confident style

Dressing the (Muscular)Man

30 October, 2012

Contrary to what most guys believe, dressing well is actually harder for muscular men than those with a more average build. While men’s clothing has gotten slimmer to accommodate us skinny guys, those of you with a bit more stature are still forced to choose between clothing that is too short and baggy, or too small and skinny. On top of that, the same things that can work in favor of many men (narrow lapel sizes, pleated pants, small patterns, etc.) will actually look goofy on a muscular guy.

As a result, a lot of body builders will dress like this.

post workout sweat suit

But obviously you can do better than sweat pants and a T-shirt, even if they are the easiest purchases to make that will fit you. Here are some tips:

Accept the fact that you are going to need a tailor and build a relationship with one. There are very few cons to being built the way you are and not having most clothes fit off the rack is a small one. The only difference between you and the rest of us is you have to have a tailor while we are better off if we have one. Look at it as extra motivation.
If you buy off-the-rack suits do so in places that sell them as separates. If you buy a suit from Men’s Warehouse or the suit department at Dillard’s you’re going to run into a major problem. If you have a 46R jacket, it’s most likely going to come with a pair of 36R pants – and you probably wear a 32 instead. Doesn’t matter how good your tailor is, he can’t take your pants in that much. Shopping at places that allow you to buy your jackets and pants separately gives you a lot more workability in your sizing. However, as addressed in a comment below, there will still be fit problems associated with the jacket.
Avoid narrow lapels and ties. These are popular with the revival of all things 60’s style but they will mess up your proportions. Instead of looking well-built, you’ll come across as hulkish or freakishly huge.
Make sure all your pants have little break or no break at all. While you don’t run the risk of having this make you appear scrawny, it does make you look stumpy because it gives the visual appearance of your legs being too short for your pants.
Swap out crew necks for V’s and polos. The opening will give you a little extra room in the chest and help you keep everything else the right size. You don’t want man cleavage, but showing some more skin keeps your face better framed as well.
Look for jeans from brands like Fidelity. They are made specifically for more muscular guys and have extra material in the seat and thighs to compensate for all the squats you do. They’re pricey but worth the investment.
When you find something that does fit well, buy multiples. Even if it’s a $10 T-shirt from H&M. Spend a little extra upfront and buy ten shirts so you’re set.
When buying chinos and dress pants, go with a pair that’s fuller in the leg and then have them altered. Most slim pants are going to be too small for you in the thighs. When I’ve worked with muscular clients in the past, this has been the largest hurdle to get over. Rather than buying slim pants, buy them in a fit that works in the butt and thighs, then have your tailor alter and taper them down from there. You’ll still get the right shape beneath the knee, but it won’t come with puckered pockets or stretched seems.
Go custom when you can. Thankfully the world of online custom clothing is really taking off and it’s getting to the point where you can have a custom shirt made for the same price you’d pay for something from Polo or J Crew.
Avoid shirts that are too tight. The idea of having shirts that drape is currently unpopular among a lot of men. This makes sense for guys who are rail thin because it gives the illusion of filling out your clothing. For you body builders, it ends up looking goofy to have a shirt or pants that look like they’re practically painted on. If a T-shirt or polo fits in the chest, back, and sleeves, it’s ok that it doesn’t perfectly hug your stomach. That little bit of drape actually ends up being flattering because it keeps your clothes from looking too stretched. Too tight is just as bad as too baggy when it comes to gauging proper fit.
Don’t wear gym clothes unless you’re on your way to the gym. Seriously though. I know the Underarmour stuff may fit better than anything else, but it makes you look singular. Let your body speak to your dedication to the gym and your clothing speak to the fact that you’re well-rounded. If all you wear are gym clothes, it looks like you don’t have a life outside of it.
Wear suit jackets with dual vents. The extreme taper from your shoulders to your waist can end up splitting a center vent – which makes your jacket look too small. A dual vent will help prevent the split and keeps things in proportion.
Wear larger patterns in all situations and bolder patterns in casual situations. Patterns that are too small will look wrong on you.
Opt for unstructured sport coats and suit jackets. If there’s any one who doesn’t need artificial shoulder padding, it’s you guys.

Stick with the guidelines above and you’ll be sure to communicate that you’re more than just a gym rat.

daniel craig cardigan

PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.

Style Knows No Age

29 October, 2012

You can put this same ensemble on a man who’s 20, one who’s 50, and one who’s 80.

PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.

Football Season

23 October, 2012

What to wear if you’re attending a game, be it high school, college, or professional.

Here’s the breakdown:

Blue OCBD shirt
Slim-straight dark jeans
Grey shawl collar cardigan
Desert boots
Brown casual belt
Team scarf

The idea is to keep it comfortable while still looking like a man with some taste. The beauty of this outfit is it can be worn if you’re 17 or 70, 100 pounds or 300, muted contrast or stark. It takes just some tweaks to work well for any man. You can also throw this together for just over a hundred on the cheap end or quite a bit more if you’re purchasing higher-quality products.

PS. Have you gotten your Style Evaluation? It’s a great way to know the strengths and weaknesses of your current wardrobe.

Casual Friday: Trucker Coat

19 October, 2012

Like:

The coloring. This guy has a pretty warm complexion so the colors all help keep the focus on him. The red of the sweater plays off his hair and beard to really frame his face.
The tie. Most of the time a tie is incredibly difficult to pull off in a casual situation. He nails it by wearing the denim jacket and the beat up chucks.
The shoes. A perfect example of not worrying about your sneakers getting filthy. When you wear white shoes you have to learn to embrace the imperfection that comes with them.
The pants. By having bolder colors in the top half of his outfit he does well to keep things more neutral below the waist. Otherwise there would be too much competition and the focus would be on the clothes, not the man wearing them.
The jacket. Trucker jackets can be great High/Low pieces. If he swapped out the jacket and the shoes, the rest of this could be worn in a lot of business situations. However, the jacket dresses it down so it’s appropriate for a Saturday walk with the dog.
The sunglasses. Clubmasters are a classic shape and these are the right size for his face. They look both timely and timeless without venturing into the trendy category that thicker frames tend to fall into.

Fence:

The jacket length. This is picking some serious nits, but I’d like to see it an inch longer.

Don’t Like:

Nothing this week. He killed it.

PS. Don’t forget about the Instagram Contest. You can win a free Basic Consultation or five free Style Evaluations.

Long Sleeves

18 October, 2012

Got this from a reader last week:

I realized I forgot some long sleeved fall wear when I was going thru my wardrobe. I have a couple of polo sweaters and a cool navy sweatshirt, but the school week is five days long and I’m starting to live by the principle: “Anytime anyone sees you, you should be dressed better than the people around you.” I’m even starting to look down upon people who don’t take care of their style even though I was among them at one point.

I need to pull off a peacoat, that will give me four pieces of fall wear. Still not enough for my ever expanding closet. What else should I target??

Now this guy happens to still be in high school but his concern is valid for any age group. I’m going to assume that he’s asking about casual wear because your dress shirts should already be long-sleeved and you should also either be wearing a suit or a sport coat in the cooler months. I’m also not going to write about casual button-ups as that was already touched on last week in my post on work shirts. Instead, we’ll focus on other options and, as always, I’ll start with the most casual and then work up from there.

Waffle Knit Thermal Crew Neck

This is really just a beefed-up T-shirt. The long sleeves and the waffling make it more substantial so it will wear warmer and drape better, which will make it look better as well. Essentially this used to be men’s underwear but now can be worn in any casual situation. Wear it in class, up at the cabin, or making a stop at the grocery store this time of year. Because it’s a casual shirt, I don’t like to spend too much on these. You can find them at Target for about $14.00

Long-Sleeve Henley

Nothing really new or revolutionary about this as it’s just a long-sleeved version of the tried-and-true henley. Still a very casual option but the buttons help dress it up a bit. You could get away with wearing it on its own in a casual situation or dressing it up under a blazer for some High/Low appeal. Since this is casual as well, it’s another option you’ll want to pick up from Target or Old Navy.

Cable Knit Crew Sweater

A cable knit sweater is going to be the heaviest of a man’s casual options. These were originally made in coastal regions and used by fishermen and dock workers to keep warm. The crew neck was functional but is also what keeps it casual. It’s too big and bulky to be worn with a suit but is awesome on its own. I recommend wearing it without a collared shirt underneath as it’s a very casual, blue-collar sweater and should be embraced as such. You’ll pay a bit more for one of these but should be able to find them under $50 at places like H&M and the Gap.

Rugby Shirt

A rugby shirt is the one of the biggest improvements any guy under 30 can make in his casual style game. It’s a hoody that has replaced the hood with a collar so it should replace any hoody you have in your closet except for the one you keep in your gym bag. The origin of these should be fairly obvious and even though most people won’t be able to consciously recognize that they’re worn by rugby players, they will make a subtle association between one of these and sporty manliness. A rugby can be worn on its own or layered beneath a blazer as well.

Slim Cardigan

Cardigans are huge right now and have been for a couple of years. Thankfully they’re based on traditional styling so they’re a way to look timely and timeless all at once. The key to avoiding any hipster associations is to make sure your cardigan fits you like everything else. Most hipsters will wear these too big and contrast them with pants that are too skinny, thereby making them appear even more scrawny and feminine. Stick with the right fit and you’ll look masculine. Slimmer, simpler options like this above can be worn over a T-shirt, with a button-up shirt, and even with a suit. They’re the most versatile of any option in this list and should be in every man’s closet.

Shawl Collars

These can be either pullovers or cardigans. The collar dresses it up a bit and can be worn over a shirt and tie. However, you won’t want to wear these with a suit as the collar is still too casual for that. Usually shawl collars are made on thicker sweaters that are best if worn on their own instead of as a layering piece.

V-Neck Sweater

I’ve already dedicated an entire post to the V-neck sweater so I’ll just reiterate that this is a Staple for a reason. Can be dressed up or down and is the most suit-appropriate option in this whole list.

Chunky Cardigan

Just like the rugby is a better option for guys under 30, a chunky cardigan is better for men over 25. They’re essentially the sweater version of a blazer and are meant to be worn on their own. These are not work sweaters and are best kept to situations like Thanksgiving dinner with the family instead of the deer hunt. You’ll pay more, but the investment is worth it if you live in a climate that’s cold more than six months of the year.

Remember that these are all options that can be worn either with or instead of long sleeve button-up shirts. Given all the alternatives out there you should be able to do more than just five day’s worth of variety this fall.