A complete guide to dressing correctly for your body type

How do you look when you’re short, thin, athletic or tall? It doesn’t matter what your body type or weight is: you can always dress your best and enhance your figure. You just need to know your body. Our comprehensive guide will show you how to dress correctly for your body type. 

 How to dress for your body type? 

Whether you wear designer clothes or prefer fast fashion, there is one golden rule for a perfect look: whatever your body type, always choose clothes that fit! The objective is to respect your physical characteristics while creating a balance on the proportions of your body. The main thing is to visualise your body shape, but not to forget your personality by trying to hide your physical particularity or your complexes.

So, let’s get back to the point! How to dress according to your morphology? In order to answer this big question and to facilitate your understanding, we have distinguished four categories of morphology: 

• Small and thin
• Tall and thin
• Muscular
• Strong and corpulent

If you are a man SMALL and thin

Small and thin – This is for people who are less than 5’7″. The aim here is to look a little taller. To do this, you should avoid wearing clothes that are too big, such as oversized T-shirts, because they reduce the length of your legs. You should emphasise a body that is well proportioned between the top and the bottom by opting for well-cut clothes. Also avoid clothes with lots of patterns and give preference to solid colours! Choose V-necks instead as they will highlight your face!

As far as bottoms are concerned, a pair of fitted trousers will give your figure a lift. You can wear skinny or semi-slim jeans. We don’t recommend wearing hems as they take away from the length of your legs. It is important to know that trousers that break on the shoe artificially lengthen the wearer’s silhouette, whereas rolled-up trousers reduce the imbalance between long legs and a short bust. As for the leg opening, this is a somewhat delicate question. To avoid risks, it’s best to stick to the classic semi-slim. 

If you’re a fan of long coats, don’t panic! You can wear one that falls to your knees. But we recommend you wear it open. This will give you a trendy look and create the famous vertical line. If you still prefer to wear your coat closed, you should opt for a double-breasted model. Thanks to its generous size, double-buttoned construction and cut, it will enhance your look and create a nice waist. 

If you’re a tall, thin man

Tall and thin – Normally tall and thin people face the following problems. Jackets and shirts are often too wide or if the size fits, there is a problem with the sleeves or the bust. In the case of stockings, they are often too short or too wide. The aim is to find horizontality, and we’ll explain how!

The jacket is a perfect garment for tall and slim people, as it draws attention to the top and gives a nice shoulder shape. A suit pocket is an essential accessory for this. 

When it comes to patterns, go for horizontal stripes as they visually widen the bust. So, if you are tall and slim, often wear sailor shirts that provide style, comfort, and fit. If you’re into casual shirts, choose models with chest pockets to thicken your torso and shoulder pads. With pocket shirts you’ll have visually larger shoulders.

Here’s a tip to visually reduce the length of your leg: cuffs or a hem to your trousers. If you have big feet, avoid pointy shoes! Choose round-headed shoes instead!

If you are a MUSCLE man

Muscular – Why is it sometimes difficult to dress a muscular man? Because it’s not always easy to find a shirt or jacket that fits your biceps perfectly. The same problem with trousers. It’s hard to find jeans that fit your thighs perfectly. Sometimes muscular people have to choose jackets and trousers separately or from different brands. 

Your physique is different from 90% of the standard models of different brands. This means that it is very important for you to know a good alteration specialist. We assure you that in case of a good alteration shop, all clothes in your wardrobe can be altered. If you have an athletic body, you need to add some verticality to your figure. That is, you should avoid horizontal stripes or very wide checks.

When choosing a jacket, it’s the same thing, look for slim-fitting jackets. The main thing is that the shoulders fit you well. The rest can be easily modified with a good alteration artist. You should have the waistline accentuated, but you can also have the length of the jacket and the sleeves adjusted. 

Don’t wear jackets with very thin lapels as they will make your shoulders look disproportionate. Accessories and collars should not be too small in order to keep the proportions harmonious. 

Now the bottom! You can’t wear skinny jeans. If you’re a fan of slim or semi-slims, opt for models three sizes larger than your actual size. Choose jeans that don’t squeeze your thighs too tight!

If you are a STRONG AND BODY man

Strong and corpulent – When you are strong and corpulent, sometimes dressing well is not an easy task, as most brands offer fairly standardised styles. But it is possible to be strong and still be stylish and elegant. You just have to get rid of some of the beliefs that society imposes on you. 

When you are strong and corpulent, the aim is to accentuate the upper part of the bust and not the belly. For this, you should prefer tight-fitting cuts and high buttoning. Favour plain or dark colours, avoid white and beige! Also avoid T-shirts that are too big or too small. 

As far as materials are concerned, we do not recommend silk clothes. Even though it’s a very nice and light material, it’s too fluid and catches a lot of light.

You get the idea! It risks drawing attention to your curves. On the other hand, you can opt for clothes made of mixed silk. Avoid patterns that are too massive so as not to draw attention to your bust! No horizontal stripes. 

The same goes for trousers. Never wear trousers that are too wide or too tight. 

Don’t hesitate to wear accessories. To add a little verticality to your silhouette, add a finishing touch to your look in the form of a long necklace!