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VERY husky boy---where do you find clothes?


Ottakee
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Last night we got an emergency placement of an 11 year old boy. He is a 5th grader. He is about 4'10" and very very stocky. I believe his shirts are men's x-large. He was wearing sweatpants and has wide feet (but thankfully came with a pair of shoes that fit).

 

Where would you look for clothes for him? I would like to find stuff that would look nice and not just adult clothes where the shirts are way too long and so are the sweats. I would guess him to have a 26 inch inseam and 38-40 waist (again just a guess).

 

Are there any styles/cuts/brands, etc. that might work better for him? We likely need dress clothes ASAP as well as he will have a funeral to attend early next week.

 

We are in Michigan and they are expecting snow later today so just going with shorts is not an option for right now.

 

Give me your best ideas, esp. if they would work on a limited budget.

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I was afraid we might end up in the men's department and try to hem. Hopefully we can get more of his clothes today and I can even start to figure out sizes.

 

We will encourage activity and healthy eating. He is at the stage where he might be able to just grow into his weight when puberty hits.

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I will see about measuring him or at least gettng the waist size off his jeans shorts. Don't want to make it too akward for an 11 year old boy who just met us.

 

Worker just said it will be next week for sure before we can get into the house due to court/legal stuff that has to happen.

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Yes measure his pants if needed, much less embarrassing and easier. Look around for someone who will him if you don't have the time/equipment. You could guesstimate inseam by looking at the inseam in the shorts then eyeballing how far from end of the shorts to his ankle??

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My guess is that you are going to have to go to the men's dept. and buy pants for the waist and have them hemmed. Good luck.

 

I agree. If you're guessing his waist is 38-40, I don't think any boy's husky size is going to work. You're most likely going to need to buy men's clothes and have them altered.

 

Any chance you can alter them yourself, or know someone (in your church, perhaps?) who can help? I'm sure you can find options at the thrift store, but having them altered is likely to cost more than the garment itself, you know?

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Dockers and Old Navy brands are cut "big". For casual, Walmart, Sears and Old Navy carries more husky sizes around here. For dress clothes, dockers at Sears, Burlington coat factory and Macy's have more.

For shoes, Dockers has wide ones that are affordable when on sale.

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My ^dd^ had a lot of weight gain due to steroids as part of her cancer treatment. We ran into a lot of other kids with similar issues. Almost all of them bought larger pants in adult sizes that they hemmed down. The greater issue is going to be a dress shirt...there you are dealing with sleeve length and shoulder width in addition to stomach girth. Go short-sleeved on the shirt.

 

I'd call all of the local charity thrift shops and explain the situation...and if you don't sew, find a friend who sews or a tailor who will cut you a deal. Most people are willing to help if they know there is a specific need.

 

For everyday wear....athletic pants and t-shirts are a great way to go when weight fluctuation is a possibility.

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Thanks all. I did look at his one pair of shorts and they are a 34 but I am not sure they fit.....so I would figure 34/36 waist. He does have a large stomach. We have a swimsuit here that should fit and he has enough to get through the weekend. They hope to get back into his house next week to get more things and then I will know more what he has that fits and is in decent shape, etc.

 

He was just outside running around trying to chase and catch a chicken. We have lots of outdoor activities here so hopefully we can increase his activity level and provide some healthy meals and snacks. With everything else though going on his size is not primary.

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We usually buy pants through Land's End because they will hem for free. If the length you need is shorter than the shortest they have listed, just put it in the comments.

 

Shirts are a problem, because the adult sizes aren't cut right all the way. You can try Land's End, but they might not go large enough. The fostering agency might be able to hook you up with a seamstress who can tailor stuff for free/low-cost.

 

Old Navy carries some stuff online. Check out Kmart, JC Penney's, and Sears as well.

 

For PJs, I buy either shorts style, or I "hem" the pants with pinking shears. (zig zag cut) Easier then hemming.

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We went to Walmart today and got 2 pairs of jeans and some shorts, a few shirts, etc. We have a lady that will hem the jeans for us. I am even wondering if it would look better for her to hem his Polo and maybe a few of the plain t-shirts so they won't hang down so long on him.

 

Any other hints to make the clothes fit better or styles that look nice on a short husky 11 year old?

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I didn't buy a ton of stuff as I can do laundry frequently and boys aren't so worried if they only have 3 pairs of jeans. I am hoping that he will either start getting taller or possibly loose a few pounds with the added exercise and healthier diet here.

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We went to Walmart today and got 2 pairs of jeans and some shorts, a few shirts, etc. We have a lady that will hem the jeans for us. I am even wondering if it would look better for her to hem his Polo and maybe a few of the plain t-shirts so they won't hang down so long on him.

 

Any other hints to make the clothes fit better or styles that look nice on a short husky 11 year old?

 

Don't hem the shirts. You will kick your own behind in a few weeks if he grows taller or they shrink. Just make sure he has a nice belt for when he needs to have the shirts tucked in.

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  • 10 years later...
  • 5 months later...
On 8/21/2023 at 5:45 PM, Ottakee said:

He did.  He is now a tall slim young man

I know this was 11 years ago but we are dealing with exactly the same situation. We adopted him and I have been searching for clothes constantly. I usually have to get men’s sizes and get them hemmed. Obviously this isn’t a problem for you anymore but for anyone else who comes across this thread searching for answers I have also found that buying women’s petite plus size comfy pants works too. Then you don’t need to get them hemmed. Of course make sure they don’t look like women’s and I just order them and have him try them on so he doesn’t know they came from the women section. The thing that is so frustrating is that our son doesn’t look like he is too big for husky sizes. He is just very wide on top of being overweight. I’m happy to hear this young man grew out of it, it gives me hope. Our son is 10 years old in 5th grade. Thanks for all you have done with fostering. We’ve been lucky enough to adopt 4 kiddos that we had as foster placements and we are so very proud of each of them. 

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