Lane Bryant. They have plus sizes. I usually take a size 26 or so blouse, in numbered sizes. or a 3XL. Skirts are not probs. I am a size 8. I pick up a surprising amount of very nice stuff at goodwill. My fur came from there... fifty bucks, and I know that rascal cost at least a couple grand, new, and IT FITS ME! Arms and all! Mine are just under 19" but a fair portion of that is fat and water. If I were to cut down to veins and cuts, they would probably be a bit over 17", maybe nearly 18".

I can actually get into the (I think) 505 Levis, without having a waist that is too terribly baggy. Or maybe it is 555. Something like that. Anyway, they are looser through the thighs than the regular levis. I almost never wear pants, but when I do, I have those two pair of Levis that I can squeeze into if the quads aren't pumped up, for working around the house or on Nellie, my dear old '63 Nova.

My biggest problem is usually my calves. Girlfriend, I searched FOREVER to find a pair of boots I could wear! It is a bit chilly for pumps right now.

You can hardly go wrong with stretchy stuff, when dressy attire is not required. Often you see men wearing a coat or blazer over a knit sweater these days, or even a sport coat over a polo shirt. Still, there are times when a gentleman is expected to wear a proper shirt with a hard collar. Don't be bashful about getting the next bigger size. Also, if money is not too tight, you might think about having your shirts made for you. This can be pretty reasonable overseas. I know an official with the ILA who frequently flies to Bangkok for sex vacations, and he has a tailor who re-measures him (He is sort of portly, to be generous about it, and growing portly-er each year he sits behind a desk instead of works on the docks.) every time he goes over, and makes him up a dozen new shirts. Depending on the exchange rate, he says the shirts in that quantity run him under $30 each. Not bad, for a bespoke shirt. In fact, off-the-rack shirts here can cost considerably more than that at Sears. He has had somewhat less success with suits made in Thailand, though. They can't seem to get the shoulders right. They look nice, drape well, when he is standing, but when he tries to stretch his arm forward, the arm of the coat sort of stays back where it was. It doesn't have the mobility of a nice Italian coat. He tried Hong Kong, but the prices are unreal there, these days. He also mentioned a tailor in Kao Hsiung, (Taiwan) but he had so little fun there that he won't stop just to buy clothes.

If you do like most men, and just go with a bigger shirt, you can have it tapered down to the waist so you don't have a big tent-like overhang, for around $10 per shirt anywhere that alterations are done. Try it with a cheap shirt before risking a $40 one. Remember, with your jacket on, the side seams do not show.

Funny, but it is easier to buy clothes for women with big arms or quads than for men with big arms or quads. Go figure.

Love
Anna