When it comes to dressing well as a skinnier guy, it can be hard to know where to start. Maybe your confidence is low and you feel like there aren’t many options for you.
But that’s not true—you have options. Having your clothing altered, buying quality materials, or even having your clothing custom-made are a few great ways to make sure you’re looking your best and feeling confident in your slender frame.
If you’re a skinny lad, you may find you have a hard time dressing the way you want to.
Or you just might not know what looks best for your build type.
Well, I too am a skinny guy. And I used to feel the same way. Not to mention I was very self-conscious about my size.
People made fun of my stick-figure proportions. So I wore clothes just to cover up my body.
I figured baggier clothes would make me look bigger, so I’d cover up in hoodies and pants meant for larger kids.
I always liked clothing and wanted to wear unique, individual garments. But my lack of confidence, as well as money, left me looking like a walking hand-me-down.
Fast forward some years, and now I’m a menswear consultant. So I may just be the perfect person to aid you in your quest for a curated wardrobe.
Here are my expert tips for dressing well as a skinny guy.
Get Your Clothing Altered
When you’re skinny, it can be hard to find clothes that fit. Especially if you’re either tall or short for your overall weight.
I work in a custom clothing store and I can tell you that standard sizing on most things is not great. You really have to fall into a certain category of whatever “they” deem an “average build” to find things that fit well.
This inability to acquire properly fitting garments easily can really be a blow to your confidence. When I had trouble finding clothes that fit me, it just made me feel like being so skinny was a bad thing because I didn’t fit into standard sizing.
But guess what? Almost no one fits properly into standard sizing.
That’s where alterations come in. I recommend everyone find a good tailor that they can rely on to adjust clothing for their own build.
You may not know how clothing should fit if you’ve been buying standard-size clothing your whole life. So be open to suggestions from the tailor when you go in. They know what they are doing.
In general, there are four key areas that I always look out for to help ensure the best fit. Keep these things in mind both when buying clothes and when having them altered.
Shoulders
The shoulders of your shirts, jackets, and coats should fit properly from the start. They’re typically the hardest part of a garment to adjust.
Make sure the shoulder seam sits more or less in line with your shoulder bone (the bone that you can feel where your arm meets your shoulder).
There are some exceptions to this, such as shirts or sweaters with drop shoulders. But in most cases, make sure that those seams match up at your shoulder before buying an item of clothing.
Knowing your measurements, especially in these key areas, will be very helpful for you as the world continues to move toward buying clothing online. Measurements are almost always listed, so you can only benefit from knowing your own.
Sleeves
I am a skinny guy with long arms. My wingspan is eight inches longer than my overall height. I also know skinny guys with short arms.
We use our arms countless times a day. People will notice if your sleeves are too long or too short, even if just subconsciously because it throws off your proportions.
So it’s necessary to ensure your sleeves are fitting properly. It conveys attention to detail, care for the way you look, and even self-confidence.
A long-sleeved shirt should have a cuff that sits at the top of the thumb knuckle at the base of your wrist. A little extra length is okay as long as the cuff fits close enough that it still rests above that knuckle.
Note: A shirt cuff should always sit close to the wrist. There should not be a large amount of extra room in the cuff.
A sport coat, blazer, or suit coat should rest about one-half inch above a long-sleeved shirt. The wrist bone is a good point of reference as to where the jacket sleeve should hit.
Casual jackets, such as a chore jacket, should have sleeves that land anywhere from the wrist bone to the top of the thumb knuckle.
An overcoat or topcoat should cover your long-sleeved shirt. So it should rest anywhere from the top of the thumb knuckle to about one inch below.
A tailor can easily make these adjustments for you as long as the garment allows for it. Keep in mind that if a shirt sleeve is too short, there won’t be any material to let it out. In that case, you’d need to look for a shirt with longer sleeves to begin with.
Pant Waist
Your pants should have a waist that fits well enough that you don’t need a belt to hold them up. Unfortunately, this can be difficult when you’re a particularly skinny guy.
Especially when you’re tall, longer pant length often comes with a larger waist size. So we skinny guys often end up with pants much too large around the middle.
Determine where you like your pants to rest at the waist and have a tailor bring them in to allow them to fasten comfortably. You can usually bring a waist in by 2-4 inches without causing other problems in the pants.
Pant Length
Lastly, pant length is super important. There’s room for personal preference, but don’t go too short and definitely don’t go too long. Especially as someone with a thin frame, going too short or too long can actually emphasize your leaner build.
Usually having the pants hit right at the top of your shoe is a great place to start. If your pants need to be shortened or lengthened, the adjustment is called a hem and is one of the easiest a tailor can make.
Alternatively, if your pants are too long, you can cut or roll them to the length you prefer. Reserve cutting for denim and other casual pants. The frayed edge you get with denim looks great on a properly fitting pair of jeans. Do not cut dress trousers to length.
Pay Attention to Fit
First, as a skinny guy, slimmer-fitting clothing can actually make you appear bigger than you are. So if that’s the illusion you’re going for, don’t wear overly baggy shirts and pants.
Note that I strongly suggest you avoid skin-tight clothing, especially pants. But you can still get a very slim fit without crossing into “skinny-fit” territory. The difference is a slim pant will still have some drape and won’t hug your leg.
Remember that labels vary widely between brands. You may find that one brand’s “skinny-fit” is looser than another brand’s “slim-fit.”
Looser-fitting clothing can still look great on lean frames. Just make sure those four key areas I talked about are fitting properly first. Then definitely give a loose straight pant a try. Or an oversized t-shirt or sweater.
Second, be sure not to overlook the fit of your accessories. Accessories like watches, bracelets, belts, glasses, and even socks can also make you appear skinnier if they don’t fit right.
Don’t wear watches that are too big or socks that are too loose, for example.
Buy Quality Items
Buying items that are made from higher-quality fabrics is always a great way to improve your outfits. It won’t necessarily make you look less skinny, but it will show others that you care about the way you’re dressed.
When you show others that you care about the way you’re dressed, they will perceive you as being more confident in yourself.
Save up some money and invest in a few really nice pieces. Ideally, pieces that are versatile and can be worn with almost anything. For starters, you might consider dark charcoal or navy pants along with a nice jacket and a great pair of shoes. And don’t pass up on a great pair of jeans.
Just a few quality items can really kick off your style journey and help you put together outfits that really speak to your taste. All while helping you look good and feel confident as a slender guy.
Go Custom
It’s typically more costly to have clothing custom-made. But sometimes, considering the cost of clothing in general and then adding on the cost of alterations, custom may not be as pricey as you thought.
Having things custom-made for you is the best way to get the fit you’re looking for. You can ensure that everything looks proportional and suits your build.
If you haven’t had anything custom-made before, I highly recommend it. You can always start with a button-down shirt or some trousers to keep things simple as well as keep your cost down.
If you wear suits, custom is definitely the way to go. It’s easy to make sure a shoulder fits while also nailing down the sleeve length. That is something that is a lot harder to get right in ready-to-wear suiting. Especially for us skinnier guys.
Work on Your Confidence
I understand wanting to look bigger than you are. I’ve been there, too. I still feel that way on occasion.
But in the end, you’re built how you’re built and there’s nothing wrong with the way you look. Work on finding activities that you can do to build your confidence.
Learning more about style and how to dress can be one of those activities. The more you learn, the more confident you’ll become in putting together outfits and going out in public.
If you’re confident enough, you can wear anything and people will not even think about how skinny you might be.
Conclusion
We are all built differently. And that’s great! There are ways to dress well that flatter any body type. So yes, even you — my skinny friend — have options.
Dressing well as a skinny guy really doesn’t have to be difficult. Make sure you buy quality garments where possible. Make sure that your clothing fits well. And make sure you’re trying new things so that you can find what clothing really speaks to you.
Your style journey should be fun and can really help build your confidence. Your biggest success comes when you learn to feel confident in who you are and the way you’re built. Remember, confidence looks better on you than any piece of clothing you’ll ever buy.
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