Would You Ever Shop in the Boys Dept?
NYC fashion-and-otherwise writer Elliott David (StreetPeeper pix of him here, here, and here) just penned a great post about shopping the Ralph Lauren Kids store for T Magazine:
My brother, our father and his father are all just a little bit taller than shotguns, and wear suits as tight as barbed wire, sharp edged as bullet holes. The fact that I shattered the family height record doesn’t stand for much: I’m 5-foot-9-ish on a really good day. So how’s a bred-for-bespoke fella supposed to pay for fancy garb without two dimes to rub together?
Ralph Lauren Kids. I swear to God.
The fit is fantastic and the quality is just as good as Ralph Lauren’s other lines, but Polo Kids is half the price. If you’re around my height, able to fit into a [U.S. 38] or smaller, appreciate/can work with early Thom Browne sleeve lengths (about 23 inches, before things got real severe) and fancy a permanent 50 percent discount, you’d be wise to try on a jacket for yourself.
Read his full post on the NY Times site.
When I interviewed Steve Cardino of Macy’s way back, he talked about this trick, too:
I used to go to the Boys Dept. I used to buy Boys sizes like 18s to 20s.
One of the things that’s happened in the Boys industry is that so many of the brands that have been Men’s and Young Men’s have moved into Boys. If you go up to the kids floor [at Macy's], you’re going to see Polo, Tommy, Calvin, Guess – you’re going to see all the same brands. There are very few brands that are just children’s brands, unless it’s more of an infant thing (Osh Kosh, etc.).
I’ve definitely shopped in the Boys Dept. (but not for awhile; gotta get back). Before I moved to NYC, there just wasn’t many shopping options in Maine for a man of my stature. So, back in college, I supplemented my Gap XS stuff and Salvation Army finds with trips to the Boys sections at Old Navy and Target.
For literally the same exact shirt, I’d pay half what a guy buying it in a “Men’s” size would. Sure, some brands don’t work for whatever reason — sleeves or crotches or neck sizes are too small, or the style doesn’t translate generationally. But as long as you’re short and moderately slim, you’ll eventually hit on a goldmine — just like Elliott David. There’s really no downside here; just get over any self-consciousness you might feel and go.
So, what I want to know is: How do you feel about shopping in the Boys Dept.? And what brands/stores do you recommend (if any)?
April 17th, 2010 at 7:53 am
I used to, but I got too old for the styles, and tossed out nearly all of my plaid shirts. I still wear solids and casual clothes in boys sizes. I look much better in vertical stripes, something that I never see in the boys department. I’ve learned to totally ignore the size label, and use a tape measure to pick clothes that fit me. Don’t hesitate to try on a boy’s medium if large and XL are too big.
April 17th, 2010 at 8:35 am
I just tried this for the first time last weekend. It took so e pride swallowing, without a doubt. But I *cleaned up*! I bought a couple of Ralph Lauren Polos, two long sleeve button downs (one Tommy Hilfiger, one Macy’s house brand), a Macy’s t shirt, and a pair of Polo swim trunks, all for about $170. The Polos were $21! The stuff, all boys XL/20, fit really well. (I’m 5′4″, 137 lbs.) I wore the Hilfiger shirt to work yesterday. It was the same pattern check that I had seen in the men’s department, is short enough to wear untucked, if I want to (the only button down I own that is short enough to do that), and is relatively close fitting. It’s not as trim through the body as other shirts, like Banana Republic’s trim fit stuff; I think that’s how boy’s bigger sizes are cut. But it fits worlds better than most men’s smalls.
I didn’t try any pants there. I don’t know that those would fit well, but maybe I should try and see.
I aslo tried on a couple of suit jackets in Nordstrom’s boy’s department. None worked. If they fit in the shoulders, they were huge in the body. I guess boy’s cuts are for “husky” kids.
April 17th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Hickey Freeman boys’ are excellent, especially on sale.
I find that American-cut kids’ businesswear fits best on me (28″ waist, 36″ chest, 5′3″, 130lb). My chest and thighs are too big for polos, t-shirts, etc, but a little tapering at the waist and dress shirts come out perfect.
April 18th, 2010 at 10:35 am
I’ve been doing this for years at Macy’s Polo boys dept. Guess I’ll see you all there. My only suggestion is to try on the polo shirts on before you buy because one year they made the sizes way bigger than previous years. I just snatched up a bunch of mediums and I had to go back to exchange a ton of shirts.
I haven’t had much luck with sport coats, but guess i’ll have a look
April 19th, 2010 at 11:01 am
I used to buy clothing in the boys department when I was in college. Sadly, I put on a little bit of weight and I went from short and skinny to short and average. Even though the weight gain was small, it was just enough to make it impossible for me to buy boys clothing anymore.
April 19th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
You can buy vertically striped shirts for boys at the Ralph Lauren web site.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
All I bought in college were boy’s size 20 Polo buttondowns. Back in the 80’s the men’s BDs were crazy expensive. No one ever figured out where I was getting them until my girlfriend blew my cover.
When I worked in the boys department at Brooks Bros we had tons of men shop there. All about 5′8, 145 pounds and the boys flannel blazer fit them perfectly.
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:16 am
AC – re the age-appropriateness of the styles, some of the higher-end brands (e.g. Polo, BB, Hickey Freeman) might work. And check out Anon’s tip further down in the comments. He’s got a lead on vertical stripes.
10lbs – congrats on manning up for the boys dept. sounds like it was a goldmine.
David – I’ll have to give Hickey another shot; I tried on a suit jacket a few years back and it wasn’t working for me.
Randy – see you there!
Robert – would it be worth a shot trying some other kids brands? or the “Husky” size?
Anon – thanks for the lead on the vertical stripes.
Tintin – I had no idea Polo Boys was such a boon. I’ve got to get on that. And thanks for the behind-the-scenes BB insight — glad to hear that this is such a common practice.
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Thank you for posting this! I’m not the only one out there doing this. I am 5′ 6” and Ralph Lauren Kids fits me pretty amazingly. Depending on whether it is outer wear or shirts, sizes 14-18 work for me. With the prices basically being half of what adult sizes are, it’s a great idea. Try eBay as well, I’ve found some great sweaters and button downs for under $20.
Cheers.
May 23rd, 2010 at 8:00 am
I’m surprised this hasn’t been a major part of the blog before. Before I got lazy and just quit caring about my body I frequently bought boys XL, for the exact reasons that the cut fit me really well and the price fit my student budget even better.
As the trend moves that labels design more adult looking pieces for kids the getting for us lil guys should keep being good and only get better!