There aren't many shops offering stylish big & tall clothes with a focus on customer younger than their mid-40's. This has been a reality of the business for years and years, and though some of the bigger companies in the market are slowly starting to focus on the younger set, they've still got a ways to go. In the meantime, smaller businesses around the world are trying to step up and fill that void – with varying results. Big Dude Clothing is an online only shop in the UK that's doing just this. At their site, you'll find sizes from 2X to 8X in shirts, and waist sizes to 70 in jeans (with 60+ in pants and 48 in chinos).
I talked to owner Darrell Freeman about starting the company, his favorite brands for big guys, and why it's so difficult to find clothing in styles and sizes we're looking for.
How did Big Dude Clothing come to be?
Big Dude Clothing came from a friend of mine moaning about struggling to find clothes in the sizes he wanted online! It was an idea that big and tall men were not being served as well as they could be, online in the UK. I thought that prices were too high and the websites offered a poor user experience – basically I thought that we could do better! So, here we are. We're not perfect, but as we grow we're planning to offer customers more features, such as videos of the products, and in-depth sizing info, all with the aim of improving the shopping experience.
I noticed you chose a big guy as a model for the site. It's great to see someone with a little girth to him wearing the clothing you're offering – you don't see that very often.
We decided to use a model as often as possible to better display the clothes we offer. Many of the other outsize men's clothing sites use normal size models or just photograph the products flat, we think our way gives the customer a better look at the product. In addition, we supply the measurements of the model and the size they are wearing so customers can compare to see if their ideal size is available. The model is my friend, Joe and he does a great job for us!
What sort of styles do you expect to be popular this summer?
Denim is back, in the way of denim shirts. Colorful chinos, trousers, and shorts will be very popular. Also, keep an eye out for flowery shirts this summer. With some great designs due into the store, we don't expect them to stay in stock very long.
Share a few of your favorite brands for big guys.
Wrangler is a timeless classic, and they produce a great pair of jeans. I also like the new brand Raging Bull, due to the quality of the garments. Another favorite is the brand D555, as they keep providing quality fashionable wear each and every season.
Do you ship to the U.S.?
We do ship to the USA, however, postage is quite high. Regardless, we still get many orders from the USA looking for the British brands that we carry. Hopefully this will continue to increase as we add more iconic British brands to our stock.
Why do you think it's so difficult for larger men to find clothes in the styles they like to wear?
I think it's partially because internet retailers don't provide enough info on the different sizing for the different brands. This makes some guys apprehensive when considering ordering online. Another major problem is that a lot of brands don't go over a XXL, therefore if you're a 4XL then your choice of brands is a lot fewer. Things are improving though and larger men have never had a better choice of clothing to wear.
See what else Darrell and Big Dude Clothing have to offer men of size at www.bigdudeclothing.co.uk
