Diff’rent Looks for Diff’rent Folks

Everybody has a different body shape – some have very different body shapes, and most off-the-rack suits do not cater for these customers. This is where tailor-made is superior – even for people who have a relatively standard body shape, a tailored suit can really sharpen up the image.

The right clothes help to highlight our best features and conceal our worst ones. The best part is that a custom-tailored Finestitch & Co. suit will fit perfectly, because it is based on your measurements and body type. No more wasting time and energy trying on scores of jackets, trousers and shirts to test out the fit – I repeat  –  Finestitch & Co. garments will fit perfectly!

Here are some rules of thumb for different body types:

Taller Men

If you are tall or thin or both, it is better to avoid darker colours and pin stripes, as they will make you look even skinnier. Generally, solid lighter colours or plaids are the way to go in order to reduce the leaning effect.

Tall and lean men should also avoid wearing non-fitted clothes, even though psychologically they may think that these clothes make them look bigger. In reality, baggy clothes on thin people just make them look thinner and like they are swimming in their clothes. It is not a good look.

It is also a bad idea to get suits and shirts that are too fitted, because then you will also look skinnier. Just the right fit is required, and the experienced Design Consultant from Sydney Custom Suits will know what to do when taking measurements.

A Three or Two Button Suit is fine. Taller people (5’11” and up) can get away with Three Button Suits. Whereas on shorter people (5’4” and below) it generally makes them look shorter if it is not made the right way – so Two Button or One Button is more suited for them. Medium height people (5’5” to 5’10”) can go with any of the styles and still look fine. As a side note - two button is most popular, and in the UK, one button is also in fashion.

For shirts, it is better to have them slightly fitted with spread collars for taller or leaner men, as it has a widening visual effect.

Trouser can be cuffed and jackets can be a bit longer because tall men have the height to spare.

Shorter Men

Shorter men should steer clear of longer jackets, trousers with cuffs, and plaid patterns that have horizontal stripes as well as vertical. Darker colours and Pinstripes should be in your wardrobe, as they will make you look taller. One and Two Buttoned suits are better for those shorter in stature, as too many buttons make it appear as though there is too much going on in a short amount of space.

With shirts, generally they should have longer pointed collars as opposed to the wider English cut collar. This is once again to visually elongate the body with more things being vertical than horizontal.

Larger Men

Larger men should never wear plaid. Like shorter men, the focus should be on darker colours and Pinstripes. Peak lapels look good for larger men because unlike the notch lapel which carries the eye down to the centre of the jacket near the stomach, peak lapels carry the eye upwards towards the shoulders.

The jacket should be two button, as three button might look like it is straining at the buttons. The Two Button style opens up the top area to show more of the tie and lowers the meeting point of the lapels. In effect it allows more breathing space, and has a more slimming effect due to the narrower and longer V shape of the lapels.

The back of the jacket should have side vents – it is commonly misconceived that side vents make larger men look even larger. The reality is that side vents have a slimming effect, and also add some flexibility to the jacket.

Also like shorter men, shirts with longer pointed collars are more flattering.

Advice applicable to all body types 

Finally, some advice for all body types – when buttoning your single breasted suit jacket always leave the lowest button undone on two and three button jackets, because having all buttons done does not look right.

If you buy a double breasted jacket, never ever leave it undone – it will look wide and unflattering and will completely lose any slimming effect. A double breasted jacket must always be done up – all working buttons must be buttoned. It is a power suit and looks very impressive in meetings or for special occasions if it is a navy blazer with brass buttons, but the double breasted is definitely not an everyday suit.

When it comes to ties, wide tie knots such as the Windsor will look fine for wider spread collars such as English Cut – which is the recommended shirt collar type for taller people. For shorter or larger men, the thinner tie knots such as the Half-Windsor and Four-in-Hand are more appropriate, as they are narrower knots that have an elongating vertical visual effect. Alternatively, a medium width tie or even a narrow tie (if suitable for your work environment) will look better for shorter men.

For shoes, always wear flat tapered shoes or boots which do not have too much of a heel and the toe is narrow at the front or even pointed. This looks much better than a clunky shoe that has thicker heels or a rounded or bulky toe. No matter what your size, you will find that your trousers will fall much better on a flatter more streamlined shoe, and it will improve your overall presentation.

A Sydney Custom Suits Design Consultant has the expertise to advise you on what styles and materials are suitable for your body type and occasion and help design a Code suit to compliment you. Book your appointment today and take your first steps towards improving your wardrobe!