When you are short, figuring out what to wear can be pretty difficult – especially if you want to make yourself look a bit taller than you really are. Well, the most important thing for you to keep in mind is that it is possible for you to make yourself look taller than you really are, according to the way that you dress. Here, I will share with you some of the tips that I have learned through my own experiences as a short person.Tip # 1 For Looking Taller: Tighter is Often Better

You may not be completely thrilled with the idea of wearing tight clothing, as it can be pretty uncomfortable. However, tighter is typically better. The reason may be because it helps emphasize your lines, ultimately helping you look taller. When you wear baggier clothing, you will probably find that your lines will not be so visible, which will ultimately cause you to look shorter. The only instance in which bagginess is an exception when it comes to dressing as a short person is when it comes to shirts and jeans. When you tuck a baggy shirt into tighter jeans, you will notice that your legs will look just as long (or tall) as they would if you were to wear a tighter shirt.

Tip # 2 For Looking Taller: Avoid Wearing Capris or Crop Shorts

Chances are that you have always loved the appearance of Capris or Crop shorts. If you are aiming to look taller, however, wearing both of these types of shorts is not going to help. For some reason, they tend to make short people’s legs look even shorter and stubby. You may be wondering what you should wear if you are not comfortable wearing short shorts. Well, your best option is to probably try out Bermuda shorts. Since these shorts will typically cutoff right before the knee begins, or in some cases right below the knee, your legs will get an overall longer appearance. Keep in mind that the same rule applies to skirts; those that end close to the ankles will make you look shorter, whereas those that end closer to the knee will help elongate your legs.

Tip # 3 For Looking Taller: Don’t Wear Flat Shoes

Lately, flat shoes have been considered very fashionable. Unfortunately, if you are really interested in looking taller, flat shoes are not the best choice for you. These shoes will be likely to draw attention to your feet, which will look very flat in them. What this will do is emphasize the fact that you are short, and in some cases, you may even look shorter because of these shoes. Opting for medium heels (as heels that are too high can just cause you to look like you are trying too hard) or chunkier shoes is typically the best option.

Tip # 4 For Looking Taller: Forget Everything You’ve Heard About Skinny Jeans

You have probably always been told that you should avoid skinny jeans because they can cause your legs to look chubbier and even make you look shorter. While this can be true in some cases, it is important to keep in mind that it is not always true. If you have long or slender legs, skinny jeans can help emphasize this. Darker colored skinny jeans are often the most complementary. One of the main reasons that skinny jeans may add length to your appearance is because they tend to add a slimming look, which is especially true about darker colored skinny jeans. Whether you like the idea or not, you should at least try a few pairs of skinny jeans on. You may be surprised with the results that you see.

Tip # 5 For Looking Taller: Wear Long Shirts

Wearing shirts that are longer in length can cause your torso to look longer. This can add several “visual inches” to your entire body. It is most common for tank tops and tee-shirts to be sold in longer lengths. Lately, however, you will typically be able to find long shirts for all seasons. (Once again, keep in mind that tighter is better. A long, baggy shirt may cause your body to look both shorter and chubbier).

Tip # 6 For Looking Taller: Opt For Darker Colored Clothing

It is a well known fact that being slimmer actually causes you to look taller also. Unfortunately, not all of us are as slim as we would like to be. You have probably already heard that wearing darker colored clothing can actually make you look slimmer. Opting for colors such as black, navy blue, forest green, maroon, and chocolate brown can make you look slimmer – and ultimately taller. Opting for darker colored tops and pants will both add length to your appearance.

Tip # 7 For Looking Taller: Use Layering to its Advantage

Although you may not even realize it, when it is done right, layering can help your body look a lot taller. Of course, there are several things that you will want to keep in mind if you plan to layer. The first thing is that the darker colored shirt should always go on the outside, as this is the color that people will be the most focused on when they look at you. Another thing that you should keep in mind is the type of shirts that you are laying. It is often best to layer a v-neck shirt on top of a tank top, mainly because a v-neck shirt tends to add a longer appearance to the body. You should avoid layering ruffled shirts, mainly because they only add emphasis to the chest and neck area, rather than the rest of your body. Test out several shirts when layering to see what makes you look the tallest.

Tip # 8 For Looking Taller: Choose the Right Hair Style

Although you probably think that your hair style has no effect on how tall you look, it can. Longer hair styles actually can cause you to look shorter because they cause the eye to wander mainly to your hair, rather than your body. Opting for shorter hair styles will provide you with the tallest appearance because it will put more emphasis on your neck, rather than your hair. This is especially true if your neck is longer. Medium hair styles are also acceptable if you wish to look taller.

Tip # 9 For Looking Taller: Test Out Different Types of Stripes

Stripes are known to provide the visual length that you are hoping for. Most short people find that vertical stripes work the best for them. However, there are cases in which people also claim that horizontal stripes work wonders for them also. The main key is to try out a few different types of stripes and decide what types may help you look taller, as well as what types may cause you to look shorter. Base your future clothing decisions on the results that you get.

Tip # 10 For Looking Taller: Emphasize With Bright Colors

Is there one part of your body that you really want to emphasize which will help you look taller? For example, let’s pretend that you have long, slender legs. If you want to use your legs to make your whole body look taller, then you should try shopping for bright colored pants, whether they are red, orange or lime green. If you have a slim stomach, you may want to emphasize this using a brightly colored shirt, whether it is solid or graphics. No matter what you decide on emphasizing, realize that bright colored clothing is probably the way to go. It is often best to match that with dark colored clothing (e.g. a bright pink shirt with dark colored jeans).

These are just ten of the very easy things that you can do when dressing in order to help yourself look taller! Remember that being short is not always a bad thing though! Being happy with who you are and showing confidence will help you look taller in itself!

Dressing Taller: 10 Tips for Short Men

by ANTONIO on JUNE 7, 2011 · 42 COMMENTS

in DRESS & GROOMING, GILLETTE, STYLE

Short men have always had a tougher row to hoe than their taller fellows. It can be frustrating to be picked last for the pick-up basketball game, to feel like you’re overlooked when walking into a party, and to struggle to see your favorite band at a concert.

And then there are those studies that say that tall men are perceived as more powerful and better leaders, are more desirable to women, and make more money (almost $1,000 more for every inch of height).

But short men shouldn’t despair. The news isn’t all bad.

First, while height may give men a leg up in the race for success (US presidents have been on average 4 inches taller than the general male population), there are always exceptions to the rule. Andrew Carnegie (5’0”)! Martin Luther King Jr. (5’7”)! Harry Houdini (5’5”)! TE Lawrence (5’6”)! Robert Reich (4’10’)! And have you seen Dennis Kucinich’s wife?

And second, while there isn’t much you can do, short of gruesomely lengthening your bones, to physically increase your height, there are ways to appear taller.  Key in this is the way you dress and present yourself, and today we’ll share ten tips on how you can use style to enhance your stature, and perhaps more importantly, your confidence.

The  Guiding Rule – Always Streamline Your Look

Looking taller is all about getting viewers’ eyes to travel smoothly up your body. It’s pure illusion: the more their eyes have to sweep upward, the taller their brains will register whatever they’re looking at as being.

That means that a shorter man wants to ease and encourage the viewer’s eyes upward towards his face. Visual clutter–such as eye-grabbing stuff on the body–breaks up the impression of height. That means staying away from obvious accessories like big, chunky watches, but it also means keeping an eye out for things as simple as the pockets on your suits and shirts. Something as simple as a pocket flap instead of an unadorned slit pocket can clutter up your appearance and lessen the impression of height.

10 Tips on Dressing Taller

FYI – I put these ten tips in orders of practicality and cost.  I realize some of these are beyond some men’s resources or not options worth considering–but I lay them out there so that you can make that decision yourself.

1. Monochromatic Color Themes

Along the same lines as minimizing visual clutter, removing contrasting color from your appearance helps streamline the way you look. Keeping all your clothes within a fairly consistent color theme, especially a dark one, will create an illusion of height. Different color shades are fine–just try to keep it loosely monochrome.

When you do wear different colors or different shades of the same color, try to weight the darker colors toward the bottom half of your body. That way people’s attention starts down near your feet and travels upward. Dark trousers with a lighter shirt create a lengthening effect; a darker shirt with lighter pants shortens your appearance.

2. Wear Vertically-Oriented Patterns

Most people have heard that vertical stripes are “slimming” and horizontal stripes are “widening.” That’s just a simplification of the same visual effect we’ve already been talking about: where people’s eyes go when they look at you. Patterns that run horizontally make you seem wider because the eye wants to follow them naturally out to the sides of your body.

Unbroken vertical stripes are one of the best ways to add an impression of height without seeming to try for it.  Dress shirts that increase the perception of height ideally have striping that is narrow enough to not create broad empty spaces of monochrome but wide enough to be visible at a glance. The equal-width alternation of white and colored stripes–often called candystriping–is a good choice.

Textured cloth with a visible up-and-down pattern has the same effect as any other vertical striping, so corduroy or very narrow herringbone weaves are also worth working into the wardrobe. Other than those very definitively vertical textures, however, stick to smoother fabrics where possible — rough textures add the visual clutter you want to avoid.

 

 

3. Wear Close Fitting Clothing

A loose fit on a short man actually emphasizes his petite frame–it makes him look sloppy, and it signals that he’s too small to find clothing that fits him right. Don’t let your own clothing send this message to the world.

When shopping for menswear, pay close attention to where your clothing sits on your body when you try it on. Most men are used to wearing clothing that is 1 to 2 sizes too large on them, and smaller men who have never given it much attention are some of the worst offenders.

Steer clear of jackets that hang loose in the armpits, even if the sleeves are short enough for your arms, and avoid any trousers with a lot of slack cloth in the crotch. Trust me, this doesn’t make you look more endowed. Instead, that sort of bagginess leads straight to the stereotypical “kid in his father’s suit” look.

Remember that most menswear is deliberately cut loose to accommodate as many body types as possible. Clothing marked small isn’t made for one type of small; it’s often made to try to accommodate shorter men who are anything from stout to round to thin. And the results are rarely flattering.

Savvy short shoppers often find a brand, oftentimes from a particular designer, that consistently suits them. They do this because designer clothing is often built for a narrower variety of body types, and as a result accommodates those limited builds better than the one size made to fit all variety. Designer clothes generally cost a bit more, but carefully watching sales and knowing when and where to shop for your particular size can lead to savings that make buying higher end clothing affordable.

Finally, have a trusted tailor who you can take your clothing to. Ensure he has an understanding of proportion and the needs of your body type, and you’ll find the adjustments he makes can transform your look more than any of the other tips in this article. It’s relatively inexpensive to have sleeves or cuffs shortened; more complicated work like having your trousers slimmed or jacket torso tightened isn’t too expensive either. Having a jacket shortened, or adjusting shoulders on a shirt is often limited by proportion–but again these small adjustments will transform your look from dopey to dashing.

4. Smaller Proportions

Be aware that as a smaller man you won’t always want the exact same proportions in your clothes as other men. For example, it’s traditional to wear a sport coat or suit cut so that a half-inch or so of shirt cuff shows beyond the end of the sleeve. A shorter man, however, wants to pair shirts and jackets so that there’s less of a broad band–as little as a quarter-inch. A sliver of cloth color down around the wrists will look more proportional on shorter arms than ¾ of an inch.

The parts of your clothing that fold over one another contribute a lot to your visual effect. On your upper body, that usually means the shirt collar and the jacket lapel, if a jacket is worn. Try to keep both of those on the narrower side–though be cautious with lapels; jackets with very broad or very wide lapels run the risk of looking dated, depending on when that particular extreme was in fashion.

Collars with shorter points that aim downward help as well. Stay away from anything with an extreme spread (more than 120 degrees) or longer collar points (2.5+ inches), especially when the collar points are angled dramatically outward.

Your necktie should be on the slimmer side as well, particularly if you have a smaller torso; if your torso is very broad, a narrow tie may start to look undersized. However, this is a better problem than overemphasizing the latter.

It may seem like splitting hairs to recommend narrower collar spreads, shorter trouser cuffs (or no cuffs at all), 2 or 1 button jackets, thinner lapels, and pockets closer together on a jacket. But when you start combining all the usual elements of a piece of clothing in smaller proportions, the effects add up. A small difference here, a small improvement there–next thing you know you have a significantly improved look.

Most of these details are things that different companies do in their own style–you don’t need lots of expensive tailoring, just the patience to figure out which brands have the smaller, more vertically-tilted details that work best for you.

5. Wear Attention Grabbing Details Up High

You can keep attention moving up from your feet toward your head by weighting the brightest details at the top of your body. A pocket square or a brightly-colored tie help guide the eye’s motion upward. Just be careful of adding too much clutter all at once. A bright lapel pin on its own is helpful–worn at the same time as a patterned tie and a pocket square, it edges into the distracting category. More casual outfits can utilize details such as epaulets on a shirt’s shoulders or a contrast inner collar on a dress shirt.

Resist the temptation to add a few inches with a hat unless you regularly wear one–if not worn naturally or with confidence it can backfire on the wearer. Some even argue that the visual effect is actually shortening–a hat puts a “lid” on your body and stops the viewer’s gaze dead. I have seen it work both ways. Again, this is an attention-getting detail that takes confidence, practice, and the knowledge of which hat compliments you.

Always keep it simple, vertically-oriented, and limited to one or two extras at most.

6. Wear the Right Clothing

Wear a Jacket – Wearing a sport jacket or suit jacket builds up the shoulders–taller and more pronounced shoulders emphasize height. Use this to your advantage every chance you can and match the jacket with either trousers of the same fabric (suit) or trousers of a similar shade (sport jacket).  Again–know how to buy the right type of suit for maximizing height by following the guidelines in this article.

Trousers at the Waist – Shorter men benefit from a longer leg line, and you get a longer trouser leg by wearing the waistband higher. Wear your pants at the natural waist rather than down on the hips which only makes your legs look stubby. Trousers at the natural waist don’t need a belt cinched tight the way that they do on the hips, which helps your middle from looking distractingly pinched. For the best effect, wear trousers without belt loops and use suspenders.

Avoid Shorts and Short-Sleeved Shirts – Short men are short because their limbs are smaller than those of their tall counterparts. Wearing clothing that draws attention to your limbs, especially if you’re big or built, makes you look shorter because your limbs are proportionally more compact. Although not always practical–especially in the summer–a man on the short side should consider linen trousers and lightweight long sleeve shirts he can roll up on the forearm. A classier look that helps create a streamlined appearance.

7. Physically Add Height

Playing around with patterns and collar sizes and details are all good ways to make a combined impression of extra height. But what if you actually want to add real height?

It’s doable. But remember to do this in moderation. Some short men find it useful to wear a heeled shoe, and there are definitely styles that look fine with a half-inch or so of heel on them, but know what you’re buying. Manufacturers that advertise specifically as “for short men” are often slapping chunky heels on styles meant to be worn with a more moderate heel, and the result is eye-catching and tacky. Stick to black pumps for a formal look or heeled boots in more casual situations. And always avoid athletic shoes or regular dress shoes that come with an exaggerated heel–you’ll just end up tripping.

Heel inserts are a matter of personal preference. They add height but can be uncomfortable, and it can be embarrassing to have to take your shoes off in public if you have inserts. Definitely don’t wear them with an already thick-heeled shoe–you’ll end up tilted forward like a woman in high heels.

8. Shop Internationally

Mass manufactured clothing is made for specific regions based off taste and average target customer size. As such, American clothing is big; however, there are regions outside the ole USA that make clothing for a smaller demographic. Think Japan & Italy–two countries where style is at the forefront and clothing is manufactured for a man who is much smaller than the average American frame.

The internet has made it possible to get clothing from overseas without a trip yourself–the downside is that international shipping isn’t always cheap and many of the best online stores in Italy or Japan do not have an English storefront. Google translate helps–but it doesn’t translate size, especially when you’re trying to figure out what equals what–inches to centimeters, and then you have to account for brand variation! If you go this route, try to work with a merchant with excellent customer service or a website that gives you exact measurements of the garment you’ll be sent. Start slowly, ensure you get the fit right, and then buy in bulk to save on the shipping!

Ideally though, you’d be able to travel to the country and find the deals yourself, getting a closet full of great clothes and a memorable experience.

9. Visit the Young Man’s Department

There is great clothing to be found in the “Youth” section of American stores. Some styles obviously won’t work on an adult, but there’s a good number of clothing manufacturers who make scaled-down versions of perfectly presentable adult outfits.

The biggest challenge of the Youth/Boys department may turn out to be fit in the chest and stomach. Most adult men wearing youth sizes need an XL or a L, which have recently started to be made looser and looser. “XL” for a child carries an expectation of weight as well as height, which wasn’t as true ten or fifteen years ago–you may need to seek out long-established and more old-fashioned manufacturers to find youth-sized clothing that’s long enough for a short adult and also not cut for a very heavyset kid.

An added bonus is that these clothes are oftentimes value priced. If you’re small enough to fit clothing marketed for children and young adults, it’s worth the minor hit to the pride to browse the children’s section of a few high-quality clothing or department stores.

10. Go Custom or Buy from a Specialty Store

Seeking out a custom men’s clothier or short clothing specialist who can help optimize your look is an option many men take. They realize a second set of eyes and years of experience dealing with hundreds of men with similar problems gives a clothier expert status; the best study their craft and can build entire wardrobes for their clients that not only make them look taller but are interchangeable and functional for maximum wear.

Finally, keep your look natural.  By this I mean you have to be comfortable in your clothing – wear IT, don’t let it wear YOU.  There are a lot of tips in this post…DO NOT implement all of them into a single outfit. Instead pick a few and apply them in moderation over the next few months. Keep the ones that work, discard the tips that don’t.

And remember that being a sharp dressed man is all about confidence. Know who you are and have fun expressing that individuality with your personal style.