How many times have you viewed men’s fashion and tried to replicate a look only to have it fall short? Don’t be embarrassed. It happens to even the most fashionable men!
Reasons for fashion fails
For most men, there are two main reasons that the fashion in a magazine doesn’t necessarily translate into real life:
- You’re basing your wardrobe choices on trends rather than your body.
- You’re not choosing the correct size and/or not having your clothes tailored to fit.
To help you choose the best fashion to flatter your body shape and size, consider these tips before you make your next apparel purchase.
Tips for choosing fashions that are flattering
- Determine your body type. Most men aren’t built like male models with the wide shoulders, narrow waist and hips and well-developed chest. While these “inverted triangles” can wear most clothes right off the rack, the general population tends to fall into one of three categories:
- The triangle: a bit thicker around the waist and hips and less muscular at the top
- The oval: very thick torso with shorter limbs
- The rectangle: tall, thin frame with hips about the same width as the shoulders
- Buy clothes in the right size and have them tailored.
Wearing anything too tight or way too big is never going to look flattering. Invest in a great tailor.
- Choose patterns and styles that flatter your body type.
Men who fall under the “triangle” body type should look for pieces that create the illusion of shape and distract from the thicker waist. This includes shirts in vertical stripes, jackets with structured shoulders to square off your frame and shirts with dark colors around the mid-section and color panels across the chest.
For men who fit the “oval” body type, pleated pants, bowties (to avoid ties that fall over your stomach bulge) and suspenders can help clothes fall in a more flattering and comfortable position.
Men with a “rectangular” body shape can create the look of a broader chest by wearing horizontal stripes, neck scarves and tailored suit jackets that add bulk to your shoulders.
