Fat guy needs pointers

[BuffaloBoyBlue]

I looked for similar threads but couldn't find any.

To business, What should an admittedly fat guy do/wear to look more stylish (Besides lose weight, I am working on that.)?

As I mentioned in my intro post, I am a heavy set fellow entering my late twenties and I am tired of the jersey and backwards ballcap look. Any hints?

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBoyBlue

I looked for similar threads but couldn't find any.

To business, What should an admittedly fat guy do/wear to look more stylish (Besides lose weight, I am working on that.)?

As I mentioned in my intro post, I am a heavy set fellow entering my late twenties and I am tired of the jersey and backwards ballcap look. Any hints?

Welcome,

Forget about the fat thing. It gets you nowhere. IMO, there are well dressed people and others.

There are pinned threads. Read them. Use the search. Have fun.

 

[Michael Ay329]

I'm tall and well fed so perhaps I can assist

Dark colors are a must (navy, dark blue, charcoal, dark grey.....black only once you've exhausted the others)

I also enjoy 3 piece suits...not only for their look, but I don't have to button my jacket

The vest still gives a wonderful feeling of formality (when a suit is appropriate)

Besides there is nothing like that corpulent industrialist look in a 3 piece suit

Having properly tailored bespoke suits would greatly benefit you as the tailor can show off your better parts and help to slightly hide your bad parts (a psychologist for the body so to speak)

Double pleated trousers would assist in terms of roomines and may I recommend suspenders. The worst thing is to see a belt on anyone...make it a well fed person and this looks even more offensive

And don't use that word fat, well fed is a more neutral term while corpulent industrialist is the best term to use on this forum

If you are cutting down on food...and it must have taken a large expenditure on your part to gain the weight, perhaps you can transition to spending the money on your new suit wardrobe

 

[dopey]

Originally Posted by Michael Ay329

I'm tall and well fed so perhaps I can assist

Dark colors are a must (navy, dark blue, charcoal, dark grey.....black only once you've exhausted the others)

I also enjoy 3 piece suits...not only for their look, but I don't have to button my jacket

The vest still gives a wonderful feeling of formality (when a suit is appropriate)

Besides there is nothing like that corpulent industrialist look in a 3 piece suit

Having properly tailored bespoke suits would greatly benefit you as the tailor can show off your better parts and help to slightly hide your bad parts (a psychologist for the body so to speak)

Double pleated trousers would assist in terms of roomines and may I recommend suspenders. The worst thing is to see a belt on anyone...make it a well fed person and this looks even more offensive

And don't use that word fat, well fed is a more neutral term while corpulent industrialist is the best term to use on this forum

If you are cutting down on food...and it must have taken a large expenditure on your part to gain the weight, perhaps you can transition to spending the money on your new suit wardrobe

All of this is good advice but I think you should realize that good fit is the most important of all the things mentioned. If you really are fat, bespoke may be a necessity. But nothing will be better than looking like you are comfortable in your clothes. And nothing will be worse than looking like you were squeezed into them or decided to wrap yourself in the curtains. Have a look at photos of Sidney Greenstreet or Jackie Gleason to see what a difference good fit makes for the fat guy.

 

[BuffaloBoyBlue]

would you guys have any advice on tailors or such in the buffalo area? or what specifically I should look fo rin a tailor?

On occasion in particular worries me. I hvae wedding in two months to go to. Should I get a suit tailored? If I keep losing at this rate I will be 20 or so pounds thinner then.

 

[Michael Ay329]

Manton seems to like Frank Shatock (I might be misspelling his name) in upstate New York

His prices are a very reasonable sum of about $6000 (possibly more for a vest). I've read he literally doubled his prices since he retired and moved upstate, but perhaps he can back down on the massive price increase

Dopey's comments are correct, but he needs to learn to stop using that word FAT...its just a term the uneducated use for someone who is well fed

 

[eHaberdasher]

Originally Posted by Michael Ay329

I'm tall and well fed so perhaps I can assist

Dark colors are a must (navy, dark blue, charcoal, dark grey.....black only once you've exhausted the others)

I also enjoy 3 piece suits...not only for their look, but I don't have to button my jacket

The vest still gives a wonderful feeling of formality (when a suit is appropriate)

Besides there is nothing like that corpulent industrialist look in a 3 piece suit

Having properly tailored bespoke suits would greatly benefit you as the tailor can show off your better parts and help to slightly hide your bad parts (a psychologist for the body so to speak)

Double pleated trousers would assist in terms of roomines and may I recommend suspenders. The worst thing is to see a belt on anyone...make it a well fed person and this looks even more offensive

And don't use that word fat, well fed is a more neutral term while corpulent industrialist is the best term to use on this forum

If you are cutting down on food...and it must have taken a large expenditure on your part to gain the weight, perhaps you can transition to spending the money on your new suit wardrobe

I agree with many of these points, although a 3-piece suit is not for everyone. This particular person who favors 3-piece suits is also tall. If you are of average height or less I would not recommend this - in the same vain it is probably better to stick to a 2-button suit rather than a 3-button. And while pleats may offer more roominess, a flat front trouser will be less blousy and may assist in looking leaner in the mid-section and thighs.

 

[gj555]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBoyBlue

would you guys have any advice on tailors or such in the buffalo area?

I know a few tailors in Toronto if you ever venture north of the border.

 

[Michael Ay329]

Which tailor to choose...hmmm tough question...since I feel there is no best answer...it is a very individual choice. By reading through posts, posting yourself and listening...you might make a good choice on your first try

I can not recommend a tailor, this is almost as personal as choosing your lover

There are fantastic ones in New York City (tailors and lovers

), lower priced & less well known but very capable tailors, and a slew of across the board Made To Measure outfits throughout the city (some questionable, some decent, and others way overpriced)...I'm presuming if you can't find someone in Buffalo...you might be willing to invest in numerous fittings in New York City, if time permits.

I can not speak to the availability of tailors in Buffalo save the one nearby which I mentioned above. Manton is the best one to describe why he found him to be preferable (absent his price increase)

Depending on the extent of your corpulence, perhaps you would be better served by a bespoke tailor in lieu of a made to measure outfit

If you continue to loose weight, a bespoke tailor can best work with the garment in future alterations, while most MTM outfits I have read about, others have commented on, or those that I spoke with personally (I have never used MTM), just want to push the product out and be done with you...unless you want to order more

Whatever you do, don't go cheap and I think you will be rewarded...folks on these forums are only here to help

 

[koolhistorian]

Welcome, first of all!
Being on the portly side is not a challenge (to be P.C. I am also "gravitationally challenged&quot. Despite the popular belief in the US, well fed people are not a bunch of slob idiots! The magic word is FIT. A good tailor can shave 20 pounds of your silhouette, despite the fabric or what else.
Yes, darker colors are better, pinstripe is going to add a good visual effect, but the most important thing is how things are fitting you.
If you are in a transition process (you will find your weight balance) do not invest too much in the suits and jackets (I have a closet full of suits that I cannot wear anymore), but try to find a combo that will enhance your image until you are settled with your weight. My suggestion is to find 2-3 sport jackets/blazers that really fit you, 4-5 pants that go with the above mentioned jackets and half dozen of coordinated quality shirts (blue are the safest). If you are required by your work to wear suits that is a different cup of tea - take it as a professional investment.
Basically you will go very well with a darker grey (herringbone, cheviot) blazer, one navy and one subtle grey window-pane (nothing bold, your body is already). With that you can have 4-5 pairs of grey pants - flannel and worsted, different shades of grey that will coordinate well and will keep your rotation without problems. And speaking of cut, I saw that 3 buttons work better than 2, visually, but that is a personal preference!
A better investment is in shoes (you won't vary too much in shoe size if you are going to loose weight), and shoes are very important for the overall look - you will need, for a good rotation two pairs of brown (my choice will be one cognac, one more reddish brown) one pair of oxford black cap-toes, and one brown suede, all of them good quality shoes.
Ties, classical are a good investment, because they are coming in one size, pocket squares the same! The main idea is to find a style of clothes that will go well with what you really are and to make you feel good. They will enhance your self esteem much, and that will go on your personality well.
Good luck!

 

[HKTenor]

As a fellow fa.......er, that is to say, far from skinny individual, I would say the biggest thing is to have everything fit you perfectly. Of course this is true for everyone, but we prosperous industrialist types tend to find comfort in baggy silhouettes as they promise to camouflage our generous avoirdupois. Sadly, this promise is an illusion - nothing looks worse than a portly man swimming in excess fabric. The lanky, rangy types can get away with more sloppy or less fitted cuts and look good, but we can not. If you are coming from jeans and jerseys bear in mind that properly fitted coats and trousers will seem to be too tight for you at first; learn to feel the difference between things that fit closely and those that are restrictive, the latter are actually too tight, but the former are just a new feeling. Bespoke suits are wonderful, but don't feel that you will never get a good fit unless your suit is made for you - it will just take time and a willingness to try on many many different cuts and sizes until you find one that works, and a good tailor to help polish it the final bit.

 

[BuffaloBoyBlue]

I have been reading through your pinned threads. Jaysus, there is a lot to learn. MTM? made to Measure? It's like speaking a whole 'nother language.

I think I am gonna give this Manton a PM, and yes I do oft times go to Toronto, so a good place to get clothes there would be nice.

Would it help if I gave more pertinent physical details about my... 'well fed' physique?
I am 5'9", around 315lbs. Should I break out the measuring tape? Also does skin tone matter? when picking a suit color I mean?

I am really glad you guys are being so helpful, the only guy I know around here that wears suits is a fella I know that has kind of a Steve Harvey type look. Nice for him but it doesn't work for me.

 

[globetrotter]

welcome and good luck. I am also among the well fed of the forum. most of what has been said I try to apply - solid dark cloth, I wear 3 piece bespoke mostly, black shoes, worsted and not flannel, and try to keep my clothes simple with nothing too flashy.

feel free to keep asking questions, that's how we learn

 

[BuffaloBoyBlue]

what makes a three piece a better choice for the well fed?

what does bespoke mean?

about how much would a decent suit cost me?

what is the stylistic difference between 2 and 3 buttons? I mean, why pick one over the other?

I have noticed some brands of clothes seem to fit some body types better than others. I have a big buddy, real gym rat, who wears dolche and gabana (I think that is how you spell it) and looks good but then tries other stuff and looks like a squeezed sausage. That in mind is there a brand for the hefty fellow, or what?

If you had to give a list of Items that a newb to this should get, what would that checklist consist of? Seriously, I am gonna toss all my clothes by the new year, what should I start getting to replace it?

and to the gentlemen who gave me the beginnings of a list, would grey look good on a man with my skin tone (A friend once said it was somewhere between saddlebrown and sienna. I denied those were colors.)

 

[HomerJ]

If you're successful in your weight loss, whatever you buy now or even in the next year will look silly on you. 5'9 315lb to a healthy weight is a tremendous difference in clothing size. So I wouldn't put too much time and money into suits or other clothing, particularly bespoke ("been spoken for" or tailored individually to your specific requirements). You could probably find a "decent" suit that retails for $1200+ like a Brooks Brothers or Hickey Freeman in the neighborhood of $400+ if you look around.

Good luck.