Patio Pondering: Finding the Right Fit is a Challenge

I’m enjoying my coffee this morning, gazing out over the patio and backyard from the dry comfort just inside the door. It’s fueling a thought that’s been floating around in my head for the past few weeks, a thought that greets me every morning as I stand in my closet preparing for the day.

I wear an XL shirt to fit my shoulders; larges don’t have enough room for the genetic gift from my parents. But finding an XL that fits me is a different story. Most XL shirts don’t have long enough tails, and they ride up as soon as I sit down or move around. We won’t even address the sleeves that never quite reach my wrists.

I have some shirts I really like. They’re my kind of plaid. They just don’t fit perfectly. So I plan around them: wearing them for a podcast recording where the shirt tail won’t be visible, layering them under a pullover or vest, or resigning myself to constant tucking. The thing is, I go through these same mechanics even with shirts that aren’t favorites. Managing the misfit has simply become part of my daily routine.

In fact, last week, walking into Costco, my shirt tail had already started to pull out. Instead of fixing it, I resigned myself and finished pulling the rest of it free. Fortunately, the untucked look is still an acceptable option for middle-aged men.

What makes this more interesting is that I do own shirts that actually fit. One style came from the clearance rack at Cabela’s. The other was a company shirt given to me as a trade show uniform. I found both of these online later and bookmarked them, sitting there quietly, waiting for me to pull the trigger. I’ve hesitated because they cost more than typical shirts and because buying them would require making room in an already full closet.

Whether it’s the expense, the effort required to purge, or simple comfort with “almost fits,” I’ve yet to push myself to replace what merely works with what truly fits. Unfortunately, this shirt conundrum may not be the only place in my life where I’ve made that compromise.

And I’m aware that avoiding the decision is, in itself, a decision.

Maybe today is the day I place that order and force a purge by making room for shirts that actually fit.