Buying a business suit when you are a larger man can be a bit of a nightmare, especially when you are both big and tall. The great news is that if you get it right, a hand tailored men’s suit can give you shape, contour, significantly improve your image and maybe even boost your confidence. You might think it’s easy to get things wrong when shopping for your custom suit and honestly we don’t blame you, but if you follow our great tips you should have absolutely no problems when you go on to see your custom tailor. You can forget most of the nonsense that big brands tell you about having business suits that will fit men who are both tall and big, we all know that those suits just never really fit right. The sad part is that this may easily discourage you from dressing well and trying to look your best. Dressing well is about presenting yourself in the best and most flattering way possible, and it just seems that big brands and stores do not understand that. Our advice to you is to invest in a good custom tailor who understands your style, your taste, your body, and anything else you consider a priority when shopping for big and tall suits. The best clothes for big and tall men are the ones that give you a clear, defined shape that is also clean cut. That means clothing such as suits, blazers, and sports coats should always be right at the top of the list: these are what we call the “frame” of the body and make it look neat and well built, it flatters your unique body type, another great buy would be jackets, smooth slacks and definitely not jeans, slacks give a nice, clean cut, in cold weather go for a tailored long overcoat which is a great way to keep warm as you look stylish. In the meantime here are a few helpful tips to help you figure out what works best for your body, these tips are great for both seeing the tailor and also for visiting your favorite store.
Pay Attention to your Natural Waist
Men with lean bodies have it easy when deciding where to put their waistband when wearing pants, in that they don’t really have to contemplate where to put it at all. For a slim body the waistband just goes around their middle, below the belly-button. That’s really easy. It really is a different story with large men, when you are bigger you need to give this matter a little more attention. Try on a few different business suits in different styles and see what looks right, but in the end you should probably aim to wear your waistband on your natural waist which lies a little higher than your belly-button (not too high, just a smidge.
Go for the smallest size that fits you perfectly
The important phrase here is ‘fits you perfectly’. Don’t wear a suit or blazers that are the size that you would like to be able to fit into or the size you’ll be wearing once you’ve gone on that diet. Wear the size that fits you now. Too small and you’ll feel uncomfortably restricted, you’ll look uncomfortable, and you’ll risk bulging in all the wrong places. A business suit that’s too small will draw attention to the fact that you’re wearing clothes that don’t fit and that the reason that the clothes don’t fit is that you are too fat. Conversely, a big and tall suit or blazers that are too big will hang badly and turn you in a giant lump of a man, making you look like an elephant hiding in a circus big top. Get measured and then wear a big and tall suit that fits you.
Always Opt for the Smallest Fitting Size
The word to really pay attention too is “fitting”. Don’t waste your money buying a suit or blazers that are the size that you want to fit into or the size you’ll be wearing once you’ve gone on that diet. Wear the size that fits you now, it really is the best option for your right now and it will sit comfortably. We do not need you subconsciously worrying about ripping your pants on the subway. If you go too small, you’ll feel uncomfortably restricted, you’ll look uncomfortable (not to mention untidy), and you’ll risk bulging in all the wrong places which is something we are trying to avoid. A suit that’s too small will pull attention to the fact that you are obviously wearing clothes that do not fit you and people will assume that it is because of your weight. On the other hand, a suit that’s too big will certainly hang badly and turn you in to a giant lump of a man, which is something that we are trying to avoid. Find something that drapes over your body comfortably. Get professionally measured by a custom tailor and wear a suit that fits you right.
Opt for Darker Shades
The great thing about most suits is that they come in dark colors, in fact nothing gets more sophisticated than a classic black tailored tuxedo. Light, bright colors will attract attention from bystanders and effectively make you look bigger than what you are. Inconspicuous dark colors definitely won’t. You should avoid too much contrast around the waist area because this too will draw some unwanted attention. A dark colored suit on the other hand will make you look great, it will give you a smooth and clean look that is classically elegant.
Switch from Belts to Suspenders
Belts are not exactly of much use to men with large, round stomachs. The shape of the belly tapers, a circular non-flattering band around it is just going to slip right off or even draw more attention to your stomach. Suspenders on the other hand avoid this issue completely, and let the trouser front fall in a smooth drape instead of gathering in your waste area. It would really be great for you to build a collection of nice hand tailored slacks that can take button-style suspenders. You might have a hard time finding these in a normal store, but a professional custom tailor will surely offer them.
Buy Dress Shirts with Spread Collars
This might sound a little weird but the truth is that a spread collar looks best on larger men, it always has. Spread collars help keep your face looking proportional, plus they give you perfect room to tie a nice big necktie knot. You’ll want to do that when you’re wearing a tie, a big guy with a thin tie and a tiny knot is definitely not flattering at all.
Dressing well as a larger man really is not all that different from dressing well with any other body type. More than anything, dressing well as a big and tall man simply relies on honesty about your body, and of course the patience to get clothing that actually fits you. If you’re willing to pick the styles that flatter your body type and get them adjusted to fit properly, you’ll look neat, stylish, and well-built no matter what you weigh. It would be a really good idea for you to just go ahead and have all of your clothing custom made from the beginning. Nowadays it is really easy to find a custom tailor that is both skilled and reasonably priced. Style has nothing to do with your weight or height, being bigger and taller than the average man certainly does not mean that you should not look just as stylish and dapper. Fashion is for everyone.