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| - The outside of Destination XL, sharing a parking lot with PF Chang's just south of the busy Flamingo/Paradise intersection, doesn't begin to hint at what you find inside: a beautiful store with high windows (think natural light) and a wealth of selection.
Just from the "wife standing around, waiting for husband to sort out his purchases" point of view, the gradients of ties are charming: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zi181jKdVvt2gq1U6oX2BQ?select=eG59qGDyAmmaf00NQaKotA
I had assumed that DXL, billed as the higher-end branch of the Casual Male empire, would be a bit out of our usual shopping budget. My husband - who is both big and tall - isn't a clotheshorse by any stretch. A clean polo of a not-sucky color is usually all he wants. Still, at his size, it can be hard to buy anything at a reasonable cost without getting into bad stitching, too-short shirts that provide a gut-peep with every inhale, or the not-too-subtle, quick-fading shades that come from cheaper dyes.
Casual Male had been making both of us happy since we first rushed in three years ago, looking for something suitable for elegant night on a cruise. Alas, our CM store closed, and the CM store at Decatur/Oakey was small with little that fit my husband's taste. (Is plaid the new hotness again or something?) Before we hit the remaining CM in Henderson or, sigh, the catalogs, we decided to try Destination XL.
And now we have a new favourite!
The staff was excellent, right at the high level we'd come to expect from our old Casual Male. Knowledgeable, quick with suggestions, just as quick with a coupon (we were unable to print the one on the website), and with that fantastic ability of showing up when needed while being discreetly busy elsewhere and definitely non-hovering when we wanted to just browse.
Our worries that it would be all three-digit prices were unfounded. Yes, the store does have lovely options in this price range, and more than once my husband said, "I like this," and I had to laugh and tell him, no, he didn't, as I showed him the price tag. (Country mice didn't even know that some city mice pay $375 for shirts!) But many shirts were available at the $50-$60 prices common to Casual Male, and just before the clearance alcove we found even less expensive shirts - $25-$35.
The clearance section was excellent - ample, and organized by size. Of course, only at a store like this could we bemoan not being able to get a half-priced Tommy Bahama because it was one size too big. Wah! All clearance item tags have a red, green, or blue dot, meaning 25-, 50-, or 75%-off the tag price.
If you're not familiar with how sizing here works, pants are traditionally sized (number combinations), as are the dress shirts. Otherwise, you're looking at numbers like 3XL or 3XLT, the "T" standing for "tall" and applying to shirts as well as pants. (The largest size I saw was a 7XL.) It's great to shop somewhere that understands that big and tall are not always the same thing.
(If only this empire would expand into stores for the ladies! I'd love to be able to buy clothes for my fluffy self that weren't skewing to younger/trendier - as with Lane Bryant and Avenue - or matronly/depressing. I just want pants that don't think I play basketball or assume I'm too cool to need a pocket for my keys. You guys don't know how lucky you are to have places like this.)
The offerings on hand can set you up with a complete wardrobe: t-shirts, athletic wear, shorts, casual, business casual, resort casual, hipster, conservative, outerwear, underwear, ties, socks, watches, and shoes. And if you can't find it, you can always thumb through a catalog or look online. (I highly recommend signing up for offers. We went to our old store more than once just because the coupon mailer was too good to not see what was in stock. On this trip, we got 25% off *everything*, including the clearance items that were already running around $20 after markdown.)
Dressing rooms are spacious, with a comfortable bench at one end and a bit of a runway up to the full-length mirror. Two hooks only - I'd like to see a few more. The salespeople make you feel welcome to try on as much as you'd like. (I know that seems logical, but we all know those places where taking in items as well as dealing with discards is a chore passed on the customer.) I was happy that I could sit in the room with my husband and give my opinions (by invitation, I swear!) as he tried things on, instead of having to wait outside where he'd have space to walk around.
If you're a big guy (whichever way you measure, or both), don't settle for cheaper fabrics of uninspired design where everything is cut to the same shapelessness. Even if you don't find what you want here, you're guaranteed a stress-free, attractive shopping environment with plenty to consider.
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