SoCal said:
I don't know where else to put this but thank goodness it's raining men on TI because I could use a man's help right now.
Let's take a survey. If any tall, skinny guys are here, please raise your hand. Where do you buy your jeans?
My boy, who just turned 13, is now 6 foot tall!, 125 lbs. (That is not a typo.) He only likes wearing jeans all of the time. He won't wear shorts. He has a 27" waist & a 32" inseam. Imagine what this does to the mom shopping for BTS clothes. I've been to: Levi's store @ Irvine Spectrum, Tilly's @ Irvine Spectrum, Macy's, Old Navy, Kohl's, Target, looked online, etc. MOST stores' very smallest waist is 28 (usually in a 30 length). However, 30 is the actually most common small waist size. 32 inseams are even harder to come by. When they do have 32's, the waist is usually larger EVEN ONLINE. Right now, we have a smorgasbord of jeans, one each from the above shops. The best bet so far has been "Levi's action jeans" from Kohl's. I got them in a 29x32. He wears them with a belt. It's a bit of a "lunch sack waist" but it's either that or have high-water pants -- LOL! I should mention we don't like the "skinny jeans" trend that is popular right now. He likes relaxed jeans or will do a slim cut if he has to but doesn't like them hugging his legs. Any tips are helpful.
Just ask your neighborhood gay guy where to get the slim waisted jeans. Probably the best place by far for you would be the abercrombie kids store at South Coast Plaza. They have small sizes that you can get on sale or clearance for under $20. Unlike most youth offerings, these are simply smaller sizes of what the adult store has, so no one will know they are from a youth store. They look mature and are good quality. They come in a variety of fits, so you can pick which you like best. This store is very constant, with styles that are almost never updated, so you can stop by any time and expect to find whatever it is that they offer.
Next best place is Armani Exchange. Very stylish and high quality, and absolutely designed for the thin and fit. They have new collections each month and the last month's collection is always available on clearance. The sticker price can be high but they always have sales. Last week, clearance was 40% off and the storewide sale was 60%, so that was a combined 76% discount off sticker. This is definitely the best store for thin guys overall, just more expensive than abercrombie kids. Over the annual cycle, you can find practically anything a thin guy needs: swimwear, winterwear, workout clothes, blazers, slacks, pima t-shirts, polos, dress shirts, and so on. Since they have monthly collections, there is a lot of variety over the course of a year, so don't give up if you don't see something you like one month.
You can try H&M, which is cheap, but the quality is lower. Their fabrics are courser and start out looking more faded and worn. Beyond that, go to the Citadel Outlets. You can find all kinds of brands there that offer small sizes without the hassle you wrote about of driving from mall to mall to visit one store at a time, just to see full price merchandise that is often ugly or made for the obese. Armani Exchange has an outlet there, so you can get an even bigger discount. Try Banana Republic, any stores you see that you like the style of, and especially the stores that sell several brands, so you can flip through them fast. Once you spot the brands you like, you can get on their mailing lists and visit their regular stores at the right time, if you don't like outlet shopping.
One problem with being in the suburbs is the corporate bean counters assume people there are more obese, so that's what they design and merchandise for. You can try hipster areas like La Brea in Los Angeles, but it would be very hit and miss. If you're up there, you can try Topman, but it leans toward skinny cuts, like many other British designs. And if you want to be a tourist, go to LASC on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood.
I know it can be very tough shopping as a thin and fit guy, but start with abercrombie kids and Armani Exchange. And protein. Feed him protein. Protein bars, Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, vitamin B12, and send him out on long, uphill hikes or something like that. Then this won't be a problem anymore.