Upgrade Your Wardrobe
137 ways your home can make you a better man
From the editors of Men’s Health Living
The 8 rules of dressing slimmer
Rule 1: Hide big problems with small patterns
Knits with small, textured patterns and dress shirts with fine, subtle designs draw the eye in, focusing it away from the larger problem.
Rule 2: Punt the pleats
Pleated pants only add more material to your waist, which makes it look as if you’re smuggling a small pig under your belt. Flat-front pants show off a thin waist and help disguise a heftier one.
Rule 3: Strip down with pinstripes
Most suits are naturally slimming, because the monochromatic color and texture “create an unbroken vertical line from neck to toe,” says Mary Lou Andre, editor of Dressingwell.com. But pinstripes do the job even more efficiently: They guide eyes up and down, not across. A sharp crease works, too.
Rule 4: Untuck and cover
Any shirt that can be worn untucked helps hide heft. Important caveat: The shirt must be flat-bottomed. Also, avoid any upper-body gear (sweaters, Windbreakers) with elastic bottoms: They cause the material to bunch up at your waist, making even a thin man look heavy.
Rule 5: Bring the buttons lower
Choose one- or two-button jackets, which reveal a deeper triangle of shirt above the top button, calling attention away from your stomach. And don’t wear double-breasted suits. They minimize that triangle.
Rule 6: Get fitted for fitness
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that baggy clothes will hide any flaws—often, they accentuate them. And don’t make the even worse mistake of thinking that the pants you bought 3 years ago when you were a 34 waist still work now that you’re a 36. If you can’t fit a thumb comfortably under your waistband without inhaling, or if you have to cinch the pants tight to keep them up, it’s time to go shopping. Same thing with tops: When your clothes are form-fitting, your form looks more fitting.
Rule 7: Turn down the contrast
A dark shirt worn with khaki pants cuts you in half at the waist, making you look shorter and wider. The same shirt with dark gray slacks de-emphasizes your waistline and boosts your altitude a bit. Same with belts: A black belt over light pants says, “Look right here, it’s my waistline!”
Rule 8: Say goodbye to your old crew
Relegate crewnecks to the closet; they make your face look rounder. The point of a V-neck makes you appear taller and leaner, and helps reduce any creeping jowl formation. For dress shirts, stay away from spread collars and look for point collars, which help minimize facial roundness.
