Target Target

[Daoud]

Target does seem to....well, target the young and svelte. Their XXL dress shirts aren't very XXL. Apparently we are an increasingly hefty country, and I find it odd and perturbing that you generally don't find suitcoats above a 46 and pants above 42 in most chain department stores. I guess folks such as myself, who are of a certain magnitude, so to speak, are supposed to wear sweats. It's no wonder many people only wear sports clothes- that's about all they can find without going to a lot of trouble.

 

[Jerekson]

It's the same for the other end of the spectrum as well, so don't feel mistreated.

I've found that most stores don't carry any jackets below a 40, or any pants below a 32.

 

[Selentino]

Target has been good to me. Went in today and saw some nice wool jackets/car coats, the XXL fit nice and the price was great and they look nice with fedoras. Also the sale racks were full of seersucker suits and vests.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Jerekson - my husband has had the same problems - especially in pants. And don't even plan on wearing pants if you have long legs!!

 

[Chad Sanborn]

Last year they had a run of velvet jackets with peaked lapels. I wanted a maroon colored one and traveled to 3 different Targets to get my size. None had a 38R. I settled for a black one. I love it. Looks great with grey pants and a white shirt. Very Classy!

 

[Jerekson]

I got one of the wool herringbone vests on Friday in the light brown color, and I LOVE it.

I think the only way it could be any better at all was if it had a self-back.

Definitely pick one of these up if you have the chance...it's a great outfit option. I wore it with khakis, red tie, white shirt and brown hat yesterday and it really pulled everything together and had a nice 30's look.

They only had two styles available, the brown herringbone and the charcoal pinstripe. Besides that I didn't really look around, all I saw were some really yucky looking velvet cordouroy vests and some pretty neat 50's mechanic jackets.

 

[Feraud]

Spotted at Target this weekend.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Looks pretty awesome to me!

 

[FinalVestige79]

I saw that too, Target is also carrying a vintage Merona line now!! I'm getting that jacket next time I stop over. I looked at it and thought...thats nifty.

 

[scottyrocks]

I got one of the wool herringbone vests on Friday in the light brown color, and I LOVE it.

I think the only way it could be any better at all was if it had a self-back.

Definitely pick one of these up if you have the chance...it's a great outfit option. I wore it with khakis, red tie, white shirt and brown hat yesterday and it really pulled everything together and had a nice 30's look.

They only had two styles available, the brown herringbone and the charcoal pinstripe. Besides that I didn't really look around, all I saw were some really yucky looking velvet cordouroy vests and some pretty neat 50's mechanic jackets.

I stopped in there yesterday on the above recommendation and found the Merona line. After trying on a few polyester vests that looked pretty good, I found a lone cotton, 4-pocket, medium-gray herringbone vest in my size. The inside of the back is sort of a seersucker pattern. The back is black. The back is two separate pieces of material. Nice heavy feel overall. Feels good. And I couldnt beat the price with a stick. I wouldve loved something in the brown family to go with my earthtone stuff, but this vest is great. Ill be heading back occasionally to try to find a brown one.

Question for anyone that bought one of these Meronas: the pockets on mine are sewn closed. Are there really pockets in there? IOW, I dont want to cut them open and find nothing. In that case, Id rather leave them closed.

 

[Fletch]

My tweed Merona vest, bought last fall, has 4 working pockets, but they're shallow. Too shallow to hold a pen or cigar upright - tho you could probably tuck a small cel phone or pocket watch in.

Here's a sample of how vest pockets ought to work, from Double Indemnity, 1944.

Edw. G. Robinson as Barton Keyes, the canny insurance man whose character centers on his vest, home to pens, pencils, cigars - and his gastric sixth sense, the "little man" who is never wrong.

 

[Feraud]

I saw that too, Target is also carrying a vintage Merona line now!!

What is a vintage Merona line?

Question for anyone that bought one of these Meronas: the pockets on mine are sewn closed. Are there really pockets in there? IOW, I dont want to cut them open and find nothing. In that case, Id rather leave them closed.

As Fletch noted, the pockets are real but shallow. I think the top pockets are deeper than the bottom..

 

[Forgotten Man]

Spotted at Target this weekend.

I think that's kinda neat, not a fan of the collar how the stripes change color and such.

Looks 20s/30s Varsity, but must fit like a circus tent I'd expect.

 

[scottyrocks]

My tweed Merona vest, bought last fall, has 4 working pockets, but they're shallow. Too shallow to hold a pen or cigar upright - tho you could probably tuck a small cel phone or pocket watch in.

All I need the pockets for are my watch and fob. Thanks!

 

[Feraud]

The fit is as bad as most modern jackets. The jacket looks decent with the arms down but the chest balloons up and out when you lift your arms. If only I didn't have to move my arms...

 

[scottyrocks]

What is a vintage Merona line?

I think its the type of vest i bougbt which is distinctly different from the two pocket poly vests that were there. Thicker cotton material, slightly rumpled, 4 pockets, nice fit.

 

[John in Covina]

Their XXL dress shirts aren't very XXL.

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I have always thought that the size correlation when the sizes are smaller than normal for listed size has to do with the country of origin. An XXL from the US is either a true XXL or sometimes even larger than expected. An XXL from a country in Asia somewheres tends to be a lot smaller sometimes almost a whole size smaller. WHY? Because throughout most of Asia men are shorter, smaller overall than Americans or Europeans. So the concept of what is big is smaller than ours. This seems to catch the US importers by surprise with their first shipments because the provincial thinking is an XL is an XL all over. Also sometimes the producers just don't follow instructions and they do what they want.:rage:

For stuff out of China, like those cheongsams I bought as gifts for friends, always buy one size up.

 

[Fletch]

I think its the type of vest i bougbt which is distinctly different from the two pocket poly vests that were there. Thicker cotton material, slightly rumpled, 4 pockets, nice fit.

Those suit separate vests are only available with 2 pockets. Current fashion tolerates the vest, but keeps it vestigial. For non-matching vests, tho, 4 is fine.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

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I have always thought that the size correlation when the sizes are smaller than normal for listed size has to do with the country of origin.

I don't agree. I have always thought that the size correlation had more to do with the manufacturing process than county of origin. Since the material in these shops is usually stacked high and then die-cut, the die may be measured as a true XXL but the fabric is going to be slightly different, depending on where it is in the stack. The difference you are seeing may be caused more by the volume of product and the quality control of the manufacturer than native size of the people in the country of origin.

Maybe someone closer to the garment industry can clarify this. I work in textiles, but in home fashions and bedding. It's not quite the same but I am sure similar processes used.

 

[John in Covina]

I don't agree. I have always thought that the size correlation had more to do with the manufacturing process than county of origin. Since the material in these shops is usually stacked high and then die-cut, the die may be measured as a true XXL but the fabric is going to be slightly different, depending on where it is in the stack. The difference you are seeing may be caused more by the volume of product and the quality control of the manufacturer than native size of the people in the country of origin.

Maybe someone closer to the garment industry can clarify this. I work in textiles, but in home fashions and bedding. It's not quite the same but I am sure similar processes used.

******
Your theory makes for variation of size but, but would that explain why products out of Asia are consistantly smaller?