Dressing Tips for the Shorter Man

What is considered short for men? A height between 5’4″and 5’7″. If you are short you can be as successful as those taller than yourself. You just need to know how to dress yourself to make the most of your features and give the illusion of height. And the good news for you is that most women seek other characteristics in their partner well before height!

Apart from shoe-lifts, the outfits you wear can make you look longer or shorter.  A good fit is important and for shorter men, it sometimes pays to have a good tailor – not only to have your best outfits tailor-made to fit you perfectly but also to have “off the rack” outfits altered to fit you better.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you dress for success:

Do’s:

• Make friends with a good tailor – take all your pants and jeans and have them altered to be the right length – so they aren’t too long and you never have to roll them up!
• Dress in the same color family as this will elongate your body.
• Wear trousers that have a plain hem, and whose hemline graze the back of your shoes.
• Choose trousers that sit higher on your waist and are straight legs.
• Choose narrow to medium style ties.
• Avoid jackets with huge padded shoulders.
• Choose shirts that draw attention up towards your head and face. Think of blazers with peak lapels for example, and dress shirts that have straight point collars.
• A tailored, 2 button suit looks best on shorter men.
• Where possible, don’t tuck your shirt in – especially if your torso is the short part.
• Choose jackets, coats and blazers that are cut short, ending at just above or at the curved part of your bottom, and avoid vents – you are looking for a seamless, streamlined look.
• Wear dark, solid colors to give you a slimmer effect, and if you are thin, wear lighter colors.
• When choosing shirts with patterns, choose those with small prints and patterns.
• You can wear pinstripes or thin vertical stripes.
• Choose narrow belts.
• Wear shoe inserts to give you height, or choose shoes with a higher heel.

 Don’ts:

• Do avoid trousers with cuffs as these make your legs look shorter.
• Likewise, avoid rolling your jean legs up because they will shorten your legs.
• Do avoid tapered (come in thinner at the ankle) or baggy trousers as these will accentuate your shortness and shorter legs.
• Avoid hipsters unless you wear a shirt over the top.
• Avoid tops that focus attention downwards away from your face – these are things like sweaters with v necks or double-breasted blazers.
• Avoid fabrics like houndstooth or herringbone because they are bulky and anything that adds too much bulk also makes you look shorter.
• Avoid wearing tops and bottoms that color-wise are in stark contrast to each other, like black pants and a white top. 
• Avoid wearing shirts with large sized patterns, including large checks.
• Never wear horizontal stripes or wide stripes!
• Avoid wide belts.

Another tip for shorter men is avoid the temptation to over-workout at the gym. Bulging biceps and huge shoulders will just make you look stumpy.  You can still be fit and toned and boast a six pack, just avoid the Mr World look!  Huge and short don’t look good together.

Be positive! Many shorter men enjoy hugely successful careers and attract beautiful (and tall) partners. Think of Tom Cruise and Ryan Seacrest to name just two.  More benefits to being short include it being much easier to shorten trousers and jackets to fit a shorter man whereas it is almost impossible to alter outfits to fit taller or larger men.  They have to find something big enough to fit them!  You can pretty much buy whatever takes your fancy and a good tailor can make it fit you perfectly.

Check out the European and Japanese designers who design for men who are slightly shorter than the average western man anyway. You can take a trip to Asia and enjoy a huge spending spree finding clothes and shoes that will fit you perfectly, whereas your larger western friends have to have everything tailor-made because nothing in Asia “off the shelf” will fit them!

Need help coordinating a wardrobe that will work together and suit your shape, size and coloring  perfectly?  Contact me at info@terriannesmall.com and find out how I can help you!