Most mens fashion tips and articles these days assume you have a perfect “Greek-like” body.
But the fact is, I get a million emails from guys asking how to put these tips to use when they have a little extra weight around the midsection.
My first response is – “I understand”.
I wasn’t born with great genetics. Even at 28, I need to be extremely careful about how I eat. I’ve never in my life had completely flat/ripped abs, even though at one point in college I was eating extremely well while working TWO manual labor jobs (construction & serving at a restaurant), plus college, plus strength training.
I have been as much as 35lbs or so overweight – so I can relate to the emotions you’re going through.
(It sucks)
That said, I want you to know that whether you have a pot belly, a round belly, have broad shoulders, have a big butt or everything at once, you can still look stylish, elegant with some hip and confident dressing.
The Priorities – What Should a Big Man Expect from the Way He Dresses?
We will talk about the particulars regarding style and outfit types later, but the first order of business is to think about certain things when you are out buying clothes:
Fitting
The fitting of your clothes, especially if you are a large man, is the first thing you should think about. You might have not noticed, but wearing bulgy, loose, sagging and wrinkled clothing will make you look sloppy. And because of the fact that you are large, the effects of disproportioned clothing only helps to amplify your appearance which makes you look poorly dressed.
A lot of guys come back with the response “Yea, but if I wear my clothes fitted it’s going to accentuate my rolls even more”.
No.
Your clothes should be FITTED, not tight. The simplest solution I can give you here is this.
Take a shirt that you like, which right now is too big for you. Get a picture. Then, take it to a tailor, and get another picture. Look at the difference. You’ll be hooked forever.
Simplicity
The fact that you are big and heavy clearly gives you a striking presence. And with that in mind, it is a good idea to stay away from bold prints and audacious shirt patterns. Why? That is mainly because bold patterns and prints will always make you look apart from others, with the focus on your waistline. You want to minimize the attention to your big round tummy and flashy dressing won’t do that.
For example, wearing a simple dark colored dress shirt over a perfectly ironed pair of beige, brown or white chinos or a pair of classic denim jeans would add that certain degree of elegance to your style as opposed to wearing overly bright colors with a ton of patterns on it. Sophistication in simplicity is paramount here.
Lightweight
Heavy or thick clothing materials actually emphasize more on your size and bulk. Plus wearing heavy clothes would make you sweat a lot due to the fact that they fail to flush out the heat. So, switch to wearing lighter materials, lighter jeans and cotton shirts.
Now that you have a good idea about what to look for when buying clothes, let’s head towards the focal point of your dressing and that is the types of styles you should consider wearing.
Five Fashion Tips For Larger Men
If you’re big and heavy and you wish to dress nicely without having to spend a lot on your wardrobe, consider these six amazing tips for dressing up with a bit of suave. Although they are basic and easy to handle, if you put all of them together, they can have a considerable effect on the way you look.
1. Minus the Belt and Switch to Suspenders
If you have a big round stomach, then belts would most certainly not work on you because of the shape of your tummy. The circular band of the stomach tapers would only make the belt slip. Just imagine fastening a belt on a basketball. Now, suspenders, on the other hand, eliminate the issue permanently and allow the trousers you are wearing to fall smoothly like a drape rather than clustering it up at the top.
2. Purchase Dress Shirts with Spread Collars
If you have a broad face, then your first priority is to make sure that your shirt’s collar matches your broadness. Brands today assign a 90o division between collar points as a ‘collar spread’. Collar spreads vary from brand to brand so make sure you find one that suits you. The benefit of wearing spread collars is that they add more proportion to your face. Plus, they also give you plenty of room to wear classy tie knots like the Windsor knot. Remember to always tie a big knot when wearing a tie because a big guy wearing tiny knotted tie looks a bit odd, don’t you think?
3. Switch to Wearing Hats
A hat can be worn with just about any outfit. That’s why they are considered a classy add-on and by wearing one with a good outfit, you’re displaying that you actually thought about what you should wear when you got up this morning and got dressed which implies that you are not a lazy person.
4. Try Some Bling On
For a big man, proportion is everything. So, the bigger you are, the larger your accessories should be. For example, instead of clipping a normal plastic ballpoint pen to your pocket, get a heavier fountain pen. If you are into watches, get one which is has a large dial. Big accessories add power to your presence.
5. Don’t Tuck Your Shirt In
A flat plane of shirt material over your belly attracts no attention as compared to a waistband complementing your bulge when you tuck in your shirt. So, in short, untucked shirts won’t accentuate your waistline. Consider getting your shirts tailored to your size and mass. Long-sleeved shirts which are designed with a collar do not need necessarily be tucked in, unless of course you are wearing one over a dress pant or a suit. But if you are wearing chinos or jeans, always keep your shirt out with your sleeves slightly over your wrists.
All in all, the fashion tips for a big man aren’t much different than it is for a normal sized individual. As a matter of fact, it all depends on your personality, your taste in clothing and your acceptance of your body.
Let me know if this helps you!
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Exactly how does one wear an untucked shirt with suspenders?
Just askin’ 🙂
Personally, I picked up a habit after some surgery that left me with an uncomfortable abdominal scar made wearing a belt too uncomfortable until it fully healed.
What I did, and still do quite often, is wear a v-neck undershirt that is tucked in, suspenders over that, and then an untucked shirt over all.
So the suspenders are hidden under the outer shirt. Now, depending in the thickness or tightness of the outer shirt, it may be possible to see the outline of the suspenders in the back. If someone comments, just make up a funny story. 🙂
I desperately need to know the answer to this!
A good solution! You made me smile at the idea of making up a funny story. My guy has a very large stomach and still goes with a belt. He usually wears polo shirts, not tucked in, with jeans and a belt…that works really hard but doesn’t keep the jeans from dragging the hem. At work in summer as a car salesman, he wears logo polos tucked into khakis. No choice in the matter. But I am thinking suspenders under the polo for casual off-work wear would look better. He wore suspenders back in the 1980s as a skinny, preppy guy. But resists them now. Gotta embrace the braces, I say! Thanks for your great post.
Wear under the shirt. Suspenders have a function also. Holding up the pants. Which is why you’d wear a belt. And that allows the silhouette to remain intact and prevent slouchy pants.