10 Clothing Mistakes That Make You Look SHORT – How To Dress Taller

Feeling small.

Looked down on.

The little guy.

No man wants to feel this way –

so STOP making yourself LOOK this way.

So many short men make the same clothing mistakes over and over. If you’re of modest proportions, don’t join them! These style mistakes make you look like an awkward child – instead of the well-proportioned grown man you are.

Read on to find out if you’re doing these 10 things that make you look shorter – and how to look taller instead.

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Every detail – the collar, placket width, pockets, cuff, hem and sleeve length – is proportional to your size and build. And they add design details that visibly lean and lengthen your look. Click here to check out Otero and use code RMRS20 for a great discount.

Click Here To Watch The Video – Clothing Mistakes That Make You Look SHORT

Click Here To Watch The Video – How To Look Taller

Now let’s get into how to look taller. If you’ve been around here for a while you might be able to guess #1 on my list of style mistakes that make you look short:

# 1. Bad Fit

I get it. It’s hard to find clothes that fit you. You may not even realize that your clothes don’t fit. It’s a ‘small’, you’re small, so it fits, right? You just look lost and awkward in your clothes because that’s how short guys look.

WRONG. A short man in well-fitting clothes, like the guy on the left, can look elegant and well-proportioned. Don’t put up with clothes that are baggy or too long. Get a good tailor who can hem your pants, shorten your shirts and sleeves, and take clothes in where necessary.

2. Shortening Your Legs

Taller men are ‘leggier’ – more of their body is leg. So if you want to know how to look taller – STOP wearing things that visually SHORTEN your legs. You want your waistline at your waistline – not your crotch.

That means no untucked shirts unless they end at your hipbones or are designed for short men. And no low-rise pants. If normal rise pants leave you with too much fabric at the crotch, look for short rise pants made specifically for shorter men.

3. Light, Bright & Shiny Fabrics

Dark muted colors and matte fabrics are slimming – so if you’re short and thin, you might think pale, shiny, and bright colors are the way to go. The trouble is, whatever makes you look wider makes you look shorter – even if you weren’t at all wide to begin with.

Plus dark muted colors and matte fabrics make your silhouette less obvious and avoid eye-catching focal points – which means people are less likely to notice your exact height. They also help to hide bad fit.

4. High Contrast

Monochrome looks streamline your figure. Contrast breaks it up, making you look shorter.

You don’t have to go full monochrome – if you don’t want to wear the SAME color all over, similar colors work well too. For instance, try a darker shirt with your navy pants and a lighter one with your khaki pants.

Also – don’t forget your shoes and socks. Making them the same color as your pants or a similar color will significantly lengthen your legs.

5. Horizontal Lines

One of the best-known rules for short men is ‘no horizontal stripes’, but there’s a bit more to this rule. You can in fact pull off horizontal stripes as long as they’re narrow enough to avoid breaking up your silhouette. You’ve got to look at the rule behind the rule – no bold horizontal lines that ‘cut you in half’.

That means big cuffs on your jeans and pants are a no (you CAN get away with cuffs under 2”). So are wide belts with large buckles. Wear a slim belt of a similar color to your pants. Even better, go beltless and try braces or side adjusters instead.

This also means that boots are a better look for you than shoes – and not just because boots tend to have heels. Shoes create more horizontal lines (pant + sock + shoe as opposed to pant + boot). This goes double if you’re wearing colorful socks that create high contrast.

6. Big Patterns

Ever see a teddy bear dressed in clothes with human-sized patterns… with all of three giant stripes on its shirt? Did that bear look imposing to you?

Big patterns look oversized on shorter guys and highlight how small you are. Opt for smaller, more subtle patterns like mini checks, thin stripes, small florals, and polka dots.

7. Big Accessories

Keep accessories small – and if you’re a small skinny guy, narrow. Bulkier guys don’t need to worry about the width of their accessories but should still pay attention to length. Here are some guidelines:

Belt: ideally 1”, max 1.5”
Watch case: ideally 38mm, max 42mm.
Lapel: ideally 2.75”, max 3.75”.
Tie: ideally 2.75”, max 3.75” (and use a four-in-hand knot)
Collar points: ideally 2.25”, max 3.75”.

8. How To Look Taller In A Suit

Buying a suit is a minefield for short men. There are a LOT of mistakes to avoid.

Skip the double-breasted suits unless you really know what you’re doing – they can easily swamp you. Go for a single-breasted suit with just 1 or 2 buttons and a low buttoning point.

Bulky shoulder pads are another mistake – remember anything that makes you look wider makes you look shorter.

Sleeves should be short enough to show ¼ to ½ an inch of your shirt’s cuff. And to avoid shortening your legs, the jacket should just barely cover your butt and the pants should have little to no trouser break.

9. Bulky Coats

Many winter coats are very bulky and have oversized details (buttons, collars, and so on.) These will make you look like a child.

Use layering to stay warm instead – no puffy coats, bulky sweaters, or big chunky scarves. If you need a really warm winter coat, look into technical fabrics that keep out the cold with less bulk.

10. Drawing Attention To Your Feet

I’m sorry – those two-tone spectator shoes you’ve been lusting after won’t do you any favors. Drawing the eye downwards makes you look shorter. So does wearing shoes that are too square or pointy. Go for simple, gently tapered shoes.

Instead of statement shoes, consider a statement hat. Nowadays a classic men’s hat is a strong statement – and it makes you look taller too.

To sum up how to look taller in as few points as possible:

Don’t wear big things
Don’t wear things that make you look wider
Don’t break up the line of your body
Don’t wear your waistline below your waist
Don’t draw people’s eyes down

Steer clear of these mistakes and you’ll look your best.

What’s the simplest way to get polos and tees that look perfect on you? Otero’s range of shirts for short men – they have 21 different sizing designs for every shirt and a 3D proportional sizing system that you won’t find anywhere else.

They make great accessories too – and hold themselves to the highest ethical standards. Click here to find out more about Otero and use code RMRS20 to claim your exclusive discount.

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