FASHION Q & amp;A

Q. Why are men's moderately priced trousers so rarely available with a 35-inch waist? It seems that small trousers are sized in increments of one inch at the waist. For example, I often see trousers with 31-inch or 33-inch waists. But when you get into the larger sizes, the waist increases by two inches at a time. This makes for a baggy fit on men with odd-number waist measurements such as 37 or 39 inches.
A. All things are relative, including the size of trouser waistbands. An increment of one inch is relatively significant on trousers with a waistband of just 28 or 30 inches -- but far less so on trousers with a waistband of, say, 40 inches or more.
For this reason, many manufacturers of moderately priced trousers tend to size the waistbands in increments of one inch up to about size 38, and then jump to two-inch increments. It's simply a matter of economics: The fewer sizes a manufacturer makes, the less it costs.
To avoid a baggy fit if your waist has an odd-number measurement, such as 39 inches, go down one size when you purchase trousers. That is, choose trousers with a 38-inch waistband and have the waist let out one inch. Almost all trousers have a two-inch inlay, which allows for this alteration.
If the store where you purchase the trousers has an alterations service, there should be no charge for this relatively simple adjustment. If you take the trousers to an outside tailor, expect to spend about $10 on the alteration.
Q. Some of my golf buddies were telling me that Jack Nicklaus has come out with a line of sun-care products. Is this so?
A. Word on the links is right on target. Nicklaus and Randall International, a premier manufacturer of luxury skin and sun-care products, are producing two sun-care collections -- one for men, another for women -- under the golfer's name. They will feature a special no-slip formula so golfers can maintain a tight grip on their clubs, and will be offered in SPF levels of 8, 15 and 30.
The Golden Bear could be onto a good thing with the products. According to a Golf Digest subscriber survey, the No.1 nongolf item carried by golfers is sunscreen.
Look for the Nicklaus and Lady Nicklaus lines soon at your favorite golf shop.
Q. I have a granddaughter who is unusually tall and slim for her age. What she needs is girls' size 5 clothing with a slim cut. I have been able to find a few things in this size at J.C.Penney and Target, but not much. Luckily, I can sew, but I'd like to get her some items that are not homemade. Are there any little girls' slim/tall shops around?
A. You're out of luck as far as specialty stores go. But you should be able to find slim-cut clothing for your granddaughter at Toys R Us and Kids R Us stores, and also Wal-Mart and the Children's Place.
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