Short Men and Sharp Fashion
It’s easy to assume that most of men’s fashion today is made for tall, toned men of some European stock. The vertically challenged man, on the other hand, is figuratively left with the short end of the stick in terms of style. Does lacking Prada proportions mean that you also have to suffer with a wardrobe that’s less than ideal? Not if you know how to dress.
A Tall List of Problems
Myriad things tend to go wrong clothes-wise when you’re under five foot ten and buying premium, high-quality brands. Neckties don’t end where they should. Pants don’t drape like you want them. Shirts don’t contour right around your trunk. Chances are good that you’ve dealt with these at one time or another. It’s time to work with what your body has.
When you’re not as well-proportioned as you might like, the next best thing is to create the impression of those ideal measurements – something you can do with the right items. Try as much as possible to maintain a single continuous vertical line from your collar to your shoes; avoid horizontal stripes, upturned cuffs and other details that might disturb that oh-so-important line of illusion.
Good proportions must be maintained throughout your outfit, a rule that men’s fashion already encourages upon everybody. By keeping the size of your shirt in sync with that of your pants and shoes, you keep yourself perfectly in proportion with your own body.
Short of Style
It can’t be mentioned enough: proportions are the first thing you should pay attention to in your clothes. In particular, your clothes have to jive with the length and width of your body. Do you have wide shoulders? Your shirts and tees have to be just as wide, with the shoulder seams landing at (not around) your real shoulders. Is your torso really short? A shirt with the right length (or lack thereof) is the only thing you should be wearing.
A lot of men don’t give much thought to how long their tee or shirt is, but the short guy ought to mind that very important length. The hem of an untucked tee should be in the area in the middle of your fly. Any longer will make you look awkward; any shorter and you’re just asking for some indecent exposure.
That’s also partly why short guys ought to prefer jeans and pants with a low rise. This creates as much of a leg line as possible, thus elongating the silhouette of your lower half.
Going Long on Fashion
All of this, however, does nothing to change the fact that men’s fashion will always have a preference for the tall, Greek sculpture type of guy, whether it’s for neckties or hats. A tailor should be able to change your style paradigm to something more flattering for you.
High-end and designer fashion typically involves one form or another of adjustment since they recognize the need for close fits to different body measurements. It’s not uncommon for premium department stores to alter and adjust each and every item in their customers’ shopping bags. It’s a practice you should seriously consider adopting, even though you don’t buy clothes from racks that are about as expensive. It’s all about taste.
Great style isn’t about having the best body or the priciest clothes. You get it by making the most out of the physical assets. Your body is fine just the way it is; it’s simply a matter of making your clothes adjust appropriately.
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