VALLEY WEEKEND : A Bounty of Menswear in Big and Tall Sizes : Discount store carries suits, jackets and casual clothing in popular name brands. Best of all, alterations are free.
With the proliferation of discount chains, sources for good buys in quality men’s clothing are dwindling. And for the extra large or exceptionally tall man, the pickings are even slimmer.
So when I spotted a sign on Topanga Canyon Boulevard for Big & Tall for Less, I circled the block and investigated. Were these off-brands? Not with Dockers, Levi’s, Haggar and Wrangler on the rack. There is a large inventory of casual attire with well-known labels.
Levi Strauss jeans that regularly sell for $52 were tagged at $44.88, as were the wrinkle-free jeans by Haggar. Sizes run from 34 to 72. The Wrangler slacks (75% polyester and 25% wool) were marked down to $35.88 from $45.
A few terrific Bill Blass cotton bathrobes were going for $36.88 from $50.
The shirts for large men and shirts for tall men are separated into two size categories. Some are sized LT for large and tall and go up to 4XLT; others are just large and go up to 7X. You’ll find names such as Arrow, Manhattan and Christopher Lena, a label just for the large and tall, all marked 25% to 30% under retail.
The price break on some Yukon Trail light jackets was excellent--from $150 to $89.88. Great Outdoors sweat suits went from $55 to $38.88.
The sport coat and suit department is on the left wall as you enter. On the day I visited, coats and suits were not as abundant as the casual apparel, but there were some good deals. A creamy Di Benedetto corduroy sport coat with suede elbow patches retails for $150, but on the rack here it’s marked to sell for $89.88.
In the suit department, I didn’t spot any of the major names but was impressed with some suits with the J.C. Canfield label, an offshoot of Haggar, that are nicely made and reasonably priced. One suit, a blend of polyester (65%) and wool (30%), that retails for $275 sells for $188.88.
All the goods here are current, first quality and guaranteed. If there’s ever a problem, just bring it back and they’ll repair it.
But here’s the bonanza. They do not ever charge for alterations, so if you lose 20 pounds after you purchase a suit and bring it back, they will alter it again (and again) for nothing. Get on their mailing list for upcoming sales.
Big & Tall for Less, 6551 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa; (818) 346-1561.
WEEKEND SUPER SALE: For upscale home furnishings--items that are instant heirlooms--Byrne Home Furnishings is one of the San Fernando Valley’s best. As a showplace store for the Century line, the prices always carry a healthy discount. But during Century Showplace Designer Days, running to the end of November, reductions are 40% to 50% off the retail list price on all the Century line. For top quality in fine furniture, it doesn’t get much better. Byrne Home Furnishings, 3516 W. Magnolia Ave., Burbank. (818) 845-0808.
