The perfect suit for EVERY shape! Tailors reveal their tricks of the trade – from bold prints to bulk up slim frames to single breasted jackets to flatter a dad bod
- Made-to-measure tailors shared their tips for dressing different male body types
- Explained slim men should wear lighter colours and patterns to add bulk
- Said tall men should avoid pinstripes wear a belt to break up the long line
- Experts Reto Peter and Patrick Jungo are founders of London’s Edit Suits Co.
Whether it’s a tight jacket or trousers that are too short, it can be difficult for men to find a suit that works for them.
But there are some simple tricks that any man can use to look their best in a suit, no matter what his body type.
Tailors Reto Peter and Patrick Jungo, founders of London made-to-measure tailors Edit Suit Co., spoke to FEMAIL about the rules he should follow if he wants to look red carpet ready (or just well put together for the office) depending on whether he is slim, short, tall, muscular, or maybe carrying a little extra weight.
There are different fabrics, cuts and styles that work for different body types – and easy styling tricks like adding buttons or removing a belt that can help bring an outfit together. Here, Mr Peter and Mr Jungo share their advice…
SLIM
Celebrity poster boy: Harry Styles, Bruno Mars
Top styling tricks: Lighter colours and no skinny fit
Making a statement: Slim men like Harry Styles can use bold prints to add extra heft
Adding bulk: Slender men Timothee Chalamet and Bruno Mars use colour to their advantage
Expert advice: Tailors Reto Peter and Patrick Jungo, founders of London made-to-measure tailors Edit Suit Co., shared their tips for dressing different body types
So you’re lucky enough to have a slimmer frame. But while this might be the most envied of body shapes, it’s not all plain sailing.
A design that is too skinny makes you look like a nervous A-Level student, while larger styles can look like you’ve borrowed someone else’s wardrobe.
The right fit is crucial. For example, we’d advise men go for a comfortable fit and have thinner lapels to keep things in proportion; they can then accessorise with a slimmer tie.
Also, if you’re adventurous you can experiment with lighter colours and bolder prints that will make your body look slightly bulkier than it really is.
MUSCULAR
Celebrity poster boy: James Haskell, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Top styling tricks: Wide lapels and stretchy fabric
Keeping things in proportion: Dwayne Johnson shows how wide lapels balance a broad frame
Breaking up the torso: James Haskell and Chris Hemsworth trick the eye with a white shirt
While you may set pulses racing in your gym gear, muscular men often look out of place in a suit – especially if they buy off-the-rack.
The trouble is with the high street is trying to find a style that suits your body shape – more often that not, a jacket that fits across the shoulders will be loose on the waist, and forget trying to contain those super-sized glutes in off-the-peg trousers.
To keep things comfortable without having to add extra room, opt for a stretchy fabric and avoid anything with thick shoulder pads.
Wider lapels can trick the eye and keep things in proportion.
For more muscular seats double-vented jackets will sit better than their double vented counterparts which tend to flare open, and tailored trousers are more likely to accommodate super-sized glutes without the need to go for an oversized leg.
FULLER FIGURE
Celebrity poster boy: James Corden or Jack Black
Top styling tricks: Slanted pockets and single-breasted jacket
Looking sharp: A single-breasted jacket flatters James Corden’s figure on the red carpet
Dressing for their shape: Slanted pockets as seen on Eamonn Holmes’ jacket (left) and Jack Black steps out in a suit in a heavier fabric
We find one of the biggest mistakes more portly gents make is to buy an off-the-rack jacket that fits snugly around the waist but then looks huge across the shoulders and gapes at the chest.
Choosing a made-to-measure style that hugs the shoulders and upper chest, while still accommodating your waistline means you’ll look sharper and feel more comfortable too.
A fitted, single breasted jacket is more flattering than a double-breasted one, as double breasted jackets tend to pull across the buttons and accentuate a larger tummy.
We’d recommend plumping for heavier, more stretchy fabrics because the cloth will flow in a more flattering way.
When it comes to the design there are a few clever tricks you can use: slanted pockets can make the frame appear slimmer and draw the eyes upwards; avoid loud, bold checks; and slim-fit is your best friend – over-sized will only make you look larger.
TALL
Celebrity poster boy: Stephen Merchant
Top styling tricks: No pinstripes and wear a belt
Go made-to-measure: 6ft 6in Stephen Merchant shows how to dress for his height
Dividing line: 6ft 6in Brad Garrett (left) and 6ft 4in Tyler Perry wear trousers and jackets in different colours and fabrics to break up the line of their statuesque physiques
Many of our clients come to us because they struggle to find suits or separates that fit, saying the vast majority of high street choices are either too short in the arm or too short in the leg.
Made-to-measure means you’ll always have something on hand that not only fits properly but also makes you feel more confident.
If you already feel like you tower over your mates you don’t want to make matters worse by wearing clothes that accentuate your height.
So rule number one: no pinstripes. All those vertical stripes and you’ll not only look taller but thinner too.
Also, trick the eye by wearing a belt – it will help break up the body into sections rather than one long silhouette.
SHORT
Celebrity poster boy: Declan Donnelly
Top styling tricks: Thinner lapels and a shorter jacket
Thin is in: Ant and Dec both use thinner lapels to flatter the shape of their shorter frames
Trick of the eye: Tan France wears a shorter jacket while James McAvoy has thinner lapels
If you’re on the short side it can be tricky to find a well-fitting suit on the high street.
You know the score… over-long sleeves, baggy trousers and oversized shoulders make you look more like a school boy in his dad’s Sunday best than a serious business contender.
With a shorter client we would look at creating a shorter jacket length and placing buttons a little lower than usual to elongate the torso, while slimmer trousers will make legs appear longer.
Clever design tricks we can use to ensure you’re standing tall include: using thinner lapels to keep things in proportion and steering clear of belts to make the body appear taller.
BIG THIGHS AND SEAT
Celebrity poster boy: David Walliams
Top styling tricks: Double vents and tapered trousers
A little extra room: Men with bigger thighs and a bigger seat like David Walliams need to choose tapered trousers
When you have bigger thighs and a bigger seat, you will normally opt for a trouser that you can pull over your thighs. But, when going for a larger size, you compromise on the fit from the knee down where you tend to get excess fabric.
When choosing a jacket you will normally encounter two problems.
Either you choose a jacket that doesn’t accommodate your larger seat and this will result in the jacket vent flaring up, or if you choose a larger fit then it can look oversized across your shoulders and chest.
What we would recommend is going for a jacket with double vents as this will allow more movement around your hip area as it will split more easily than a single vent.
Pick a trouser that accommodates the thighs, but taper the bottom in so you end up with a perfectly fitted trouser without excess fabric around the ankles
Going for a fabric which has a natural stretch in such as Dormeuil Exel, will allow for extra movement around the thighs so you can be comfortable as well as looking good.
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