08-13-2011, 09:41 PM
For any of the shorter guys 5'9ish and under on the forum, I thought i'd share what i've learned over the years about dressing well when your, ahem, vertically challenged. As Mark harped on in a recent post, dressing well is important regardless of height, but there are a few does and don'ts for short fellas.
I'll start with the absolute most important thing: fit, fit, fit!! This is true for all guys, but for short dudes it's doubly important, because any ill fitting garments are going to make you look a kid who borrowed his dads clothes. As a short guy, your goal with dressing is too create the ILLUSION OF HEIGHT, and more specifically, the illusion of a bodily X shape (broad shoulders, slim torso, muscular legs), as this is widely considered the ideal male proportion. Here's a quick run down by item of how to create this illusion.
*Note: I won't be covering suits and dress clothers. I'm a kindergarten teacher, and don't wear dress clothes except for special occasions, so my expertise in this area is lacking. If any other short guys here do, i'd love to hear what you have to say.
Jeans: Make sure that your jeans aren't so long that your walking on the inseam, and if you are, take them to a tailor and get them hemmed. Ask them to do a European Hem (or an "original" hemm) where they reattach the original seam to the pants. It's a little more expensive, but it looks so much better than having your jeans bluntly cut off. When tailoring, make sure they aren't hemmed too short; you want the seam to just touch the ground behind your bare foot when standing up. Make sure you bring in the shoes you'll be wearing when you get them hemmed. As for what fit you should buy, avoid baggy, as again, it will make you look like a kid. Opt for jeans those are more on the fitted side, but not skinny. In my experience, low rise is the best option if your short, because you'll be avoiding excess fabric around the crotch. You may also want to consider jeans with a bootcut, as this will add to the X shape effect.
Shoes: In my experience, boots are a great choice. They give just a little bit of extra height, they make you feel taller as your walking, and they add to the X effect. Aldo's got some great stuff. I like to rock motorcycle boots myself, but you can experiment. Also, you guys may thing i'm a tool for saying this, but I wear skate shoes a lot. As long as they aren't to big and too flashy, they add a nice edgy flair to an otherwise conservative outfit.
Shirts: Remember, vertical stripes are your friend, horizontal stripes are not. Horizontal stripes, particularly if your stock like me, will make you look like a bumble bee and only serve to exaggerate your lack of height. Vertical stripes are great, because they make you look tall. Again with shirts, keep them fitted and avoid super baggy. For dress shirts, make sure they're tapered at the waist and the sleeves and shoulders are the right size (i'm actually planning on getting my dress shirts custom made from now on as I have such difficulty finding a shirt with the proper proportions). Try for as little excess fabric as possible. For t-shirts, again, shoot for fitted. V necks are good as they draw attention to your torso and away from a short neck (also great for creating the illusion of broad shoulder and chest). A little trick I use is if my jeans are slightly looser fitting, I can get away with a slightly tighter t-shirt. If my shirt is slightly more breathing room, I can get away with jeans that are a bit more snug. The contrast makes the whole outfit more flattering.
Speaking of contrast, a word about colour. Remember that dark colours are slimming, but you can work light colours into your wardrobe. For example, if my jeans are a lighter wash i'll try for a dark shirt. If my shirt is a lighter colour, i'll wear a darker wash. A dark shirt and dark jeans are great too, it's just the combination of light jeans and light shirt that's problematic imo.
Jackets: Try to make sure your jacket isn't too long, both at the waist and at the sleeves. Also, you don't want a jacket that's too bulky and poofy, as it will make you appear short and stout. Same goes for sweaters and pullovers. Leather bomber jackets are a great choice. I recently got a Michael Korres Pea Coat that looks fucking amazing; great sleeve length, not too long at the waist, super warm, and has a very sleek look overall.
I think that about covers it. Hope this helps out.
I'll start with the absolute most important thing: fit, fit, fit!! This is true for all guys, but for short dudes it's doubly important, because any ill fitting garments are going to make you look a kid who borrowed his dads clothes. As a short guy, your goal with dressing is too create the ILLUSION OF HEIGHT, and more specifically, the illusion of a bodily X shape (broad shoulders, slim torso, muscular legs), as this is widely considered the ideal male proportion. Here's a quick run down by item of how to create this illusion.
*Note: I won't be covering suits and dress clothers. I'm a kindergarten teacher, and don't wear dress clothes except for special occasions, so my expertise in this area is lacking. If any other short guys here do, i'd love to hear what you have to say.
Jeans: Make sure that your jeans aren't so long that your walking on the inseam, and if you are, take them to a tailor and get them hemmed. Ask them to do a European Hem (or an "original" hemm) where they reattach the original seam to the pants. It's a little more expensive, but it looks so much better than having your jeans bluntly cut off. When tailoring, make sure they aren't hemmed too short; you want the seam to just touch the ground behind your bare foot when standing up. Make sure you bring in the shoes you'll be wearing when you get them hemmed. As for what fit you should buy, avoid baggy, as again, it will make you look like a kid. Opt for jeans those are more on the fitted side, but not skinny. In my experience, low rise is the best option if your short, because you'll be avoiding excess fabric around the crotch. You may also want to consider jeans with a bootcut, as this will add to the X shape effect.
Shoes: In my experience, boots are a great choice. They give just a little bit of extra height, they make you feel taller as your walking, and they add to the X effect. Aldo's got some great stuff. I like to rock motorcycle boots myself, but you can experiment. Also, you guys may thing i'm a tool for saying this, but I wear skate shoes a lot. As long as they aren't to big and too flashy, they add a nice edgy flair to an otherwise conservative outfit.
Shirts: Remember, vertical stripes are your friend, horizontal stripes are not. Horizontal stripes, particularly if your stock like me, will make you look like a bumble bee and only serve to exaggerate your lack of height. Vertical stripes are great, because they make you look tall. Again with shirts, keep them fitted and avoid super baggy. For dress shirts, make sure they're tapered at the waist and the sleeves and shoulders are the right size (i'm actually planning on getting my dress shirts custom made from now on as I have such difficulty finding a shirt with the proper proportions). Try for as little excess fabric as possible. For t-shirts, again, shoot for fitted. V necks are good as they draw attention to your torso and away from a short neck (also great for creating the illusion of broad shoulder and chest). A little trick I use is if my jeans are slightly looser fitting, I can get away with a slightly tighter t-shirt. If my shirt is slightly more breathing room, I can get away with jeans that are a bit more snug. The contrast makes the whole outfit more flattering.
Speaking of contrast, a word about colour. Remember that dark colours are slimming, but you can work light colours into your wardrobe. For example, if my jeans are a lighter wash i'll try for a dark shirt. If my shirt is a lighter colour, i'll wear a darker wash. A dark shirt and dark jeans are great too, it's just the combination of light jeans and light shirt that's problematic imo.
Jackets: Try to make sure your jacket isn't too long, both at the waist and at the sleeves. Also, you don't want a jacket that's too bulky and poofy, as it will make you appear short and stout. Same goes for sweaters and pullovers. Leather bomber jackets are a great choice. I recently got a Michael Korres Pea Coat that looks fucking amazing; great sleeve length, not too long at the waist, super warm, and has a very sleek look overall.
I think that about covers it. Hope this helps out.
It's all aesthetics buddy.