4 Game-Changing Tips to Flatter the Most Common Body Types for Men
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Does it always feel like your body shape is impossible to dress?
You’ve read the magazines, you’ve joined the Reddit groups; yet you’re still wondering why clothes that magically work for other guys somehow don’t work for you.
Let’s face it: deciding to dress better is a daunting task. There is so much antiquated and frankly, bogus information out there that, more times than not, only applies to the idealized male form. Think 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, perfect proportions, and next to no body-fat.
If this person exists, good for them. They can stop reading here.
For the rest of us with bodies that need a bit more finesse, it’s important to identify why certain items of clothing look incredible and why others look downright hideous.
The Importance of Fit
If finding solid options for your unique body type feels like an unending journey, shift your focus to the #1 factor that can make even a low-priced piece of clothing look expensive: FIT.
90% of dressing well comes down to fit. If the fit is right—meaning the garment accentuates your best assets and disguises the unavoidable problem areas—the attention is no longer solely on the clothes you’re wearing; it’s about the way you’re carrying yourself and the confidence you’re exuding. If you’re not accentuating your best features, you’re inevitably not going to look great.
Although I encourage men to explore a wide array of colors, patterns, and materials, fit always supersedes these secondary attributes.
The first step to looking your best is understanding your body type. Then it’s manipulating the proportions accordingly. A few subtle adjustments can make a big impact.
The Most Common Mistake Men Make When Buying Clothes
In an ideal world, we’d all have access to a one-size-fits-all style solution. Buy it. Put it on. Boom- instant style!
Unfortunately, cultivating a personal style is a practice that takes time and effort. Trial and error is a necessary evil for any self-improvement undertaking, and style is no exception.
This is why having an objective understanding of your body shape is so important. Making the mistake of assuming what looks great on someone else will also look great on you will only lead to further confusion and disappointment. Why? Because clothing doesn’t look the same on different body types.
Accepting the fact that some clothes simply don’t work with your unique body shouldn’t leave you feeling restricted to a small batch of boring options. After all, personal style is about self-expression! Use this powerful tool to showcase your visual strengths, and leave what doesn’t serve you at the door. After all, there’s a whole world of options available for anyone of any shape.
The 3 Most Common Body Types: What to Embrace and What to Avoid
The Body Type: Short & Skinny
This body type is characterized by a slender frame: minimal body fat, lean muscle mass, narrow shoulders, and a height of 5’ 8” or less. (Hi, it’s me!)
The main challenge for this particular build is appearing gnome-like: short and stout. This is due to the fact that most off-the-rack clothes simply aren’t cut for this body type.
The 4 Most Important Tips for the Short & Skinny Man
Tip 1: Fitted and Trim
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No, I’m not saying you should wear head-to-toe slim-fit everything. However, choose clothes with a closer fit to the body. The idea is to remove excess material that adds unnecessary bulk to your already small frame.
It’s natural to assume that adding bulk in the form of material, it’ll aid in making you appear larger and more pronounced. Wrong! The focus needs to be on bringing the eye UP, not swimming in yards and yards of cumbersome fabric. All this extra bulk will only enhance your small stature.
Unless it’s 100% clear that your foray into oversized fits is strategic and, most importantly, intentional; stick to slim-fitting styles.
Tip 2: High Rise & Tapered Pants
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The main goal for the short, skinny guy is creating long, lean, and vertical lines.
One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is through the fit of your pants.
A higher rise coupled with a slightly tapered leg will create the illusion of long limbs by tricking the eye into thinking your lower half makes up a larger portion of your body.
For additional tips and tricks for how to look taller, hop over to this blog post where I break down all my secrets.
Tip 3: Avoid Disproportionate Details
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Even if you’re sporting a well-fitted outfit, one oversized detail can entirely throw off the proportions.
Oversized details, such as shirt chest pockets and collars, will overwhelm the wearer’s body and reiterate the fact that they’re small. It’s advised to choose minimal pieces without excess design details.
In short (no pun intended), we want to avoid looking messy and chaotic. Too many distracting details won’t allow for the viewer’s eye to naturally move up the body toward the face.
Tip 4: Structured Outerwear
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I’m all for a cozy, oversized coat if the weather permits (sometimes warmth and comfort overshadow style), but if you’re not standing in the middle of an arctic tundra; bulky, cumbersome outerwear can make a short, skinny guy look like he’s being swallowed up whole.
To bring the eye up, I suggest coats and jackets with a bit of structure such as a topcoat or peacoat.
The internal padding, large lapels, and fitted body will give structure and shape around the chest and shoulders, creating the much sought after ”V” shape.
The Body Type: Burly
The burly body is characterized by an undefined, soft midsection, thick arms/ legs, large waist/hips in relation to the upper-body, height around 5’ 9” to 6’ 0”, and a broad, stocky frame. You’re THICC and that’s why we love you.
Most burly guys carry their weight around the abdomen. The goal is to shift focus away from the largest areas of your body by bringing attention to your face and upper-body. With all shapes, recalibrating proportions to create a flattering visual structure is key.
The 4 Most Important Tips for the Burly Man
Tip 1: Add Structure
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Adding structure to a meaty body sounds counterintuitive, right? Wrong. We want to add structure to areas that take up the most visual (and physical) space. Add structure in the form of light padding to the shoulders of a jacket or coat to offset a wide torso. The burly man is strongly encouraged to embrace tailoring. It will alter your silhouette in the most flattering way possible.
Tip 2: Pleated & Lightly Tapered Pants
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Like the short & skinny type, the goal for the burly man is creating long, lean, vertical lines from the torso straight down to the hem of the pants. To accomplish this, the waist of your pants need to sit at or just below the natural waist (located at your belly button- give or take 1 inch above or below) to avoid emphasizing the belly.
Pleated trousers will provide roominess and mobility while straight, slightly tapered pant legs add structure and balance to your top-heavy frame.
Tip 3: Enhance, Don’t Hide
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For many burly guys—or anyone for that matter—wearing heavy clothing to mask a bulging figure only highlights insecurities.
Avoid loose-fitting, oversized tops made of flimsy material. Instead, opt for fitted, but not tight, shirts made from a mid-weight material that includes a bit of stretch; 1%-2% elastane will do the trick. A stretch cotton broadcloth Oxford shirt would be a lovely option.
Tip 4: Large Scale Patterns
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Embrace large scale patterns that align with your large scale body.
You wouldn’t pair a big, beautiful sofa with a teeny, tiny coffee table. The sofa would dwarf the coffee table, further emphasizing its large size. Swap the coffee table for a proportionate one; the sofa is now in harmony with its surroundings. Now, instead of being a colossal eyesore due to disproportionate placement, its true beauty can now be admired.
Bold stripes and large checks will suit this body type best. When in doubt, go big.
The Body Type: Tall & Slim
To be tall AND slim is not a bad problem to have, right? In short, no. But the tall and slender man has a very specific set of challenges when it comes to dressing.
This body type is characterized by a thin frame, lean muscle mass, and long, lanky appendages. This particular build should focus on adding horizontal mass in order to minimize their looming vertical dominance.
This doesn’t mean looking shorter; it means adding a touch of bulk to look more like LeBron James and less like Slenderman. (Look! I made a sports reference!)
The 4 Most Important Tips for the Tall & Slim Man
Tip 1: Break Up Your Body
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Tall & slim guys have the luxury of playing around with more high-contrast elements. Low-contrast or tonal outfits ensure minimal visual break; tricking the eye into thinking the wearer’s body is vertically enhanced. We basically want to do the exact opposite of this. This can be achieved by layering contrasting pieces in varying colors and textures.
A thoughtfully assembled outfit will shift the focus away from your towering figure and onto your rich, dynamic look.
Tip 2: Avoid Loose Clothes
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What’s one way to look like you’re an imposing two-story man-child? By wearing clothes that are too big.
As with any body type, your clothes should be fitted, flattering, and bringing attention to your best assets; not enhancing your gangly figure. Adding bulk, or the illusion of it, doesn’t mean drowning in extra fabric.
Tip 3: Embrace Heavier Materials
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To piggyback off of tip #1, wearing hefty fabrics will give the appearance of added body mass. Material such as twill, tweed, and flannel break up long lines and aid in balancing proportions. The structured nature of these fabrics make the wearer look broader and horizontally expansive.
Many body types can’t handle too many of these hearty fabrics. Take advantage of your vertical edge and embrace these luxe materials- if the weather calls for it, of course.
Tip 4: Proportionate Accessories
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Over the past 5 years, the comically small accessory trend has exploded in womenswear. While cute, it doesn’t do the tall, slim man any favors. Go for jewelry, bags, and sunglasses that cooperate with your lofty physique.
Large scale accessories will not only proportionately ground your figure, but it also works better from a functionality standpoint. If your phone and wallet can’t easily slip in and out of your everyday bag, what’s the point in having one, to begin with?
To Sum it Up
Fit is king. The shape of your body, style aesthetic, and any other unique characteristics are nothing if you’re walking around in terribly fitted clothes.
If fit is king, then proportion is queen. Don’t let a beautiful, well-fitted garment get overshadowed by a randomly large (or small) detail.
Make prints work for you. Your height, weight, and individual shape should all play a factor when deciding on which types of patterns to wear. As a general rule of thumb, small guys = small scale patterns vs. large/tall guys = large scale patterns.
Bring the eye up. Your beautiful, smiling face should be the main feature of any look. If your head looks like it’s floating in a sea of fabric, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Focus on working with what you’ve got. Remember, clothing doesn’t look the same on different body types. Use these tips as the groundwork for creating a style that’s authentically you.