<p>We are from the south and moving son in the next few weeks up to Minnesota. We're visiting next week to look for apartments. We've been told to winter shop up there, as the stores will have clothes appropriate for the weather. I got a brochure for MOA, and definitely won't be anything for him there, as he's the size of a football player.<br>
Are there any winter clothing stores, that cater to big and tall, plus size men, where we can check out the location while we're up there so he'll know where to go once the winter clothes come in season?</p>
<p>There are a few stores in downtown Mpls that may carry some big/tall clothing - Target, Macy’s, Marshall’s, plus a few men’s clothing stores, Menswearhouse and Jos A Bank. Downtown Mpls is just a few minutes by bus or light rail from the U of M campus. Other options would be to check other retail or sporting good stores at some of the nearby malls (such as Ridgedale, Southdale, Brookdale) that may not be quite as pricey as as MOA; the “Dales” should all be accessible by bus from downtown Mpls. I sometimes buy big/tall clothing for S at JCPenneys at Riidgedale but often resort to online (he is out of college and out east now so I don’t buy many clothes for him anymore)</p>
<p>Burlington Coat Factory has Big/Tall mens clothes. It’s not that pleasant to shop at (sort of disorganized) but if you find clothes your son likes there, they are substantially discounted. If your son needs a suit - it is sort of hit/miss for quality (they do have some decent ones, but you never know if they will have one in the size you need). But the nice thing about Burlington being disorganized for my son at least is that the pants/jackets often get separated as a set (then they sell them separately), so if your son’s drop between jacket and pants size is not the usual 6-8", you may have luck there finding the pants and jackets separately. </p>
<p>You may need a car to get there - there is one in Blaine (Northtown shopping Ctr- about 20 mins from U). There are also some Big/Tall Men’s shops around the major malls (ie the “dales”). There are sort of strip malls around the main big malls. Nordstrom’s Rack has good deals on nice clothes, but not sure how many big/tall they have. Nordstroms (regular - not Rack) is good about having many shoe sizes though - so that’s a good place to get shoes. One son wears size 14 shoes & other son has wide feet and Nordstroms is a fairly safe bet to find difficult sizes. Target isn’t great for big/tall mens - it’s hit/miss and goes up to about 2x. Sam’s Club sometimes has big/tall sizes including UMN and local sports teams sweatshirts etc. Probably the Bloomington (Near MOA) or Fridley locations are closest to the U - but again may need a car. The Fridley Sam’s Club is not far from Burlington btw.</p>
<p>ALso, they start putting winter clothes out soon even while it’s still Summer in my book. “Back to School” starts hitting after 4th of July. So you may be able to find some even when he first gets here if you have time.</p>
<p>Bumping up this thread as we will go up to visit son in a couple of weeks for a long weekend. Want to help assemble some furniture that arrived late and take him out for winter clothes, car prep. We did a lot of shopping in Roseville last we were up there, so something in that area would be great. There’s a newer WalMart and I believe the Rosedale mall might have had some stores. Keep in mind, he is a big boy. I did find a Destination XL near a mall and they said winter stuff should be in by October. Any tips would be much appreciated!</p>
<p>We saw the REI store when we were going to the LEGO store. It is HUGE! I will look online before we head up there. That would be great if there’s one in Rosedale. It’s very convenient to Red Robin, where we spent most of our time while up there! And if there’s a Culver’s nearby, even better!</p>
<p>There is a great outdoor store right by the Washington Ave West light rail stop that carries Northface, Patagonia, etc.
Midwest Mountaineering
309 Cedar Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55454</p>
<p>They have base layers, jackets, boots, wool socks</p>
<p>Macy’s downtown and the 'dales will have a wide selection including XL. And have a lot of promotions. The winter clothes should be widely available.</p>
<p>Yes, the size thing is going to be the issue. He’s a big boy, but not the biggest I’ve seen up there, so I’m hoping I can find something that will fit him. If all else fails, there is a Destination XL up there that I located in Roseville, but I’m sure they will be quite pricey. Not wanting to go cheap, as this is survival wear, but don’t need to go designer, either. I’m pretty sure North Face, Patagonia, and Columbia are not going to have his size, so looking for a brand that goes in the 3XLT size range. </p>