By Candice Choi

AP Business Writer, New York

Finding a suit that fits is getting easier for the shorter man.

National chains still don't offer many options, but legions of shorter men in the country are increasingly discovering specialty stores just for them.

For 5-foot-5 Josh Rogers, the first trip to Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under was memorable.

"It was a fairly typical clothing store, except everything was a possibility. It wasn't like I was going to have to settle for that one weird thing that fit," said Rogers, a New York City resident who wears a 36 short.

Another first for Rogers: The custom-made mannequins were eye level.

"I never experienced anything like that," he said.

Only a handful of stores cater exclusively to shorter men. But in recent years, the Internet has spread awareness of such shops and helped attract customers from around the country. Even those who live hundreds of miles away can track down the right fit with a click of the mouse. Some make special trips to the stores.

The lack of choices in chain stores is partly a matter of economics. Buying too-big clothes and scissoring away sleeves and pant legs has long been the norm for shorter men, giving retailers scant incentive to incur the extra cost of stocking sizes for them.