photo: juicyuk.com
Since becoming the SF Menswear Examiner I have received many emails and comments. Some of them are positive, some negative and I even received a rather dirty one that'll probably not get shared without me being first plied with copious amounts of 2007 Belle Glos Rosé of Pinot Noir (just saying). Feedback is an essential part of this job - it tells me what's working and what's not and it informs me of the job I'm doing as a writer/blogger/columnist/whatever.
All of these articles were written at the behest of my readership:
The big boy's guide of how to dress
Man Bags
Basics - Dr. Bronner's
A conversation with John Fluevog
Late last week I received an email from a reader, we'll call him "Ken", which read: "Well as the menswear examiner, you should know that Macys no longer stocks suits larger than 46.
This really sucks for those of us who occasionally have to dress like we are employed and don't have the physique of a 13 year old."
This, of course, got me thinking. I went to the Google machine, got the phone numbers of four bay area Macy's stores and started dialing.
(*please note, I have intentionally omitted the names of the Macy's employees here - the people I spoke to are "Associates," not official spokespersons for Macy's and I'd hate to get someone in trouble for helping me do my job)
The first store I called was the one in Corte Madera. The Associate who answered the phone after I jumped through all the voicemail hoops sort of confirmed Ken's claim. I say "sort of" because the Associate wouldn't give me a yes or no answer. He said that his store stocks "some, but very few" and that there's a "general sizing down of all inventory." Fair enough.
Next, I called the Northgate store in San Rafael, jumped through the same voicemail hoops, and finally reached Associate #2. I told her that I'd heard a rumor that Macy's no longer carries men's suits larger than size 46. The one word answer she gave me caught me a little off guard - "true." "Excuse me?" I stammered. "It's true," she replied. Still a little surprised by her abrupt confirmation I thanked her for her time and hung up the phone.
The store I called next was the one in Novato at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. This time the voicemail was different. I kept waiting for it to say "for departments in the store, press 1 - for women's clothing and accessories, press 1 - for cosmetics and fragrances, press 2, for men's clothing and accessories, press 3." Instead, the voicemail lady kept going on about beds and furniture. Flummoxed, I referred back to the Google machine. This store doesn't sell men's suits larger than size 46 because all they sell is furniture and housewares. Duh.
The last place I called was the Union Square store in San Francisco. My first job in San Francisco was at this store. I had faith that I'd get to the bottom of this once and for all with this call. Press 1, press 3, ring-ring. The Associate who answered had a big, confident voice and was very forthcoming in response to my query. He proudly told me that his store stocks "up to 48 & 50 long." He went on to remind me that right now may not be the best time to look for a suit because "we're between seasons" and should be "seeing new inventory soon." He also informed me that stores that serve more densely populated and affluent areas like Stamford and San José tend to "have better selections of styles and sizes."
Thank you Mr. Union Square Associate! According to eHow.com, "the average American man man measures 42-44"." With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that stores outside of big cities (or anywhere, for that matter) would tend to avoid the pricey overhead of slower moving merchandise.
That said, I'm familiar with Ken's dilemma. I wear a size 50 jacket and I know how difficult and frustrating it can be to find a good looking suit in that size. So, the lesson learned here is, if you're a big boy, call around before you shop - doing so will save you a lot of legwork and aggravation.
If you have any questions, comments, or things you want me to investigate and report on, shoot me an email or leave a comment below.
Comments
Thanks for your research. I haven't been to Macy's in a while. The last time I was there I asked if there was a big and tall section and the associate said no. Then I asked if there was a short and fat section and the associate was appalled. He replied "I don't know how to respond to that, sir". Then I said something like "I don't know, how about just saying fatties should shop somewhere else." Sometimes I am the only one that thinks what I say is funny or clever. But, I continue to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Is it inappropriate for me to add I have a huge man crush on you? Mmmmmm, probably...I'll try to keep it more professional next time.
Reducing inventory to the minimum makes sense in this economic climate ... but it still doesn't help bigger men. Nor is it always so easy to find "portly" suits (i.e. for men who are bigger around the middle than the shoulders.) Ah, for the days of tailoring!
It isn't just big men either. In Minneapolis where our great Daytons/Marshall Field was replaced by down market Macys, they have eliminated most smaller sizes as well. If you are short, or a 40, forget it. They also got rid of athletic fitted suits. I guess if their strategy is to only sell to men who are 42-44, that is one plan, but they miss everyone bigger or smaller than that. I go to Nordstrom now, much better selection and better service.
Mr. Fish,
Being that you know so much about the fashion world at large (no pun intended), I can't figure out why you did not go right to the source and call the buying office to get a straight answer from the people who strategize sales plans and customer demographics. Trying to get useful information from underwhelmed Macy's associates is like going to the foot doctor for a toothache. Does Macy's "hate the fat man"? It's highly unlikely that is part of their mission statement, but like everything else, Macy's has and will continue to blandify the American shopping experience in their quest to overtake a mall near you. I like Doug would recommend Nordstrom for better service standards but preferably try to find a true haberdashery where they treat you like king regardless of your stature.
@gwillee - In my defense, being that I'm "press," I did contact Laura Smith, the Macy's West Media Relations Manager for fashion and I received no response. In fact, my email to her has yet to be answered.
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