Our short story is getting longer (taller that is)...

Ready for the BIG news?  Want the Skinny? Here's the tall & short of it...

The Nation's premier short men's clothing retailer and purveyor of fashion in hard-to-find sizes, can add to their credit the title of "the Nation's only Tall & Slim men's clothing specialist."   That's right.  While we do carry Big & Tall sizes, too- we noticed that no one is covering the skinny guy, the long  & lanky gent.  And since it is our goal as a company to take care of fashion business for all the hard-to-fit folks, we've decided to tackle this area, too.

So, whether your men's clothing needs are short and stout, short and slim, tall & lean or big & tall- we've got your back at ForTheFit.com (and your tops, and bottoms, too!)

We're adding new merchandise regularly, so keep checking back with us.  To date:  we have the latest in men's cotton twill chinos (inseams to 40"), sweats and athletic pants (inseams to 37"), tall t-shirts, longer sleeve dress shirts, extended length ties, and more!  Check us out at ForTheFit.com, now for tall men's clothing, too .

- Connie Bova,
CEO , ForTheFit.com

Look who got a makeover...

 There are new happenings allover at ForTheFit.com....  let's start with taking a look at our new makeover!

We've updated our look at ForTheFit.com.  The new site certainly has a more modern, clean look and feel- but we hope you'll also enjoy some of the new additions and customer benefits, including:

• Easy Navigation
• Social Networking -we've made it easier to find us on Facebook and Twitter (and save BIG- since Twitter followers and Facebook friends get exclusive deals and first notice of sale events).
• Share your favorite products with friends using the social networking buttons for Facebook on located on every product page!
• Simple one page checkout (and Google Checkout enabled, too for your convenience)
• Product Reviews (read one or leave one!) 
• Gift Registry and Wish Lists available (the Holidays are around the corner, believe it or not- gift registries make shopping so much easier on loved ones, and the results work out better for you too!)
• Now you can earn points on every purchase with MyStyle Rewards

Check it out- visit our new home at ForTheFit.com & tell us what you think- we always appreciate your comments and feedback.

-Connie Bova,
CEO, ForTheFit.com

If the sock fits...": The Do's and Don'ts of this highly Misunderstood Men's Accessory

...then buy it in every color!

Men don't often give much thought to their hosiery purchases, until of course it's halfway through some insufferable meeting and you notice your socks are slipping and your feet hurt from the misplaced seams- or perhaps on a walk, when you stop to adjust your socks every few steps. Sound familiar? Then read on!


FIT & QUALITY: Stepping in...
Half Sizes, Widths...when buying shoes, you look for a perfect fit. Yet, socks are only offered in these wide ranges that suggest that you can wear the same footwear as a man who wears a shoe 3 sizes larger than you. The retail industry has determined that the "average" shoe size is 10-12 and creates socks accordingly. However, if you were smaller than a 10 or larger than a 12, you may find fit to be a problem. Men with smaller feet often shop the boy's department for dress and casual socks, finding the low price irresistable. But the quality is poor, so socks have to be replaced with such frequency that any savings disappear. Others simply buy socks that are too large and tuck under the toe, leading to foot pains, itching, or just plain discomfort. Former shoe salesperson A. Bridge reveals, "I can tell you that no matter what those sock packages claim, men under a size 8 won't fit into a 10-13 sock size without rolling or tucking – and they aren't happy about it. Also, Men with larger feet shop store after store looking for socks with heels that actually reach the end of their foot."

Instead, find socks that fit your foot. For larger shoe sizes (13+), try specialty retailers, such as
JayStevens.com, which offer socks in larger size ranges. For smaller feet (shoe size less than 10), FortheFit.com offers premium Men's socks in size small, to fit shoe sizes 5-9.

Quality matters, too. The hallmark of quality socks and hosiery are the seam, material and workmanship. Face it, men's socks get used and abused- you literally walk all over them. Invest in quality hosiery that offers a hand-linked toe-seam for an exceptionally smooth join, and premium fibers (which hold-up better wash-after-wash, wear-after-wear).

STYLE: Stepping Out
Now that you've found socks to fit you, here are a few style tips to make sure your feet don't offend...

• The color of your socks should match the color of your pants, not your shoes. However, the color is preferably not exact unless you wear black pants.


• Your sock drawer should include at least two each of the basics: black socks for dress, blue for jeans, a color close to khaki and athletic socks


• Athletic Socks are for the Gym only. Period.


• With shorts, wear nothing higher than an Ankle sock. With long pants, wear socks high enough that you expose no leg when you sit.


• Colorful and patterned socks are great for adding a little extra pizazz to your wardrobe, but keep this in mind: the more colorful your outfit the more toned down your socks should be. Avoid looking like you stepped out of a work by Andy Warhol.


• Socks + Sandals = Oil + Water - they never go together.

When thinking about clothing for shorter men, most people understand the need for special trousers (at least the shorter length part- short rise might still take some teaching!). What they don't necessarily get is the need for special shirts. After all, many men 5'9" and under shop for their shirts right off the rack and do okay. Or at least they think they do...

Often, a shorter man risks a few style pit-falls when shopping off the rack . To help, here are 5 Common Pit-falls (and their Solutions)

1) Droopy Shoulders: Depending on whether it is a dress or casual shirt, shoulder seams should rest at or within an inch or so of where the shoulder and arm meet. I see men all the time (especially in polos or camp shirts) wearing shirts where the shoulder seam is somewhere near their elbow. Shirts proportioned for shorter men are designed narrower through the shoulders to avoid this problem.

2) Dress-ed to Impress?: In general, shorter men benefit from proportioned shirts due to overall shorter length through the torso. After all, you are looking to wear a shirt- not a dress.

3) Shake Hands, not Shirt-Sleeves: Most men don't realize that they have choices beyond 32/33 and 34/35, so they don't think twice about the way their dress shirts fit through the sleeves. Too long? Roll them up! That's the solution for many. But shorter men's dress shirts offer shorter sleeves- so you can follow all those other nifty style principles like having your shirt peak out just a bit from under your suit jacket, and not be so long it obscures your knuckles. Shorter men's proportioned Dress Shirts often are offered in sleeves starting at 30" for a perfect fit, right off the rack.

4) Every Body is not created equal: For as many shapes of men under 5'9", there are a few extra details to think about when selecting a great shirt. To get the perfect fitting shirt, here are some things to look for if you are under 5'9" and...

Slim & Trim ...



Look for shirts that are labeled "slim fit," "tailored-fit," "fitted," or "trim fit." These will often provide a neat, modern silhouette without the need for tailoring. A slim fitting shirt that offers a proportioned fit for under 5'9" is also going to rest better at the shoulders, and offer a more comfortable overall length and proportions.

Wider through the chest & waist...



Shirts proportioned for 5'9" & Under that are labeled "classic-fit" or "gentleman's cut" will offer all the benefits of a shorter men's shirt (narrower shoulders, shorter overall length through torso and sleeves), but will retain more classic, even and wider proportions through the chest and torso for a better fit.


Muscular..

You know who you are- 5'7 but solid as a rock with a thicker neck and muscular arms. Your special requirements are met by looking for short men's proportioned dress shirts that offer a classic or gentleman's cut, but specific neck and sleeve lengths to match your needs. Also, ForTheFit.com offers and array of knit pique crew shirts, sweaters and camp shirts with better proportions for your particular shape.

5) Shop for You: Some of the above can be addressed through tailoring, but tailoring can be costly, time consuming, and may not achieve suitable results in all cases. Instead, consider shopping with specialty retailers who know your body shape and stock their stores accordingly.

Good luck and happy shopping,

C. Bova,

CEO, ForTheFit.com

This election season, Vote for ForTheFit.com

If you love shopping at ForTheFit.com, please help us spread the word about this great store!

We've entered ForTheFit.com in a contest recently & would really appreciate your support. Your vote counts, and winning means a lot of great publicity for our company, which means more people can enjoy all that ForTheFit has to offer!

You can vote 1x per day, every day- so please vote as many times as you can remember. It's really easy, just ...


Thank you so much & Best Regards,

Consuelo Bova, CEO
ForTheFit.com

Announcing the ForTheFit.com Annual Inventory Clearance Sale

As most of you know, we don't discount but once a year. It is that time again- we are clearing out inventory. This is a collection of best-selling items that sold all but a few units or a last couple of sizes- so we deeply discount to make room for the new Fall Inventory. The savings are HUGE- over 75% off in some cases. New products are added daily so check back often. In fact, just today, we added some spectacular deals on men's suits- some are sized for shorter men 5'9" & under, but others are available in a variety of sizes including men's Short, Regular, & Long Lengths. Check out the Ben Sherman Tux Jacket for less that $100- that is a steal.

Also, there is a coupon code on the homepage so that you can take an additional 10% off ANY ITEM IN THE STORE!

Hurry & Shop today before they run out (or I change my mind & fire the person who priced that Jacket so low!!! Just Kidding!)

Happy Shopping,

C. Bova

Announcing our New Store- ForTheFit.com has a new look and better features.

We're proud to announce that we have made a long awaited transition to a new online store format. Our new web store will offer so many great new features to our customers.

• Product Reviews: We get so much great feedback from customers about how much they love their purchases- now you can share that feedback with each other! We encourage customers to leave feedback about the products they buy- how much they enjoyed the product, how it fits, sizing recommendations to share with other would-be purchasers, etc. I know that when I shop online, I find user comments so useful. I can't wait to see some constructive feedback added by our customers as well!


• Improved Search Functionality- By style, color size, you name it! Whatever you want is so much easier to find!


• Enhanced Images: You can see various "views" of a product, or even enlarge to show detail by just running a mouse over the image.


• Control: You can now create an account and save your order information, wish lists, track orders in real time, save card information for speedier checkout and generally manage your shopping experience with so much ease!

There are so many great new features- you need to come check it out for yourself if you haven't shopped in a while.

The transition has so far been relatively smooth (some minor inventory hiccups aside!). We're adding new products everyday- so check back with us often! Send us an email and let us know what you think of the new site!

Shopping for Shorter Men's Clothes has never been easier than it is today, with ForTheFit.com's new site!

Happy Shopping,

Consuelo Bova,

CEO, ForTheFit.com

Happy Father's Day!

It's not an easy job, and often it's a thankless one- but you're doing an amazing job! Your love, patience and support is helping to raise another great generation.

"Thank You" to all of the great father's among us!

-Consuelo Bova, CEO of ForTheFit.com


Happy Father's Day
from our ForTheFit.com family
to yours.



CFO of ForTheFit.com, Jeffrey D. Bova and Son share a quiet moment at the Beach


A Father's Day Gift for you...

He looks up to you- so make sure you look good! Fathers save 10% on all purchases at ForTheFit.com this week. Simply enter coupon code fd2008 at checkout.

As SEEN In... ForTheFit.com and Short Men's Clothing have become quite the hot topics!

First of all - today is June 1st, so HAPPY "SHORT MEN OF STYLE" MONTH! Remember to celebrate by looking your best the whole month long! Also, have you entered yourself in the National Short Man of Style 2008 competition yet? If not, you have 2 more weeks to enter for a chance to win a whole new wardrobe from ForTheFit.com. For details, read my last blog entry, or check out the official contest website at ShortMenofStyle.com

It has been a busy few months for short men's clothing in general, and ForTheFit.com in particular. We have been quite lucky to be featured in some phenomenal publications and to help generate some interest and awareness to this issue of short men's fashion.

Most recently, in response to a reader question in the popular "Ask Teri" fashion column of the Wall Street Journal, our own C.F.O. Jeff Bova was interviewed by Teri Agins. To read the question & answer, click here:
Ask Teri: Finding Clothes that Fit Well.

There has also been a lot of interest in me personally in my roles as CEO of men's e-tailer ForTheFit.com, wife and mom. On, May 22, '08, Entrepreneur.com's "WomenEntrepreneur.com" featured a great, enriching story by Lena West full of great tips about how to escape overflowing e-mail inboxes using some simple methods and new technology. She even included some of my own simple methods for managing the sometimes overwhelming contents of a CEO's inbox. Click here to read Escaping E-Mail Overload by Lena West. There are a few other stories in the pipeline, I'll post when they are published.

Our products themselves have also received some great press. We have added some earth-friendly, eco-fashion proportioned for the shorter, slimmer man. Customer's have responded quite favorably to our Alternative Apparel T-shirts and Jackets, and so has the Press. Our Eco-Heather T-shirts from Alternative Apparel were featured in Lisa Neff's May 3, 2008 article Earth Duds for Earth Day in the Chicago Free Press. This came on the heels of a feature about our women's and men's short-length (inseam) sweats and athletic pants in the Orlando Sentinel's Style Section, Fashion Focus: Dress Up, Dress Down by Jean Patteson.

Also, CNN recently ran a story about short men's fashion, which was picked up on the wires and published in papers throughout the country. All in all, it has been a phenomenal few months for shorter men's fashion and we are so pleased. Thank you to the reader's and viewers out there for their interest and to the members of the press for their help in bringing this topic to life and raising awareness!

- Consuelo Bova,

CEO, ForTheFit.com

Dear Fashion Advice Guru Guy: "Custom" is the easy answer, but not the only answer for shorter men's clothes

In this job, I read men's magazines regularly as if they were academic texts. As a woman in the men's clothing business- it is one of the ways in which I can get educated in the industry, the customer, & more. There are a few of the major men's mags that I have to say- I LOVE THEM. Great, ironic, sarcastic writing about any number of relevant (and sometimes not so relevant- but funny) topics.

The one thing that doesn't work for me, though, is the Q&A section which is a part of nearly every major men's publication. You know- men write in and ask a question about life or style and some allegedly knowledgeable fellow (or lady!) gives them an answer.
I have read questions submitted by shorter men many times- where to find shorter shoes, smaller shirts, a suit that fits, etc. The answers make me furious.

Small shoes? One writer suggested a custom shoemaker for upwards of $900 for the first pair. Dress shirts that don't wear like a dress because they are so long in the tails (and everywhere else for that matter)? "Go see a tailor" is the most common answer.

So since it makes me so darn mad, here is my answer once and for all:

1. "Custom" is a great solution if you can afford it. But, too many of us can't. And don't confuse those mail-away custom shirt options as the real deal in men's tailored, custom apparel (known as "bespoke"). If you haven't been measured by a living, breathing tailor, you may well be quite unhappy with the product that arrives in the mail.

2. Tailoring - for a dress shirt, this is rarely a good option, nor is it a fair one for shorter men. It's like a little tax (pun intended). I face the same problem as a shorter woman (I'm 5'1")- I that I can rarely buy an item off the rack without having to factor in the time and money to get an item tailored. Plus, as my own tailor (a specialist in men's apparel- and now a friend, seeing as how I see him so often!) explained, taking up the tail is one thing, but once you start shortening the sleeves or bringing them in if they are too bunchy, taking in the shirt at the sides for a more modern, trim fit, etc.- it gets to be too much. You're basically reconstructing the shirt. The cost is high and even with the best tailor, the results are not ideal. For example- if you take in the sleeves to make them trimmer, it can create bunching in the shoulders- almost like the poufy sleeves in a period film). Or, the pocket placement is ll wrong because the pocket is too big and in the wrong spot for all the places you've taken in the shirt.

3. Find a shirt that fits off the rack. The Classix brand manufactures shirts specially proportioned for the shorter man- shorter tails, smaller pockets in the proper place on the chest, shorter sleeve lengths and an overall trimmer fit. In the coming months, ForTheFit.com will be offering some additional brands that offer the smaller men's proportions. I'll publish an update to this post when the new products arrive. If length is not an issue for you because you have a longer torso and arms, then be on the lookout for brands that cut their dress shirts in a slimmer silhouette. The magic words to look for on the package? "Trim" "Tailored Fit" "Slim Fit" "Modern Fit" - Try brands like Ben Sherman or even Lands End. These lines may still require shortening of the sleeves and tails, but at least the overall fit will lose some of the blousiness it is so hard for the tailor to take away.

Get That Look : Celeb Style for Shorter Men

Contrary to popular belief, all male celebs are not tall. There are quite a few shorter male celebs. Why don't we notice how short they are? Camera magic, for one. But the other reason is style- whether by natural talent or talented stylist, these guys dress to make the most of their best features, and visually add inches to their frames. How to accomplish this short men celebrity style? At a price you can afford, no less?? Here's my suggestion...

This week's candidate: Seth Green

Height: 5' 3.5" (per celebheights.com)

Why?: He has size and proportion down to an art, and is "Master of the Monochrome"

Green knows how to work events and the red carpet by making use of proper proportion and monochromatic colors. Check him out at the Emmy Awards this year. black tux jacket and skinny trousers, black suit and skinny black tie. At the Nov. '07 premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures "Fred Claus," Green rocks the red carpet in a pair of skinny, charcoal trousers and tailored black dress shirt.

The key to these looks? The dark, monochromatic silhouette makes the most of his slim, shorter frame by creating one long line, visually adding inches. More importantly, notice his sleeves, hem length on the trousers, the slim fit of the trousers, tux jacket, and the black dress shirt- This man's clothes FIT. Oversized items or too-long sleeves, jacket and pant lengths just make a person look shorter than their actual height.

Get the Look: In your Size and on your Budget

Look for clothing, particularly dress shirts and trousers, labeled "trim fit" or "tailored fit."

1) The Pants: BananaRepublic.com offers a good selection of items in slim fits, including flat front, slim fitting charcoal trousers ($129) in a regular rise, inseam 30"+ (online only). ForTheFit.com offers charcoal trousers for the Seth Green style in short rise, slim, flat front styles in various price points (Ben Sherman,$99 ; Berle, $75) - inseams from 26" to 30"+.

2) The Shirt: Keep an eye on the fit through the torso (a modern dress shirt should be worn close to the body- forget the blousiness so popular a decade ago. One option is to buy off the rack and have the shirt taken in at the waist, and sleeves shortened by a tailor as needed. Another option is to buy a slim-fitting or proportioned dress shirt. For the Green look, try a Ben Sherman Tailored Collection dress shirt in Black or Charcoal ($69-$89) . Or, try a Classix dress shirt, $30, in Silver Gray (BONUS: sleeves are available starting at 30"- no need to tailor).

3) The Tux Jacket & Tie: For a trendy, slim fitting, tux jacket- try the Ben Sherman Velvet Tux Blazer, sale $179. For a more casual jacket, the Ben Sherman Hammerite Heavy Metal Blazer, $179 (try pairing with jeans). The Tie? Easy- Stephen J. Sotnick is the celeb favorite for the skinny black tie (from $18), and it is a few inches shorter than industry average (perfect for the shorter guy!).

Good luck and happy shopping,

Consuelo Bova,
C.E.O. of ForTheFit.com,
"The Nation's Premier Short Men's Clothing Retailer"