Bernard O'Shea: Five things I learned when I went clothes shopping with a 42-inch waist

There are few places more spiritually challenging than a men’s changing room when you’re operating at a 42-inch waist

'Fashion doesn’t just sell clothes — it sells aspiration. The mannequins aren’t built like me.' Picture: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

I'm overweight. I’m not under the illusion that I’ve been quietly sculpted in to an Olympic athlete. Clothes shopping for me involves a level of negotiation normally reserved for international peace talks.

What I didn’t realise is once you get to a certain weight, it’s hard to find your size. You become slightly invisible. The clothes you might actually want to wear seem to exist right up to a certain size and then politely stop.