Oversized foul (coastal or maybe more) Wx gear for 5x female?

[SailingFan]

Hello, all. I did not see a forum specifically about foulies for plus sized women, so I am hoping this is the one. If not, mods please redirect as appropriate with my apologies? I did not see another entry on the site. Maybe this horse has already been flogged?

Today's issue is a search for cost effective vendors of American coastal weather gear">foul weather gear (or inland if that is what I have to do for the moment, but I will probably have to search out coastal or better in the next 12 months) for a female spouse of the wide hipped 5x variety.

I checked WestMarine online, and of course they had a few pretty costly options but none in the right size. They seem to be aimed at male sailors (not sure if that is driven by demand or because they do not think large women actually are willing to go on a sailboat that is small enough that they have a good probability of getting splashed or sprayed outside the cabin). I likewise am searching through Amazon but have not yet found the side addressed for female foulies.

I have some options for making (here at home) an inland type slicker, or maybe something more substantial, on my sewing machine, but as I am a guy who has not designed and built a raincoat before (so need to research that process, if it is different from what I did for my hunting clothes, and it may not be but the hunting jacket was not designed for a female figure and not for a 4x sized person), and I definitely have not done this for 5x pants, I am not thinking myself really qualified yet to tackle the pants.

I can probably manage the jacket if I have to, as I have made my own hunting clothes (padded shooting jacket and also pants, but I was a 2x at the time, and I made a basic wedding dress for her when we got married but I am no tailor despite what she proclaims - a bit of sunshine in her eye on the dress I think; she sees it as a romantic gesture, I saw it as a dress (of sorts) when we were in pretty hard times way back then).

I want for us to be able to do a coastal run down the Florida coast this winter, and maybe down to the Keys during that off-season timeframe, then come back home via Mayport Jetty (or the ICW if the weather is bad). However, having been there in the winter months, I know there are times when things get a bit blustery and damp, even downright rainy during that time of year. It may not matter for the rain, but it likely will matter in terms of damp and cold, however, if a front runs through during that time. During those times, even the inland waters get pretty bad in terms of wind and blustery "humidity" in an open St. John's River passage.

I am thinking to have some sort of gear on board, but cannot seem to find gear for her that accounts for the wide hips that generate her US clothing store-described 5x size. For a top she can probably wear a 4x or with a thick 4x sweater wear a 5x jacket?

Ideally I am looking for a separate pair of pants (may be hard for me to make a good pair of pants in that size) rather than a bib setup, and a jacket if I cannot make one or find something for street wear and just get her a sweater or 3.

What outlets may exist for finding oversize ladies wear for boating clothes? As I said, I have a good machine and could perhaps raid the patterns at the fabric store for the largest I can find then add some extra based on fitting, but if I can do it via vendor purchase, it may be a more... attractive... solution. She would be pleased either way I am sure, but I need to know what my options are, if any have experience in this issue..

Help??

[JPA Cate]

The Gill Women's gear may fit. The lady should try them on, and try squatting down in them, to make sure movement's not restricted. Ime, it last as well as most does (5yrs. or so).

Mens XL or XXL can also be modified, as desired. The men's may be too long, but hemming up cuffs is easy, and waists can be fixed by darts running on the circumference. Darts can lend shape to tops, but then there are needle holes. Personally, I'd rather be in something shapeless than wet and cold.

Another way to approach this is ski jacket and powder pants over existing warm clothes. The powder pants are easy on and off, and sometimes available from thrift shops like Salvation Army, etc. One to wear and one to dry out to wear again might work.

If trying to keep costs down, look at boots from dairy or fisherman's supply places. Heavy weight wool and polypropylene expedition sox are my go-to for warm feet.

And, a hot water bottle can really be nice at night, for warming hands, pre-warming sleeping bags, and whatever else you can think of. Just keep re-heating the same water for the whole trip.



Ann

[psk125]

Have you checked the gear available at Hamilton Marine? They offer no-nonsense foul-weather gear that works for commercial fishers and sailors in a wide range of sizes.
https://www.magazooms.com/HTML5/Hami...r-Catalog-2021

[Jammer]

Grunden's has suitable gear in men's sizes up to men's 5XL.


https://grundens.com/product-category/mens/?fwp_size=5x


I have their Brigg 40 jacket and was wearing it while out sailing in the rain earlier today.


I don't use the trendy yuppie racing sailor goretex foulies instead preferring to dress in layers e.g. a heavy wool sweater with a good PVC-coated cotton raincoat.

[Stewie12]

Try losing some weight and you will feel better for it and find bad weather gear to fit you,

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Stewie12

... post redacted ...

Well, sunshine, aren't you just full of useless, unsolicited medical/lifestyle advice. May I suggest that you drink less, quit smoking, stop buying things you can't afford, be more honest in your relationships, eat more fiber, exercise more, get some therapy, and put more money in your HSA.



And find another board to post things like that on.

[Sailshabby]

Originally Posted by Stewie12

Try losing some weight and you will feel better for it and find bad weather gear to fit you,

Try not being a jerk...

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by SailingFan

Hello, all. I did not see a forum specifically about foulies for plus sized women, so I am hoping this is the one. If not, mods please redirect as appropriate with my apologies? I did not see another entry on the site. Maybe this horse has already been flogged?

Today's issue is a search for cost effective vendors of American coastal foul weather gear (or inland if that is what I have to do for the moment, but I will probably have to search out coastal or better in the next 12 months) for a female spouse of the wide hipped 5x variety.

I checked WestMarine online, and of course they had a few pretty costly options but none in the right size. They seem to be aimed at male sailors (not sure if that is driven by demand or because they do not think large women actually are willing to go on a sailboat that is small enough that they have a good probability of getting splashed or sprayed outside the cabin). I likewise am searching through Amazon but have not yet found the side addressed for female foulies.

I have some options for making (here at home) an inland type slicker, or maybe something more substantial, on my sewing machine, but as I am a guy who has not designed and built a raincoat before (so need to research that process, if it is different from what I did for my hunting clothes, and it may not be but the hunting jacket was not designed for a female figure and not for a 4x sized person), and I definitely have not done this for 5x pants, I am not thinking myself really qualified yet to tackle the pants.

I can probably manage the jacket if I have to, as I have made my own hunting clothes (padded shooting jacket and also pants, but I was a 2x at the time, and I made a basic wedding dress for her when we got married but I am no tailor despite what she proclaims - a bit of sunshine in her eye on the dress I think; she sees it as a romantic gesture, I saw it as a dress (of sorts) when we were in pretty hard times way back then).

I want for us to be able to do a coastal run down the Florida coast this winter, and maybe down to the Keys during that off-season timeframe, then come back home via Mayport Jetty (or the ICW if the weather is bad). However, having been there in the winter months, I know there are times when things get a bit blustery and damp, even downright rainy during that time of year. It may not matter for the rain, but it likely will matter in terms of damp and cold, however, if a front runs through during that time. During those times, even the inland waters get pretty bad in terms of wind and blustery "humidity" in an open St. John's River passage.

I am thinking to have some sort of gear on board, but cannot seem to find gear for her that accounts for the wide hips that generate her US clothing store-described 5x size. For a top she can probably wear a 4x or with a thick 4x sweater wear a 5x jacket?

Ideally I am looking for a separate pair of pants (may be hard for me to make a good pair of pants in that size) rather than a bib setup, and a jacket if I cannot make one or find something for street wear and just get her a sweater or 3.

What outlets may exist for finding oversize ladies wear for boating clothes? As I said, I have a good machine and could perhaps raid the patterns at the fabric store for the largest I can find then add some extra based on fitting, but if I can do it via vendor purchase, it may be a more... attractive... solution. She would be pleased either way I am sure, but I need to know what my options are, if any have experience in this issue..

Help??

Sounds like you could be skating on thin ice here. When I bought clothes for girlfriends at Christmas time, they were always at least a size smaller than I thought they needed (I'm a coward). Given your situation. opt for a big poncho (it'll fit, keep her dry and they don't cost much) If she doesn't like it, you can always use it for an ATV cover. Those high end sailing foulies are serious money. A good set of Helly Hansons will run you over a grand (this is not something you want to screw up)

[SailingFan]

Thanks for most of the replies so far. I tried Hamiltons, and their catalog online forces you to call for pricing for everything in the book I looked at. Scratch that one.

Losing weight, while a laudable goal, is not something as reliable in the nearest term, so given that it seems offered in a less than helpful intention, I am casting it aside, for the moment. It is a longer term goal, and will be attempted as such. I need the clothing sooner than later.

I like the poncho idea. I have a way to manufacture that here too, so it is even easier. I likewise like the snow gear idea. Hunting that down this weekend too.

I cannot spend a grand on clothing for the sailboat. That is just not in the budget. Any item that costs that much for US BOTH will be off the menu, especially if I can create a set of parafin-infused ponchos and even actual jackets plus the pants for us both for far less than that, style be danged. I cannot justify a grand for clothing for work, let alone for recreation.

Thanks again, everyone, and I really appreciate the input. The wife knows that she is larger than the average lady on the sailboats, and that the weight is an issue for both of us, perhaps for her to a greater degree than I, but nonetheless it is still something we must work on. However, that is not the defining moment in whether we are going to do what we are planning this summer. We just need to arrange some foul weather gear in case things get wet (and they generally do in Florida this time of year, on almost a daily basis depending on where you are).

I also like the Goodwill option. We have lots of those in the area, and it is surely likely that something will be there that can be used or adapted if some other option does not present itself.

Again, worst case I can use the 1000 denier polyester canvas I purchased the other day (10 yards of it in bright yellow, and it has been treated for repellency) to handle the majority of the waterworks via an overhead awning, with something wearable in the way of treated cotton canvas (also ordered yesterday for a just-in-case project supply). Like I said, I can build something, but the poncho idea just never occurred to me! The difference in that and something more protective is actually just a belt, now I think of it!

[Jebtrois]

Others have shared some food options...Grinders, Cabela's and Bass Pro have some nice stuff but pricey. My wife and I both wear the same REI raincoat.

Land's End has a nice plus size women's selection that goes to 5x. They don't appear to have waterproof pants but they have a solid raincoat that would work for Florida with a fleece underneath if cold.

As you have said, pants are a challenge as you can't really modify men's pants at that size to accommodate a narrower waist. Leg length can be dealt with but the hip to waist ratio will likely dictate some type of bib....they are foulies after all and no one really looks fashionable on them.

JEB

[SailingFan]

LOL Jeb, no, people off the boat could care less about what is worn on the boat (aside from a few prudes with binoculars, but those folks are a little.. off... anyway!

Yes, I think I will at first opt for making ponchos for us, then deal with the pants issue if or when it becomes a problem a belted poncho cannot address effectively. In the meantime, I will keep an eye out for additional options. After all, we meet the hat trick of hard to source clothing; relatively small and specialized market, financially limited and considered recreational use only, and our clothing takes more material than that used for folks who are more typical in the world and half (or less) of our size. Even the percentage of 6 foot tall men and women is probably lower in most of the world than it is in the US and the more northern parts of Europe (I am thinking about Scandanavian countries, mostly, but I could be wrong on that). Add to this our weight and related horizontal dimensions, and it costs a lot to make clothes available to us relative to what it costs to offer it to our skinnier brethren. I get it. I can deal with that. I just am trying to navigate the waters to get what is desired to make things a little more comfy for us in our own little piece of the world.

As far as waist goes, her issue is some very wide hips, but waist is much less. she also has very wide shoulders, so it is not all fat despite the assumptions of some folks who read about her but have not seen her personally. Her wrists are as large as mine (hence, large frame to boot, as there is little to no meat or fat on your wrist!).

As I noted before, we will get digging into the rest of these suggestions, and are very grateful for the input! I will let you guys know what we find as we go, in case someone else falls into the same situation one day (or already is in it, as the case may be).

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by SailingFan

Thanks for most of the replies so far. I tried Hamiltons, and their catalog online forces you to call for pricing for everything in the book I looked at. Scratch that one.

Losing weight, while a laudable goal, is not something as reliable in the nearest term, so given that it seems offered in a less than helpful intention, I am casting it aside, for the moment. It is a longer term goal, and will be attempted as such. I need the clothing sooner than later.

I like the poncho idea. I have a way to manufacture that here too, so it is even easier. I likewise like the snow gear idea. Hunting that down this weekend too.

I cannot spend a grand on clothing for the sailboat. That is just not in the budget. Any item that costs that much for US BOTH will be off the menu, especially if I can create a set of parafin-infused ponchos and even actual jackets plus the pants for us both for far less than that, style be danged. I cannot justify a grand for clothing for work, let alone for recreation.

Thanks again, everyone, and I really appreciate the input. The wife knows that she is larger than the average lady on the sailboats, and that the weight is an issue for both of us, perhaps for her to a greater degree than I, but nonetheless it is still something we must work on. However, that is not the defining moment in whether we are going to do what we are planning this summer. We just need to arrange some foul weather gear in case things get wet (and they generally do in Florida this time of year, on almost a daily basis depending on where you are).

I also like the Goodwill option. We have lots of those in the area, and it is surely likely that something will be there that can be used or adapted if some other option does not present itself.

Again, worst case I can use the 1000 denier polyester canvas I purchased the other day (10 yards of it in bright yellow, and it has been treated for repellency) to handle the majority of the waterworks via an overhead awning, with something wearable in the way of treated cotton canvas (also ordered yesterday for a just-in-case project supply). Like I said, I can build something, but the poncho idea just never occurred to me! The difference in that and something more protective is actually just a belt, now I think of it!

Just read your last post and I have to say I really feel for your wife. The weight deal must be hell for her. I've always been on the wirey side myself and thus have never had to deal with weight issues so I can only imagine what a misery it is. Since you're set up to make things, I had another thought. Get yourselves a pair of Tyvek suits that fit and use them for templates to make your foulie gear. They sort of look like foulies but just aren't weather resistant. I think I'd still do the ponchos as they're very handy to have as they are easier to put on in a sudden down pour. Traditional foulies might be too hot most of the time down there.

[SailingFan]

Tyvek is a GREAT idea for a pattern! Thanks! I never even considered that!!!
Appreciate it!

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Jebtrois

Others have shared some food options...Grinders, Cabela's and Bass Pro have some nice stuff but pricey. My wife and I both wear the same REI raincoat.

Land's End has a nice plus size women's selection that goes to 5x. They don't appear to have waterproof pants but they have a solid raincoat that would work for Florida with a fleece underneath if cold.

As you have said, pants are a challenge as you can't really modify men's pants at that size to accommodate a narrower waist. Leg length can be dealt with but the hip to waist ratio will likely dictate some type of bib....they are foulies after all and no one really looks fashionable on them.

JEB

Sure you can, JEB.

1) Remove waistband, save elastic. Take shaping darts from about knee height to waist. Cut away excess fabric. Zig-zag or double stitch.

2) Fold over the fabric to make a waist band (making the crotch length either from an existing pair of pants that fit or by measuring the distance from the person's waist to the seat on a hard bottom chair, then add enough to make a pocket for the elastic, plus 1/4" turn under for a finished waist seam. If it's your first one, leave them baggy, you can run a horizontal dart in the front if the pants are still too deep in the crotch. Zig-zag or double stitch. [You can also baste first and trial fit. Keep a record of the measurements.]

3) The last bit is the leg length, but you want to take out the upper bagginess before you can get the legs right. You may want to taper the leg seams a bit before hemming, depends on the person's preferences.

Really, tops are harder: they have to have more room in different places.

Ann

[Fore and Aft]

Sailing Fan what about eBay? I just did a quick search and found a woman's Lands End super squall 2xl jacket for $139. Not the right size but a good surf on Craigslist or Ebay might turn something up?
As for some of these brave posters regarding weight, fat bottom girls are so in fashion. Just look around your marina, skinny transoms is so 70's and 80's all the favourite girls nowadays have big backsides.
Cheers