# Band shirts for us big guys... where to find?



## Metalman X (Jul 18, 2015)

It's been excessively difficult the last few years finding shirts I like and actually want to wear. I mostly just wear black or gray tank tops and muscle shirts and stuff I get from retail stores ATM. 

I'm just curious why there is such a dearth of larger size metal tee's on the market. I mean, not like I'm the only big dude into this stuff, I see others at shows all the time, so surely the market exists.

Trolling ebay and some other sites all the sizes ever really go upto is like 2xl, maaaybe a 3xl from time to time. These won't fit me, lol. Once in a blue moon I actually find a 4xl or a 5xl shirt on ebay with a band I dig, but it's rare. And even than, the print quality is often questionable, and also the prints themseleves look small, but I kinda' accept that since their probably just using the same prints as there more normal sized shirts.

I'm a big dude... 6'2", 418lbs. A 4xl will work for me, but a 5xl or larger would be better. Especially to avoid my belly hanging out from under the shirt (the curse of being big AND tall). I refuse to be one of those dudes who wears his pants up over his belly button to avoid that... I may be fat, but I got some style, lol.

Anybody else having this issue, and if so, any luck finding any sellers with a decent selection of heavy metal shirts for the extra heavy fan? I know I'm not the only one.

*> And please, lets not turn this into a fat-bashing thread. I'm comfortable and confident with my size and really don't need to be told for the zillionth time to lose weight. This ain't about that <*


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## svart (Jul 18, 2015)

Gonna follow up on this one. Got the same problem


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## Quantumface (Jul 18, 2015)

5xl? Jesus. I mean Im not trying to be a dick here but how many people do you think need a 5xl shirt compared to regular sizes? The market for them must be like 2 standard deviations about the mean making it not worth the time or the money to produce unfortunately. Metal is already a niche market, even when you don't include the fact that you require a size that 97% of people wont need. Especially for smaller bands who print their own merch, they would simply never sell them.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 19, 2015)

Talk to the bands themselves. They might be able to order some "demo" stuff in your size from their vendors for little or no extra fees. 

Some may even be willing to give you a one-time license to their logo or design and you can then get a shirt made. More work, but it could be cool having the only one in that size.


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## Noxon (Jul 19, 2015)

I'm 6' 4" and about 350 and in the same boat, man. I feel your pain.


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## redstone (Jul 19, 2015)

What Max said !


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## zappatton2 (Jul 19, 2015)

I empathize, but from the other end of the spectrum. Small shirts are the only thing that doesn't fit me like a dress, but trying to find small band tees in stores is damn near impossible.


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## vilk (Jul 20, 2015)

^yeah, I'm pretty sure finding an S might be a little easier than finding a 5XL


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## thrsher (Jul 20, 2015)

being in a local band, i have never made a shirt bigger than 3x and i have only ever been asked once for a size bigger than 3x, you are certainly a minority in the metal community.


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## crystallake (Jul 20, 2015)

I sell shirts all the time. I only stock S-XL now because 2XL and above never sells.


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## TedEH (Jul 20, 2015)

I find it difficult here to find anything bigger than 2x, which is certainly frustrating, but being also in a couple of bands who have to try to sell those shirts, I get why it's not worth ordering. It's hard enough to move shirts to begin with, but ordering any significant number of shirts above 3x would just end up costing a bunch of money to sit in boxes in people's basements never to see the light of day.


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## FILTHnFEAR (Jul 20, 2015)

Just not very practical for the bands trying to sell the shirts is all.

I feel your pain though. Seems like most band shirts I find aren't made for anyone over 160lbs. 

Talk to the bands themselves though. You never know. My friends' band years ago did a small run of bigger size shirts for this very reason.


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## watson503 (Jul 20, 2015)

I'm in the same boat, I wear 4XL and most places stop at 2XL - I've had the best luck going to bands' merch page and quite a few of them carry 3-5XL


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## Mrkensei (Jul 22, 2015)

6 even here and about 275lbs. Despite being a bit overweight, I'm mostly muscle (years of powerlifting, Thai boxing MMA and sidecar racing) I struggle with 2 or eve 3CL as there's no consitency. US sizes work better, but cost a fortune in the UK and a lot of the companies selling tese sizes seem to equat "big size!" with "big gut" Im always restricted on my arms and shoulders. Which sucks.


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## Metalman X (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanx for the suggestions, guys! Gave me a couple different avenues to look at.

As for the minority... yes... but, maybe it's just where I live, but I KNOW there's alot of dudes (and some gals too) in my size bracket or close to at shows. Maybe just not all of them want to buy shirts? 

I did recently grab an Amon Amarth shirt of ebay thats a 5xl. Just fits. And I found a seller in Bulgaria selling 6XL Ghost shirts. Ordered one up, hopefully it's a 'true' 6xl. 

Sometimes when ordering clothing from another country their size standards differ. Like, a about three years ago I learned the hard way. I ordered a WWII style bomber jacket from China in a 4xl (I was about 80lbs lighter than) and it was soooooooooo small. Like an American 'Medium' size. So I contacted the seller and got their largest, an 8xl. It JUST fit me than. Although now I can't even zip it up even if I 'suck it in' lol. So definitely gotta be aware of what your buying.

On a side note... in China, I would be an actual giant!


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## gimmiedataxe (Jul 29, 2015)

I don't want to, but I'm going to be that guy. Dude, I was overweight a few years ago. I said that I was alright with my size, but I knew that wasn't true. I wasn't even that much overweight, I was ~220 pounds/ 5 11". 
I was listening to bill burr and he said something that changed my mindset. Funny now that I forgot but I stopped almost everything processed I could. The next few months I lost around 20 pounds. After that I started working out and now I'm 210, but this time it's mostly muscle. I feel better than I ever did 5 years ago. 
Loosing weight changed not just my body, but my life.

I know this sounds cliche, but take this as a sign that it's time for a change. Being so overweight is not healthy. There was a study that said every 2-5 pounds of fat lessened your lifespan by a year. Those aren't the real stats, but it's something like that.


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## TedEH (Jul 29, 2015)

gimmiedataxe said:


> I don't want to...



Then don't. 



...But seriously, don't. It's great that a comedian convinced you to change your lifestyle and lose a whopping 20lbs, but this is not the place to preach to people. Trust me when I say that anyone significantly overweight gets reminded constantly of how terrible our life choices are. Either way, we still need shirts.


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## vilk (Jul 29, 2015)

gimmiedataxe said:


> I don't want to, but I'm going to be that guy. Dude, I was overweight a few years ago. I said that I was alright with my size, but I knew that wasn't true. I wasn't even that much overweight, I was ~220 pounds/ 5 11".
> I was listening to bill burr and he said something that changed my mindset. Funny now that I forgot but I stopped almost everything processed I could. The next few months I lost around 20 pounds. After that I started working out and now I'm 210, but this time it's mostly muscle. I feel better than I ever did 5 years ago.
> Loosing weight changed not just my body, but my life.
> 
> I know this sounds cliche, but take this as a sign that it's time for a change. Being so overweight is not healthy. There was a study that said every 2-5 pounds of fat lessened your lifespan by a year. Those aren't the real stats, but it's something like that.



You were an XL, and you didn't even lose that much weight. These dudes have like 6 times as many Xs in front of their Ls. They'd eat you for lunch. they could cut their weight in half and still not find a shirt size. It'd be one thing to come on here and say that stuff if you were huge and then got tiny, but you just admitted you only actually lost 10 pounds. You probably don't even need to change the size of shirts you wear from what you were wearing. 

edit: Ok let the records show I'm trying to make fun of this kid not make fun of the fat people


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## Mathemagician (Jul 29, 2015)

I hope you find a great site with shirts in your size. But not being able to buy clothes is a sign that you need to choose to take charge of your situation. You may be aware of it, but being aware doesn't do ..... It's ....ing awesome having clothes of any style or brand fit and being able to wear "cool" things. I have no problem being "that guy", so not going to apologize. Hope you get your stuff sorted, so you can enjoy a loooot more shows down the road. Normally checking individual band sites can turn up some jems.


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## gimmiedataxe (Jul 29, 2015)

It's funny that trying to encourage positive change results in "being made fun of". I know that this isn't the intended topic, but dude 5xl...
I don't think you guys understand weightloss. I didn't just lose 10 pounds, I lost around 30 and gained muscle in its place. I went from xl-2xl to large, almost none of my old clothes fit after a year. I had lost enough to see a gap big enough for almost two fists.


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## scottro202 (Jul 29, 2015)

Don't try and lose weight. Not because I'm against exercise or anything (on the contrary), but losing weight to find shirts that fit better is a stupid reason to lose weight. Lose weight because you want to be healthier/look better/be able to lift really heavy things, not because you can't find band t-shirts that fit 

I'd follow Max's advice and go the DIY route, or talk to the bands themselves about one-off shirts. You could probably get band shirts cheaper by making them yourself. Then if you have friends around your shirt size you could start selling them and have a bootleg "Big and Tall" metal t-shirt business. Then you could team up with the actual bands and have a significant microeconomic impact on your local metal community. Think of the possibilities!!!


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## Demiurge (Jul 30, 2015)

I would suggest that bands sell "iron-on"s to solve the problem, but I'm not sure if the ownership/use of an iron is too much of a presumption.


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## redstone (Jul 30, 2015)

In the near future, T shirts could be 3d printed to fit your body, you would just buy the artistic design and apply it to a custom base model. You could even be the one who started it all


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## vilk (Jul 30, 2015)

T-shirts are woven. You couldn't 3d print one. You could get a machine that takes cotton and ties the strands into a shirt. But they already have those--it's how your shirt was made.


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## scottro202 (Jul 30, 2015)

vilk said:


> T-shirts are woven. You couldn't 3d print one. You could get a machine that takes cotton and ties the strands into a shirt. But they already have those--it's how your shirt was made.



Reminded me of this:


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