Top Fashion & Style Tips for Slim Men

The Best Choices and Options for Thinner & Athletic Builds

Mar 4, 2009

Measuring Tape, Slim, Tapered Fit, lusi, sxc

Slim or athletic men can have just as much difficulty as other men, if not more, in finding a suit of clothes or even a dress shirt that fits like a glove.

The good news for men with a slighter or more athletic build is that the market has grown substantially over the past decade to include a great deal more variety in both fabrics, colours, and cuts that would be best suited for your individual measurements and personal style. While it may be easier than it was in previous years to attain that perfect showpiece for your burgeoning wardrobe – a few tips can go a long way in creating an informed and savvy clothing consumer.

Great Retail Outlets, Designers, and Labels

The market trends catering towards slimmer men are a wonderful boon to those who up until recently were forced to wear baggy, ill-fitting dress shirts and suits that always made the shoulders slope. The emergence of designers and labels such as Etro and Lacoste have ensured that a great deal of clothing produced for high fashion will be tapered, well-fitted, and wholly appropriate for men who prefer a slimmer cut that matches their own measurements without appearing strained or too small.

Not only are such fashions easily available at stores such as Le Chateau Menswear, Banana Republic, and The Gap – but designer quality garments are also widely available from more traditional menswear retailers. Etro, Calvin Klein, and Tom Ford all offer extremely exquisite collections in tapered fits that will enhance your look, providing a more sleek silhouette. One of the largest mistakes a slim man can make is to wear sloppy, large clothing. By wearing appropriately cut and fitted garments, you not only show confidence in yourself – but also display fashion savvy that will attract many deserved compliments.

A Few Considerations of Style and Fit

Knowing a few pieces of general information that pertain directly to those with smaller or more athletic frames can be invaluable when deciding which pieces to pick up – and pass on – during a gentleman's fitting process.

Slim men would do well to consider flat-front dress pants, casual pants, and corduroys. Typically the flat-front pant is more versatile in that it can be worn casually with a ringer or even a t-shirt while such a notion would be out of the question for the pleated variety. The cut will also be more trim in the waist and seat – instead of looking rumpled and sloppy.
Nearly all dress shirts can be tapered, at least somewhat, in throughout the side seams. Consider this alteration on quality shirts that you would love to purchase but are just a tad too large. Shirts that are simply too large to begin with will likely not improve enough for your liking – so save yourself the alteration money and purchase fitted shirts to begin with, or simply taper shirts that are only marginally too large. The same goes for a suit of clothes – marginal to moderate alteration may be possible but is not entirely recommended.
Avoid skinny jeans. While popular amongst certain subcultures (scene, emo) they are surely not stylish amongst the mainstream and should never be considered in inclusion with a serious wardrobe.
When purchasing dress shirts – attempt to avoid back pleats if you are of especially small frame. They will bunch or simply rumple, once again removing the clean-cut, angular look one are attempting to achieve. Pleats, while classic and appropriate in most cases, will not benefit a gentleman here.

In summation, it is most important that slimmer men pay attention to fit, and purchase clothes that truly do fit instead of purchasing standard-fit shirts that balloon outward, or pants that could house two legs in one. The greatest advantage that slim men have in their style choices is the ability to construct a seamless, fitted visual presentation. Keeping this in mind when considering a new suit of clothes or even a bargain sportshirt will save aspiring style icons a lot of time and money!