36" Leg Jeans for Tall Men from 7 for all mankind

While I seem to be on the topic of jeans, here's another premium denim brand that offers jeans with a 36" inside leg (look for styles marked X-LONG). 7 for all mankind is a brand started in Los Angeles in 2000, and started producing jeans for men in 2002.

Since then, they have been worn by all sorts of celebrities, but more to the point, they offer a variety of extra long styles that are fashionable but will not be 'one season wonders'. The styles featured also have a cut that is lower at the front than the back that will sit a bit lower than a more traditional pair of jeans like Levi's 501s.

38" and 36" Jeans from many brands at The Buckle

I have just discovered the Buckle web site and wanted to share the discovery. The first great thing about Buckle is that you can select jeans by length of inseam. It seems like such an obvious idea you'd think every online store can do it. When you know that only 5% or 10% of the jeans are going to be suitable for tall men, sites without this facility are really frustrating! (web site authors please take the hint!).

The second great thing is that as well as their own BKE range, they offer long jeans from some other higher end brands, with a 36 inseam from at least ten brands including Silver, MEK, Big Star, Hurley and Affliction. In fact, you can find long fittings in these jeans on Buckle that aren't available through other sites, even the brands' own web sites.

If you need a 38 inch inside leg, the choice is still limited. There are five styles from BKE and the Tyler pictured below is available in 32 - 40 inch waist. There is also one style of the Big Star Vintage voyager. All the rest of the brands below come in a 36" inside leg.

A selection of the 38" Inseam Styles at Buckle:

A selection of the 36" Inseam Jean Styles at Buckle:

Size matters - so don't hide the height!

It could be a motto for tall people everywhere, but I'm referring to inept online stores that make life difficult for themselves and tall customers.

It was the difficulty of finding basic sizing information on some clothing sites prompted this short rant.

Rochester Big & Tall was the least serious offender. A good selection of dress socks included XL sizes - but didn't explain what extra large meant. The size charts didn't mention socks at all. All credit to their customer service department, who replied within hours to my email. Apparently, their XL socks fit shoe sizes 12-18, which leaves me wondering whether they are made of cotton or elastic!

Thinking the manufacturer might have more information, I headed over to the Polo range at Ralph Lauren. Their tall range is pretty good, but its mainly for big and tall men so if you're tall and slim you might struggle a bit (see size chart). In any case, if it's large socks you're after you can save yourself the trouble (unless you're into pink cashmere, in which case act quickly as they're down from $200 to $60!).

Once I found them (socks are Accessories, not Underwear, as I learnt after seeing more tightly packed undergarments than in a week at the gym) it turned out seven pairs were available, most of which are "One size". I coldn't find out which size that was, but I'm pretty sure it's not large enough.

At least both of these sites mention sock size. Today's prize for poor communication goes to Cole Haan, whose impressive collection of elegant dress socks gives no size information at all.

Should my enquiries throw any light on these mysteries (or if any reader visits the sites and realises I've missed something really obvious), you will be the first to hear!

For more on socks, see the previous article Christmas S(t)ockings: in search of large socks for tall men.

Levi's Jeans : Buying tips for tall men

As I write, 'double denim' is back in fashion. Instinctively, the idea of wearing denim trousers and a denim top sounds like a recipe for fashion disaster, but you can read articles like this one to make up your own mind.

Denim jeans, however, are clearly a must for almost anyone's wardrobe, and Levi's are probably the first denim brand you'd think of. So where can a tall man find a good selection of long Levi's jeans?

With a 36" inside leg, I have always been able to find one or two pairs in a Levi's store, but not a wide selection. You can also try a major department store like Macy's or John Lewis, but the selection there is also likely to be limited (as I chronicled in San Francisco).

Going online is definitely your best bet. To check what style you want, Levi's have a fit guide to compare the different fits. Avoid a skinny fit as this can emphasise a 'beanpole' effect of long, thin legs. Some of the styles available in both 38" and 36" inside leg are:

• 514 : Straight fit with a low waist and straight leg.
• 501 : Straight fit but slightly different waist.
• 550 : Relaxed fit designed for more comfort.
• 560 : Plenty of space all round in this super relaxed fit.

A wide selection of Levi's long inseam jeans can be found at Amazon or Zappos. The selection below are some of the 38 inch inseam styles currently available from Zappos, but take a look for yourself.

Levi's do have an online store with a Big & Tall section, but styles like the 560 are more geared to the 'big' rather than tall man, and jeans with a 36" leg are in the normal section so the site is quite difficult to use.

Outside the US

You can try the Levi's international site, although other online shops probably offer better value.