Tips and Trips to Flatter Short Body Types

[whatuknowaboutthat]

Sup guys, I've browsed and searched for tips on wearing clothing so its fit and also so it flatters our body but haven't really found much. There is a thread on "advice needed for shorties" which was a great idea but I need more. I think I got the general fit down but what I need are tips and tricks that will flatter the shorter athletic body type. I'm 5'4, 140 and have been playing lacrosse for a good amount of years now so I have some muscle in the legs.

Im looking for tips like "don't wear horizontal stripes if you are chubby", "don't cuff if you are short" etc.

Thanks

edit. oops, i meant "Tricks" instead of "trips" in the title

 

[mensimageconsultant]

The pants should be only as relaxed as to fit your thighs and should not have prominent or extra pockets or other distracting details. If not tucked, shirts should end just past the waistline. Footwear should be in subdued styles that blend in with the pants, which probably should cover most of the laces. Button-front shirts probably will be more flattering than other types of shirts, if fitted well. Polo shirts with contrasting collars or other tricks that bring attention to the face can be good. Layering can have the same effect and also adds bulk to, and therefore emphasis on, the upper body. Even with solids, a shirt that flatters personal coloring usually will distract somewhat from height. A shirt without pockets usually will be more flattering than the same style with pockets.

 

[dkzzzz]

Slim, low gorge everything. Single button or two button blazers.
Double leather sole and ankle boots.

 

[bonanz]

 

[op2]

Besides catering to small sizes (XS - M usually) make sure you choose jeans with the right length. Too baggy jeans make short people like shorter.

 

[chronoaug]

Bonanz, you just made my mid afternoon.


WATCH OUT, RADIOACTIVE MAN!

 

[whatuknowaboutthat]

thanks guys, keep them coming! Any pictures of short folks "doing it right" would be helpful as well!

thanks

 

[evilgeniusdan]

Originally Posted by whatuknowaboutthat

Any pictures of short folks "doing it right" would be helpful as well!

 

[phooi]

A couple of suggestions:

1. Try to avoid pre-distressed jeans. I find that the honeycombs are in the wrong place for me. I usually buy raw or one-wash jeans and create the distressing myself. Also, I make sure to have my jeans hemmed. Short guys and stacking is not a good combo... looks like you're wearing someone else's clothes or you look like a dwarf.

2. I just found that Polo shirts in the boys section fit well. I wear a large boys which fits very similarly to a small custom fit Polo. The difference is that the sleeves are a little longer in the boys but the overall length of the shirt is shorter.

 

[effang]

any further advice?

thanks

 

[chronoaug]

Originally Posted by bonanz

In my opinion. One of the top 5 posts i've seen on styleforum and just wanted to requote it.

 

[Casey]

Originally Posted by phooi

A couple of suggestions:

1. Try to avoid pre-distressed jeans. I find that the honeycombs are in the wrong place for me. I usually buy raw or one-wash jeans and create the distressing myself. Also, I make sure to have my jeans hemmed. Short guys and stacking is not a good combo... looks like you're wearing someone else's clothes or you look like a dwarf.

2. I just found that Polo shirts in the boys section fit well. I wear a large boys which fits very similarly to a small custom fit Polo. The difference is that the sleeves are a little longer in the boys but the overall length of the shirt is shorter.

I second the 2nd tip. I'm around 5'7 but I still like the fit of the boys large shirts. They don't look as tailored but they don't bunch at the waist and make your stomach look fat.

In the end though, if you're 5'4", you probably can't look 5'6" just by wearing elongating clothes. Because of that, I think you should try clothes that slim your profile because even if you don't look much taller (which you probably would, just a tad) at least you look trim.

As for pant rise and break and stuff, try standing in front of the mirror and wear your pants in different places to see what looks best. I think that would be better than listening to someone who says wear them lower or wear them higher because you won't know for sure unless you do it yourself.

Good luck on looking good. Or tall.

 

[unrated]

Originally Posted by phooi

Short guys and stacking is not a good combo... looks like you're wearing someone else's clothes or you look like a dwarf.
I'm not trying to single you out, but how many people agree with this? I see plenty of guys under 5'8" stacking their jeans and it doesn't look that bad.

 

[Casey]

My jeans are stacked a little bit. They're not crazy or anything, just 3 or 4 creases at the bottom of my jeans and I think it looks perfectly fine. However, it's very easy to have too much stacking at my height. (5'7&quot

So I do think that shorter people need to be careful with stacking, and that you'd be better of without them anyway, but it's okay if you do it right.

 

[Viktri]

Originally Posted by unrated

I'm not trying to single you out, but how many people agree with this? I see plenty of guys under 5'8" stacking their jeans and it doesn't look that bad.

A little stacking is good. I have a pair of jeans with no stacking at all (no break) and I get told it makes me look short. A little stacking also turns a straight cut's break into sort of a bootcut which balances out the thighs.

phooi: agree with the pre-distressed jeans completely. It just looks off.