been reinvented. We spent two years designing and then redesigning so it fits the way you really want a T-shirt to fit.”

As longtime readers of this blog know, even something as simple as wearing an untucked T-shirt can be a daunting task for a shorter guy. Most are cut way too long. And if you’re lucky enough to find one that’s short enough, chances are it’s a size Small or Extra-Small. Athletic or muscular builds — or guys who are at all hefty in any way — are simply out of luck. Because length always increase in proportion to chest size.

Totally unscientific, but I’d guess the average industry length ranges from about 28 to 32 inches. Not so Shortees. Seth told me:

“All shirts come in two lengths: 25 inches and 26.5 inches — and in sizes Small through XXL. I recommend that people under 5′6″ try the 25-inch length, and those between 5′6″ and 5′8″ go with the 26.5. It’s ultimately a matter of personal preference, as the 26.5 will still fit much better on someone under 5′6″ then anything else out there. As for what size individuals should order, I recommend they go with the same size they normally wear. Regardless of what size someone selects, the length will remain either 25 or 26.5.”

I don’t do much cheerleading per se on this site. But this is a brand that I really want to succeed. You guys probably do too. Given the dearth of retailers paying attention to us, it’s notable to the point of being almost unique that a company exists by us, for us. Seth’s idea is almost stupidly simple: make shorter shirts — but therein lies its genius. And he has plans to expand his clothing line to other areas if he’s successful. Good luck to him!

So check out Shortees. Try a shirt if you’ve got 20 bucks to spare. And give Seth your feedback.

OK, cheerleading over. In a few weeks I’ll be posting a very thorough review of an actual Shortees T-shirt (en route as I type this). As always, I’ll do my best to maintain the usual objectivity you all know me for. Stay tuned.

Link: www.originalshortees.com

Canada’s National Post just took a crack at that old chestnut: Everything You Need to Know About What to Wear If You’re a Short Man (In 500 Words Or Less). There’s plenty of the standard stuff — “Avoid bold patterns. Dark colours and pinstripes are more flattering. A monochromatic colour scheme from head to toe is the most flattering.”

But it’s actually a pretty decent take over all. Mostly because of Jeffrey Brown, veep at Brown’s Short Man, a specialty-clothing store in Toronto (Read my post about Brown’s here). He suggests:

More designers are starting to offer more options in shorter sizes, including Ermenegildo Zegna, Pal Zileri, BOSS Black and Giorgio Armani. The retailer even convinced Versace to cut an extra-short model of its fashion-forward business suit.

Samuelsohn, Versace, and Canali are also namechecked. I can’t verify any of the info because these brands are generally out of my price range. But this is promising news if you’re in the market for a nice suit.

Do you have any first-hand experience with any of these brands? Or Brown’s Short Man store?

Lebow Men’s and Boys’ Clothing in Natick, MA, (about 30 minutes from Boston) is shuttering after 80 years in business. Apparently, this old-fashioned haberdashery just couldn’t weather the current economic climate. Sad for many reasons. But especially, because it seems they they were a much needed resource for short men:

Lebow attributes the store’s longevity to three factors. “We’ve got that personal touch, quality merchandise and fair dealings,” he said. That merchandise includes fashions for short men. ”There are other stores selling men’s and boys’ clothing, but nobody around here carries clothes for the short man,” said Lebow. “They’re typically bought online.”

I don’t know about that. I’m staunchly brick-and-mortar for the vast majority of my clothes purchases. There’s just something about being able to touch the fabric, feel the fit, see the color — that immediacy — that the internet has yet to catch up to (no doubt it will).

I think he’s right about the internet having something to do with it, though. People still may not shop for clothes quite as much online, but this is where folks find out about stuff. Hence you. Here. Reading this blog. An old-fashioned store like this might not have marketed itself online as much as it could have. It was on Short Support’s list of Specialty Stores, though. Take a good look at that list again. There are thousands of big & tall shops in this country, but that’s about all we’ve got. Let’s hope we don’t have to cross off any others off the list.

A bit of a silver lining: if you happen to live in the Greater Boston Area, it may be worth a drive over to Lebow. According to the article, stuff is heavily marked down:

A yellow-and-black sign in the store’s second-floor window announces a liquidation sale with all items 40 percent to 75 percent off.

Lebow notes that the store still carries plenty of merchandise. In addition to clothes, the store is selling anything that isn’t nailed down, including pant racks, suit racks, leather chairs, cabinets, desks, a television set, an alterations mirror, rugs, office supplies, a microwave oven, a refrigerator and tables.

The store will set up special hours for people interested in buying items. Appointments can be made by calling 508-907-6223.

“We’d love our old friends and our new friends to come by and save a lot of money,” Lebow said.

Are you dashing yet dependable? Fashionable but friendly? Sartorially savvy and simultaneously successful in work, love, and life? Maybe you’re 2008’s Short Man of Style. FortheFit.com, an online clothes retailer for men under 5-foot-9, is sponsoring the first annual Short Men of Style contest this June, which just happens to be the shortest month in the calendar. Besides the glory of being proclaimed the most stylish short man of 2008 (and the sash — we assume there’s a sash, right? Miss America gets a sash…), the prizes are actually pretty cool:

It’s pretty easy to enter: Go to the entry form, fill out a few contact details, submit a picture, and write a 150-or-less essay. Time’s ticking on this, though. If you want a shot at the $750 wardrobe (and the bragging rights) you must enter before June 15.

It’s hard to know what you’ve been missing out on if you’ve never actually experienced it before. You can spend years eking out a mean existence with Budweiser, microwave nachos, and full screen DVDs before you discover handcrafted microbrews, Colston Bassett and the wonder of correct aspect ratios (OK, there’s a time and place for Bud and dipping nachos into radiated hunter’s orange sludge, but you know what I mean). Sometimes, these discoveries can knock you off your horse, Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus style (to get all Good Book about it). You realize with dismay that you’ve been wandering in a barren wasteland for years when Shangri-La was just around the bend.

My trip to Jimmy Au’s in Beverly Hills this summer was just such an eye-opener. Until I walked through their door, I don’t think I was fully aware that I had never truly felt comfortable in a clothing store before. The entire Jimmy Au’s experience was a revelation, one that set my personal shopping standards for fit, choice, and service much higher.

It all started with the mannequins. As I walked past their display windows something odd about their mannequins caught my eye. As I squinted at them, I suddenly realized what it was: we were the same height! I don’t think I’d ever been eye to eye with a mannequin before. It could have been creepy. But it was actually kinda cool.

It was founded over 40 years ago by Jimmy Au, 5-foot-3 himself, who was working as a tailor for jockeys on various horse-racing circuits. He saw a need and worked to meet it, and now he and his son Alan Au are smack dab in the middle of downtown Beverly Hills, just off Rodeo Drive. Along with their own line, they also carry appropriate sizes in brands like Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Jack Victor. Alan pointed out to me that their overall vibe and pricing is more in line with a place like Nordstrom’s (as opposed to many other short/tall stores, many of which seem to be more JC Penney). That struck me as a good analogy.

Inside, Jimmy Au’s is a smartly appointed space, at once roomy and cozy. Their store is packed with all manner of good stuff: suits, jackets, shirts, pants, ties, belts, the works. And it’s all designed for men 5-feet-8 and under. It’s frankly thrilling to be able to walk over to any rack or shelf and know that you’re probably going to be able to find something that fits you (they also do custom). Jimmy explained to me what sets them apart from 99% of the world’s designers. The men’s clothing industry designs everything for a base model of 5-foot-10, and then resizes both up and down from there, with proportion becoming compromised the further away from the base you are. The closer a person is to the base height, the more options they’ll have and the better fit they’ll find.

Jimmy Au’s starts with a base of 5-foot-4 and works incrementally up and down from there. The smaller set runs about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-1 and the larger sizing runs from 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8. This means that every aspect of his clothes is designed specifically for the short man, not designed for an average guy and simply-resized. It’s all about proportion. Their Web site explains it best:

“Here lies the first secret of his design; develop the right proportion for the coat and pants and their relation to each other. Jimmy reworked the proportion of the coat from head to waist and the pants from waist to foot. … The shirt is proportioned down to every detail. You won’t look like a flying squirrel in this shirt. Most shirts are too full for a shorter man. The pocket is too big and placed too low. Tucking in your shirt is uncomfortable because the shirttail is longer than your pant crotch line. On Jimmy’s model the shirts sleeves and shirttail are shorter, while the trim of the body and armhole has also been proportionately reduced. Details include a smaller pocket placed higher on the chest and a smaller placket on the arm.”

This attention to proportion is apparent when I was trying stuff on and checking out the great fit in the mirror. But what’s also nice about it is that it’s subtle in its detail. It’s not noticeable. Meaning: it doesn’t look like you’re wearing a Special Short Guy Suit or anything; you just look good, end of story.

They accomplish this in all sorts of different ways, some straightforward, some pretty ingenuous. For instance, Jimmy and Alan explained that they tend to choose vertical stripes or smaller patterns for their shirts, and they also use buttons of the same color (which I never would have thought of). Suits often have peak or narrow lapels. Pants have lower rises. Ties come in two widths, regular (which is actually about a half inch narrower than average) and skinny, and they trend at least two inches shorter than standard ties.

Best of all, the staff at Jimmy Au’s was pitch perfect: warm, friendly and knowledgeable when I needed them and low-pressure and hands-off when I just wanted to browse in peace. All in all, it was a great experience, one that really made me feel good about my size, my appearance, and shopping in general. I can’t wait to go back.

Apparently, Chicago isn’t all big (Lake Michigan) and tall (Sears Tower). Specialty store Napoleon’s Tailor has been El-evating men of short stature since 1994, specializing in office- and casualwear for the 5-feet-8 and under. Last week, Chicago Sun-Times writer Kara Spak did a feature on the store, “Selling Short.” In the piece, owner Gary Anders (5-foot-5) drops the lowdown on his store:

Anders said the difference his wares — which includes brands such as Calvin Klein and prices ranging from JCPenney to low-end Nordstrom — provide is proportionality. Sleeves and the pants’ rise are shorter. Pockets and zippers are smaller. The store even sells socks for shoe sizes 5-9.

So if you happen to live in or be visiting the third largest city in the US (or its outpost in Milwaukee), give it a try. I’d love to hear your feedback. In the meantime, those of us who live in el numero uno, well, we’ll just have to make do without a single specialty store for short men. How is this possible?! According to Spak’s story, I’m not the only guy wondering why:

Chris Hamre, the 5-foot-3 vice president of the National Organization of Short Statured Adults, said buying clothes, even in his hometown of New York City, is a nightmare. “New York is supposed to be the clothing, retail and fashion capital of the world, and there’s no stores in New York City for short men,” he said. “It’s really difficult to find clothes.”

C’mon, NYC. Show us some love.

More on Napoleon’s Tailor: A low-budget Chicagoland public-access station bumbles their way through the store:

If you were unlucky enough to watch the Emmys, you’re probably still reeling from Seacrestsickness. But hopefully, you caught a red-carpet glimpse of Rex Lee (Entourage), Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Oscar Nunez (The Office), and James Kyson Lee (Heroes). They’re short men. And they looked good. Because they were all wearing Jimmy Au.

Jimmy Au’s is a great men’s store that caters to the 5-foot-8-and-under crowd. In fact, five-foot-8 is stretching it; they focus primarily on even shorter men, and everything they have is proportioned accordingly. If you’re in LA, they’re worth a visit any day of the week. According to an e-mail I got from Alan Au, the Trunk Show is your chance to get their made-to-measure suits, sportcoats and trousers at off-the-rack prices. I didn’t see any info on the sale on their Web site, so here are the details from the e-mail:

“All orders can be made in the new Jimmy Au model available in BOTH short and extra short sizes in your choice of a 2 button single breasted narrow peak or notch lapel. You have the option of either a flat front or pleated front short rise trouser. The previous Jimmy Au model is also still available if you prefer a slightly roomier model of a more American cut. Also in both short and extra short. … Or perhaps you have a very unique build where you never seem to find anything that fits. … This is a great chance to find something that’s you.”

More details:

“The entire fabric collection will be available at a 20% discounted promotional price during the trunk show only! … Looking through hundreds of swatches is like shopping at a manufacturing plant. The selection is huge. … Those placing orders during the trunk show will also receive FREE expedited service ($100 value). Instead of waiting 6-7 weeks for your garment to arrive, it will arrive in 3 weeks! … If you wish our selection in your size was bigger, more conservative, more contemporary, more luxurious, more you. Take advantage of this great opportunity and make an appointment for next weekend’s trunk show.”

So if you’re in LA this coming weekend, cruise on over to Beverly Hills and check out Jimmy Au’s Trunk Show. It’s happening September 21 through 23. And check back here soon for a post on my visit to Jimmy Au’s.