Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video, we'll be discussing some general dressing tips for slim men, some specific
considerations for different kinds of garments, and how to enhance and flatter your natural
build.
In today's world, a great many people are trying to lose weight either for their health
or just for their own image.
Here at the Gentleman's Gazette, we believe that as long as a man is following the general
principles of style, in addition to feeling healthy and following his doctor's advice,
carrying around a few extra pounds is nothing to be ashamed of.
With that said, there's also a group of men out there at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Thin men who may be looking to find ways to increase their physical presence.
Whether or not you're actually looking to bulk up though, cutting a masculine figure
does have benefits.
Our subconscious sees fitness as an indicator of health and we are always looking for signs
of strength in potential romantic partners, co-workers, or even friends.
With all that in mind, here are some tips from one slim man to another on how to dress
well in order to look healthy and masculine.
We'll start today with some general guidelines.
The first of these being to simply avoid wearing clothing that makes you look frail.
Many thin men often try to disguise their frames by wearing clothing that's too large
for them thinking that the extra fabric is going to make them look bigger, however, in
reality, the opposite is actually true.
At the same time, however, thin men should also stay clear of super skinny or skin-tight
styles because these two are just going to draw attention to your thin frame.
What's the solution then?
Simply put you just have to find clothing that's going to fit you just right.
If they fit properly, your clothes should drape naturally over your body, fitting closely
but at the same time not feeling tight or pulling anywhere and also not so loose that
they're baggy or billowing.
As such, you'll definitely benefit in the long run from forming a good relationship
with a tailor as you're probably going to need to take all kinds of different garments
in for one type of alteration or another in order to achieve that ideal fit.
In particular, pay close attention to your shoulders and your sleeves.
The shoulder seam of your shirt should sit right at your shoulder's edge, if it's up
too high, the shirts going to look too small on you and if it's down too low, your shoulders
are going to look like they're drooping.
If the seam sits right at the shoulder edge, it's going to properly frame your shoulders
and your chest.
Similarly, your sleeves should be just wide enough so that your arms can fit comfortably
inside of them.
If they're too tight, you're going to have unsightly wrinkling all around your arms and
if they're too loose, they're just going to look like you're wearing a pirate shirt.
For our in-depth guide on dress shirts and just how they should fit all around your body,
you can check out our related video on that subject here.
The same general principle is also true for your legs.
Wearing skinny jeans or pants where the tight tapered fit in things like khakis, chinos,
and so forth will just make your legs look like spindly sticks and that won't flatter
you at all.
Our second overall tip today is to wear colors and patterns that boost your visual heft.
As a general rule, lighter colors like white, beige, or pastels are going to make you appear
a little bit larger overall.
Just as darker colors and the quintessential black are said to be slimming, the opposite
effect is true for lighter clothing.
Meanwhile, wearing patterns will create a sense of movement in your outfit and will
also make you seem larger.
When we observe a busy pattern, it does take a moment for our brain to be able to explain
to our eyes what it is that we're seeing.
That split second of communication means that if you're wearing a busy pattern, people will
have to take a second and that will make you look larger.
With regard to specific pick patterns, horizontal stripes are of course the classic choice for
broadening the frame whereas vertical stripes will make you look taller and thinner overall.
This isn't to say however that vertical stripes should be completely forbidden from the wardrobe
of a slim man.
You should just be mindful of the overall effect that you're trying to achieve.
Also, checks and other grid patterns are another good choice for broadening your frame.
If you're curious to learn more about different kinds of check patterns, you can consult this
article here.
We'll get more into how to wear check patterns when we talk about specific garments in a
moment.
In general though, the smaller the scale of the pattern, the more it's going to increase
your perceived heft.
For example, wearing a fine graph check shirt would be a good choice if that's what you're
going for.
Our third overall tip today is to wear multiple layers.
With each additional layer you put on, you're going to be adding a bit more bulk.
One layer on its own might not necessarily make a difference but if you're wearing multiple
layers in conjunction, you'll be able to build up your frame a little bit more.
Rather than simply piling on a bunch of sweaters, however, you'll want to approach your layering
a little bit more strategically.
Start with the lightest weight fabrics closest to your body and as you move outward, each
subsequent layer can be more sturdy.
Also, textured weaves like tweed, flannel, denim, or corduroy give
more perceived heft than do smoother weave fabrics.
Returning to the concept of patterns for a moment, this same concept of working inward
to outward should apply to patterns as well.
For example, the pattern on your shirt if it has one, should be less abrasive than the
pattern that's featured on your jacket or tie.
Our fourth and final general tip is to try to find ways to make your neck look larger.
Turtleneck sweaters are of course the classic choice to create this effect but you also
do have other options.
For example, you could have a zip neck, a stand collar, or a shawl collar on a sweater
in particular.
Also, simply wearing a dress shirt with a sturdy collar assisted further by the aid
of collar stays is a good way to minimize the appearance of your neck because the pattern
of the shirt will be carried upward a little bit by the verticality of the collar.
With those general guidelines established, we can now move into considerations for specific
different types of garments as they relate to the wardrobe of a slim man.
T-shirts, polos, dress shirts, or any other type of shirt just like any garment in general
for the slim man, should fit the body closely without being too tight.
As we already mentioned, fit in the shoulders and the sleeves is key.
Dress shirts, in particular, should also be long enough that they stay comfortably tucked
in throughout the day.
If your shirt is creeping out over your waistband throughout the course of the day, that's a
sign that it's too short.
There are a number of remedies for keeping one's shirt tucked in all day which we're
going to cover in an upcoming video but for the time being just know this, the best way
to make sure that your shirt stays tucked in is to find a shirt that fits you properly.
Next, let's cover the jacket which is a garment specifically designed to make a man look stronger
and give him a more ideal masculine silhouette.
Suit jackets, sport coats, and blazers are all designed with the goal of accentuating
the features of the male form making the man look more muscular.
They achieve this in a variety of ways when it comes to the details of their styling.
One way that a jacket does this is by broadening your shoulders.
Many jackets, though not all, depending on the style will have a bit of padding in the
shoulder that makes it look more full and also more angular.
Optimal shoulder padding for a jacket is subtle, however, adding only about a half inch of
height at the very most.
Anything more than that and your shoulders are going to look unnaturally angular almost
like you put your jacket on with the hangers still in it.
In addition to making you look wider at the shoulders, a proper, meaning a close-fitting
jacket will also taper as it moves down toward your waist creating a natural V shape.
This V shape is a universal sign of male strength and it should also be echoed even further
by related shapes that are created by your lapels, as well as your shirt collar.
We're going to keep mentioning this today; the most important thing as a slim man to
consider is how your garments are fitting you.
As such, most jackets that you buy off the rack are probably going to require some sort
of alterations tailoring.
We suggest you start with the ever-versatile two button single breasted model, though if
you want to experiment with a double-breasted jacket, you can still wear one of those and
have it flatter your form too.
We would suggest something perhaps with a six on two button configuration.
The length of your jacket should hit just at the bottom of your seat offering you the
neatest appearance possible.
If it's any longer than that, it's generally going to look like the jacket is too big for
you.
You can choose either notched or peak lapels based on your own personal preference but
whatever you go with, we recommend that they be at a width of about three inches which
is just a hair narrower than the standard lapel width of about 3 and 1/8 inches.
For a comprehensive guide on how a suit should fit
you can check out this video here and for another guide on just how many suits we think
a man should own you can check out that video here.
Moving downward now, let's consider trousers.
As we said toward the beginning of the video, slim men won't benefit from wearing pants
that are much too baggy nor will they look good in super skinny cuts.
Rather you should try to find something in the middle usually that will be labeled, fittingly
enough, as slim.
You can wear your trousers either at your natural waist which we recommend or a little
bit lower depending on your own personal preference as well as your actual height.
If you're a shorter man, you can wear your trousers a bit higher to make you seem taller
and if you are tall and slim you can wear them just a little bit lower because you don't
really need any help looking tall.
Style-wise, you can opt for side fasteners, belt loops, or suspenders, though if you do
wear suspenders, also called braces, we would recommend that you do keep them under another
layer and don't wear them visibly.
The strong verticality of these suspenders is just going to make you look thinner overall
which isn't necessarily something you'll want.
We'll get back to some of these trouser accessories in a minute.
Here's a tip when it comes to buying, most retailers are only going to describe the measurements
of a pair of trousers using just two numbers which refer to the waist size and the inseam
length.
These two numbers, however, don't really give you any idea of how wide the pants are around
each individual leg or what the drop height is from the top of the waistband to the bottom
of the crotch.
As such, the best way to figure out how well a pair of pants fits you is simply to try
it on.
If the trouser fabric is heavy enough to fall smoothly, a little bit of looseness in the
lower legs doesn't have to be shied away from but at the same time, you don't want to go
too far with this or you'll risk looking like you're wearing bell-bottoms or simply wearing
pants that have way too much fabric at the bottom.
When it comes to trousers with pleats, commonly accepted wisdom is that thin men should avoid
them altogether because of the extra verticality that's provided by those lines, however, this
doesn't have to be an absolute rule.
For more on whether or not you can consider wearing pleated pants as a slim man or as
a man of any type of build, you can consult our video on pleated pants here.
Trouser cuffs can also add some additional visual weight as well as providing a slight
horizontal line around your ankles.
If you are fortunate enough to have many of your garments custom-made for you, you can
go ahead and make these cuffs on your trousers a little bit wider.
More casual pants can have their pockets slanted forward slightly to break up some of that
verticality.
Also on the topic of pockets, try to avoid filling them up with piles of stuff, this
is a surefire way to make your thighs look unsightly bulky or even lumpy, that's not
an effect you're going for.
Next up, here are a few considerations for neckties.
Depending on your own personal preference, a necktie with the width of about two and
three-quarters to three and 1/2 inches is going to look good on a slim frame.
Just remember that the overall width of your necktie should be relatively in sync with
the width of your jacket's lapel so that everything is harmonious overall.
Alternatively, knit ties are often only about two inches wide but their added texture and
bulk will add some heft to your frame as we discussed previously in our general overview.
Anything narrower than two inches into the realm of super skinny ties won't do you any
favors.
Instead, these really slim ties are just going to echo the slimness of your overall frame.
Finally, whether you're wearing a long tie or a bowtie, consider something with an engaging
and inviting visual pattern as this extra visual element will draw attention away from
your frame.
Of course, given the discussion of neckties, we should mention that we've got a wide variety
of neckties and bowties in all different kinds of patterns and materials you can take a look
at them in the Fort Belvedere shop here.
To close out our list today here are a few notes on accessories as well as shoes.
Fortunately for the slim man, he's got a good bit of latitude in what kinds of accessories
he can wear that will add bulk to his frame without looking outlandish.
Take, for example, a well-puffed pocket square in an inviting pattern.
This will work similarly to the patterned tie that we just discussed and that it will
draw eyes away from the slimness of your frame.
Proportion is just as important here as anywhere of course and there is a point where an accessory
will become too large making you just look like a clown.
For example, overly broad belts and large belt buckles aren't going to do a slim man
any favors.
For a slim man, you're simply going to be better suited wearing a moderately sized belt
with a conservative belt buckle.
Regarding shoes, go for something understated and on the slim side rather than something
more utilitarian and chunky.
Loafers are going to be a good bet for you as is anything from an Italian manufacturer
as their styles are typically slimmer than some parts elsewhere around the world.
In conclusion then, you don't have to be muscular or physically imposing to project a masculine
image.
Simply by knowing what types of garments fit your body and flatter you, you can look confident
as well as stylish.
So if you're a slim man, what style tips do you have that we might not have mentioned
in this video?
If you have any, feel free to share with us in the comment section below and as always,
a reminder to subscribe to the channel so that way videos like this can come straight
to your inbox.
in today's video I'm wearing an outfit that's trying to follow many of the principles that
we laid out in today's discussion for example my shirt is slim fitting and it's in a small
micro check pattern of light blue and grey on a white background it's worn under a thick
cable knit quarter zip sweater in a light beige color both the thickness of the knit
as well as the color are techniques that we recommended to increase your visual heft my
pants are darker brown but still communicating with the beige sweater and are also in a moderately
slim fit my socks are light blue which echo the colors in the shirt and my shoes are my
dark oxblood penny loafers which you've seen before I wore them because they're small and
slim rather than large and chunky which is another tip we gave you I'm not really wearing
any accessories today and my shirt even has simple barrel cuffs which helps underneath
the sweater overall I just thought I'd wear something casual and breezy but that illustrated
the principles of dressing well as a slim man