"Big John" Wu
“Big John” Wu started plus-size men’s clothing store XSXXL after noticing Hong Kong doesn’t cater well to heavy dudes. He gives Lydia Sung fashion advice for the fuller-figured gent.
HK Magazine: Why set up a store selling super-sized clothes?
John Wu: I’ve been fat since I was a child. Before I set up the business, my clothing choices had been very limited, and many of my friends shared the same experience. Six or seven years ago, my girlfriend and I were traveling around Japan when I discovered a pair of 42-inch Levi’s jeans. I couldn’t believe it until I saw them with my own eyes! When I returned from Japan, I set up my business selling supersize branded clothes with the support of my friends and my brother Joseph, who gave me a tiny office. I think everything was God’s plan.
HK: What’s your best-selling item?
JW: Well, the best-sellers actually vary with the season. Right now, the bubble pants I am wearing are my favorite. Bubble pants used to be an item only for the slim, but now we chunky people can wear them too. Plus, they are made of cotton, which is a very airy fabric.
HK: Do you get special orders?
JW: Occasionally, there are customers looking for the supersize version of trendy items slim people wear. This is actually a very stimulating process: we help customers find what they need, and their requests inspire me to source more clothes.
HK: Ever had an impossible request?
JW: Once a slim customer came in and asked if I could order size 28in of a certain item for him. I immediately rejected him. Right from the beginning, I’ve had this principle of not helping slim people to look for clothes. Selling clothes to the slim is a much more profitable business, but profit is not my main goal. I just want to help fat dudes like me.
HK: You only have one model on your website. That’s you, right?
JW: Yeah, that’s me. To be honest, I feel like a pseudo-model. I wasn’t used to putting up selfies online at first, but now it comes naturally. My pictures actually serve as fashion inspiration, demonstrating, say, what you should wear with checkered shorts.
HK: Have you ever been on a diet?
JW: Right now I’m not, but I’ve tried to lose weight before. In fact, I’ve shared my experiences on my blog, fatty.com.hk, including what I ate each day and how much weight I lost each week. I would only encourage people to go on a diet for the sake of their health. And I think the best way to lose the pounds is to eat less and exercise more.
