Santa suit sellers: Claus getting fatter

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Sellers of Santa suits, including Adele's of Hollywood, said the jolly old elf has been packing on the pounds over the past few years.

Adele Saidy, owner of Adele's of Hollywood, said she has been selling custom Santa suits to Kris Kringles the world over for the past four decades, and the largest size suit she makes has increased from a 50-inch waist when she started to 76 inches this holiday season, ABC News reported Friday.

"They are getting larger and larger," Saidy said. "Last year and this year, 25 percent of my Santas -- oh, I don't want to say it -- they are really overweight."

Fellow St. Nick costumer Santasuits.com said its largest suit in 1996 was a 2X, accounting for about 12 percent of business, and it now offers a 4X, with plus-sized suits accounting for one-third of all business.