u/remember_remember1

I've lost a bunch of weight over the last couple of years, and I'm slowly having to rethink how I dress. One thing I've always done, probably without ever questioning it, is wear my trousers and shorts underneath my stomach.

For context, I'm 5'11", around 350 lb, and usually wear 4-6XL tops that have to be extra long (around 36-37 inches) so they cover my stomach properly. My trousers and shorts have generally been a 2XL/48-inch waist.

I'm considering switching to wearing my trousers around my natural waist instead, partly because it seems like I'd have far more clothing options if I didn't need such long tops. It would also hopefully stop my trousers bunching around my ankles because they no longer need to compensate for being worn so low.

To try it out, I bought some 54-inch stretch cargo trousers and a pair of 4XL stretch shorts. They actually seem to fit about right when worn around belly-button height.

Standing up, I genuinely think they look much better. My proportions seem more balanced, my legs look longer, and even a "regular" 5XL top sits much better now it isn't hanging so low.

If I only had to stand up all day, I'd be well happy.

The problem is sitting down.

As soon as I sit, my stomach naturally spreads out and pushes against the waistband. The stretch material does its job, so they're not uncomfortable, but I end up with a really pronounced line around my stomach where everything settles over the waistband. I feel like I look ridiculous and know I'll become insanely self-conscious about it in public.

So I'm wondering whether this is simply how it is when you carry most of your weight around your belly. Am I trying to force something that just isn't going to work until I hopefully lose a bit more weight?

Has anyone else gone through this transition? Did you stick with it? Did it become more comfortable over time, or am I missing some obvious trick to make this work?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people with a similar build and what your experiences were.

Cheers.

This will be the first proper trip I've taken in years. It's a four-day, three-night city break in London at the height of summer, travelling by train from Manchester.

I'm excited about it, but I'm also anxious about packing because I need to buy a new travel bag and have no real idea what size I actually need.

I'm worried about not taking enough options to stay fresh. I know a lot of travel-light advice involves rewearing tops, but I'll be walking around London all day in August and would rather have a clean top available than feel uncomfortable or self-conscious.

Most of the "travel light" or "one-bag travel" videos I find feature people wearing much smaller clothing sizes than me, whose entire wardrobe seems to fold down to the size of one of my T-shirts. The advice may be perfectly good, but it doesn't feel remotely comparable when your clothes contain two or three times as much fabric.

For context, I'm 5 ft 11 and wear 5–6XL tops, which need to be around 37–38 inches long. My trousers and shorts are generally a 48-inch waist (around a 2XL), worn below my stomach with a stretchy belt, with a 28–29-inch inside leg.

Because of that, even fairly lightweight clothes are physically large and surprisingly bulky. I mostly wear polos with shorts or cargo trousers, usually with either a sleeveless hoodie or an overshirt.

For the trip I'm planning to take four or five polo shirts, two pairs of shorts, one pair of cargo trousers, one overshirt, one sleeveless hoodie, four sets of underwear and socks, something to sleep in and basic toiletries. I'll wear one of the outfits while travelling, and I think I can get away with just one pair of trainers.

It may sound daft, but I'm starting to wonder whether travelling "light" is simply a different proposition when you wear clothes this size.

How do other people in larger sizes approach it? Do you just accept carrying a larger bag, or have you found ways to reduce the bulk? Are compression cubes actually worthwhile with bigger clothes, and what have you found works well for summer city breaks?

I know I'm not going to get away with a 20-litre backpack, but I also hate the idea of dragging a huge suitcase around London, getting on and off trains, and walking to the hotel.

Any advice from people who wear similar-sized clothing would be massively appreciated.

Cheers.

I’ve lost about 180 lb, and this will be the first proper trip I’ve taken in years. It’s a four-day, three-night city break in London at the height of summer, travelling by train from Manchester.

I’m excited about it, but I’m also anxious about packing. I’m worried about not taking enough options to stay fresh. I know a lot of travel-light advice involves rewearing tops, but I’ll be walking around London all day in August and would rather have a clean top available than feel uncomfortable or self-conscious.

Most of the “travel light” or “one-bag travel” videos I find feature people wearing standard clothing sizes whose entire wardrobe seems to fold down to the size of one of my T-shirts. The advice may be perfectly good, but it doesn’t feel remotely comparable when your clothes contain two or three times as much fabric.

For context, I’m 5 ft 11, still around 350 lb/159 kg, and wear 5–6XL tops, which need to be around 37–38 inches long. My trousers and shorts are generally 2XL or a 48-inch waist, worn below my stomach with a stretchy belt, with a 28–29-inch inside leg.

Because of that, even fairly lightweight clothes are physically large and heavy. I mostly wear polos with shorts or cargo trousers, usually with either a sleeveless hoodie or an overshirt.

For this trip, I’m thinking of taking four or five polo shirts, two pairs of shorts, one pair of cargo trousers, one overshirt, one sleeveless hoodie, four sets of underwear and socks, something to sleep in and basic toiletries. I’ll wear one of the outfits while travelling, and I think I can manage with one pair of trainers.

It may sound daft, but I’m beginning to wonder whether travelling genuinely “light” is possible when you’re a fat guy. Ha.

How do other bigger people manage it? Do you take a clean top for every day, wash things during the trip, use compression cubes, or simply accept that your clothes will require more luggage space? Are there any particular packing techniques that work well with 5XL or 6XL clothing?

I’m not trying to force everything into a 20-litre backpack for bragging rights. I’d just like to avoid carrying significantly more than I need and sweating my balls off getting on and off trains and walking to the hotel.

Any packing or one-bag travel advice from people in a similar position would be very welcome.

Cheers.

I’ve lost about 180lb, and this will be the first proper trip I’ve taken in years. It’s a four-day, three-night city break in London at the height of summer, travelling by train from Manchester.

I’m excited about it, but I’m also anxious about packing because I need to buy a new travel bag and have no real idea what size I actually need.

I’m worried about not taking enough options to stay fresh. I know a lot of travel-light advice involves rewearing tops, but I’ll be walking around London all day in August and would rather have a clean top available than feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious.

Most of the “travel light” or “one-bag travel” videos I find are made by ordinary-sized people whose entire wardrobe seems to fold down to the size of one of my T-shirts. The advice may be perfectly good, but it doesn’t feel remotely comparable when your clothes contain two or three times as much fabric.

For context, I’m 5 ft 11, and still around 350 lb/159 kg, and wear 5-6XL tops, which need to be around 37–38 inches long. My trousers and shorts are generally 2XL/48-inch waist, worn below my stomach with a stretchy belt, with a 28–29-inch inside leg.

Because of that, even fairly lightweight clothes are physically large/heavy. I mostly wear polos with shorts/cargo pants and maybe a sleeveless hoodie or an over shirt.

For the trip, I’m thinking of taking four or five polo shirts, two pairs of shorts, one pair of cargo pants, one overshirt and a sleeveless hoody, four sets of underwear and socks, something to sleep in and basic toiletries. I’ll obviously wear one of the outfits while travelling, and I think I'll get away with one pair of trainers.

It may sound daft, but I'm coming to the realisation it may be impossible to travel "light" when you’re a fat guy... Ha!

How do other bigger people manage? I know I’m not going to get away with a 20-litre backpack, but I also hate the idea of lugging a massive suitcase around, sweating my balls off as I get on and off the train and to the hotel...

So yeah. if you guys have any travel tips and/or packing advice or specific bag recommendations available in the UK, it would be very welcome.

Cheers.