Suggestions for styles for Big and Tall man

[doughboysc]

I'm 6'1", 341 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, my chest is 60 Portly Long, waist 60", neck 20", sleeve length 35". What styles of casual wear, suits/sportcoats/blazers, dress shirts, and necktie width (regular 57" or extra-long 61") would suit me? Here's a picture of me from 2 years ago before I loss the sideburns. I'm wearing a navy pinstriped Palm Beach suit, Brooks Brothers french cuffed shirt, and Robert Talbott regular-length navy knit necktie. and this is me from late 2009 wearing a red-striped Brooks Brothers button-down collar shirt and extra-long Robert Talbott repp tie.
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Would I look good in plaids, herringbones, checks, pinstripes, pastels, or solids in suits/sportcoats? And for dress shirts, would I look good in checks, plaids like Prince of Wales plaids, bold stripes, small stripes, pastels, or solids? For collars, would I look good besides straight-pointed and button-down collar, like spread, or tab. Sorry I don't use cutaway collars. For pants, I prefer flat-fronts, very modern.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

You know what the first suggestion would be, right?

The pants in the first picture seem to fit terribly, but maybe that's from sitting? The jacket does not fit much better. Single-breasted, two-button in typical business colors (not black, not light-colored) - beyond that, it's more about fit than other style details.

A strong, patterned tie is a good idea. However, the knot above should be much larger and probably will require a longer tie. Although the pink shirt above doesn't work with the pink skin, in general choose muted non-white solids and patterns when the background is white. In this case, pattern type doesn't matter much. The collar probably shouldn't be the straight kind, due to lack of room for a large knot.

 

[doughboysc]

It's a red-striped button-down collar Brooks Brothers dress shirt, not pink. But I didn't get that suit tailored to my body in the first place.

 

[doughboysc]

I've forgot, I've read a book on Turnbull & Asser I got a while back (before it was out of print). They menioned their devoted customer HRH The Prince of Wales (aka Prince Charles), and they say he refused to wear yellow or pink shirts.

 

[JCL86]

New member here.

Like you I am big and tall, 6'2" 260 lbs (formerly 340+).

Can you post another picture of you in a suit? The one you used makes your legs look really awkward.

Big guys really don't get that they cannot hide how big they are through wearing clothes that are a size or two bigger than they truly are. Honestly it just makes us look sloppy and bigger.

Unless you have a specific body issue (such as man boobs) and are extremely self conscious about them (like I am) I would try on at least one size smaller of everything.

As for specific advice:
- Spread collars look good on everyone. Retire those button down collars.
- Stick with solid suits/jackets. Play around with plaid for a casual look. Keep clear from pinstripes unless your in the mob.
- Pair subtle vertical stripe shirts with solid contrasting ties or vise versa.
- I highly recommend a half windsor or full windsor (regardless of position). A bigger knot which balance you out more.
- Buy a jacket that fits your shoulders then have them let out the body, shorten your sleeves, and you should be able to grab the bottom of your jacket without wrinkling it or over extending your arms.
- Unless your job requires black suits, I prefer blues, grays and even browns. Black is flattering when one is overweight but you can honestly throw that rule out the window and wear color.
- Really pay attention to how different fabrics drape over your body and legs. A heavier fabric might keep its form better than a light one.

This last part has nothing to do with clothes but if you are capable try growing your hair and using a modern style. Big guys can pull off big hair without looking like a jersey shore dbag.

 

[mensimageconsultant]



It's a red-striped button-down collar Brooks Brothers dress shirt, not pink. But I didn't get that suit tailored to my body in the first place.

Okay. Unusual choice for a dress shirt. It illustrates the point that perception is reality. In effect, it might as well be pink, because red on white blends together from a distance.

One more observation: ideally the shirt collar would be a bit higher and the points longer.

Nothing wrong aesthetically with a pinstriped suit in this case, but it's not very practical.