Style tips for Men with short height

Most of my friends are a little short on height, but that doesn’t make them any less adorable. In fact one of them, despite being short in height is a charmer; he is super confident and has a number of girl friends I'm telling you. :p Whenever I sit with him in the pantry for a cup of coffee, there’s hardly any girl who passes by without saying a ‘Hi’ or passing him a smile, and I just can’t stop laughing at the stories he tells with a million expressions thereafter!

A lot of men are bothered by the fact that they aren’t as tall as they would like to be, but it’s a little silly to let that affect you because it’s something over which you have no control, but you can definitely control the way you look.  The clothes you wear and the confidence with which you carry yourself defines you and takes over the little shortcomings. Come on, Nobody’s perfect! Plus haven’t you heard ‘All good things come in small packages’, I know it’s true because this friend of mine is a gem of a person!

Easier said than done, isn’t it? Not really! I came across this article in a men’s style guide ‘Mensxp’ and I would love to share a few tips with you all. Looking taller is all about getting viewer's eyes to travel smoothly up your body. So if you feel that you are not as tall as you would like to be…keep reading to look your best and make the most of your height…

Do’s and Don’ts for short height

• The key to a great personality is Posture. Ensure that you walk with your head held high, back straight and shoulders thrown back. This conveys confidence and self-assurance plus will make you appear taller.
• Slouching is a bad habit I should say. It conveys lack of confidence, insecurity and does no good to your appearance.
• Now coming to the looks, keep your hair short. Long hair camouflages a person’s neck and shoulders and if you happen to be short, it just takes away precious inches from your neck and shoulder area.
• Fitness should be the mantra of life for everyone, just like breakfast, lunch and dinner are an inevitable part of the routine, so should be exercise. Staying lean and fit will help to add height to a short frame, while bulk and flab will only make you appear plumper and shorter.

Go for stripes

Wearing vertical stripes is a well known fashion technique to appear taller than one actually is. It extends the lines of your body and makes you look taller. You can opt for :

• Pinstripes

• Intermittent stripes

 

• Herringbone

 

P.S. A combination of vertical and horizontal stripes, in terms of checks and plaid prints is in fashion but won’t do make you look taller.

Get the basics right

Monochrome: If you aren't really a big fan of stripes, then stick to solid-colored clothes. Wearing a pant and a shirt in similar colors will help avoid the breaks in your frame that draw attention to your short frame. Now by this, I don’t mean that you wear pants and shirt in the exact same color. Work with gradations to make the most of what you've got, keep it loosely monochrome.

Dark shades: Shades like black and charcoal gray tend to elongate a short person’s frame and make it seem taller.

Kind of fabrics: Choose light and medium weight fabrics over heavier fabrics, because heavy fabric will weigh you down and make you look short and bulky.

The Right fit: Fitting of the clothes should be a top priority. Clothes that hang loosely on your frame can make you look dumpy and short, but well- fitted clothes can enhance your best features.

Shoes: Footwear with thick insoles, elevator shoes and shoes with thick soles can add a few extra inches to your height. Opt for bulkier styles while shopping for shoes, so that your feet don’t appear to be too small.

Fashion for the upper body

• Stay away from the blazers and jackets that have too many buttons, as they will draw attention to your short torso. The length of your jacket or blazer should be slightly below your back because it will lengthen the line of your body.
• Do not wear double-breasted suits.
• If you’re a fan of casual sports jacket, try to stick to similar colors as your bottom wear to maintain the natural lines of your body.
• Stick to V-necks for Tees and pullovers, because they elongate your torso. Turtlenecks, round necks and other closed neck styles make you look short because they hide your neck. Wear narrow lapel and collar shirts.
• Avoid short sleeved shirts.
• Tuck in your shirt.This will cut out the excess fabric thus lengthening the lines of your body.
• Do not buy clothes that are ill-fitting just because of the length of shirt or its sleeves, since you can always alter their length but they should fit on the shoulders and body properly.

Tips on trousers

• Do not ever wear your pants high on your waist. They should rest just above your hips- neither too high nor too low (this one’s for my friend too ;), because both extremes will make your legs look shorter than they are. And go buy that trendy side bag for your belongings ('coz carrying a bag is not at all girly) but don’t stuff your pockets with anything because it again draws attention to your hips and your short frame.

• As for the length of the trousers, again they shouldn't be too long or too short…they should be just enough so that the crease reaches the top of your shoes. This makes your legs look longer. And avoid pleats on your trousers. Get them custom made if  you’re finding it difficult to get the perfect fit.

• Avoid wearing shorts.

Acing the accessories

• Stay away from bow ties, suspenders and Windsor knots in ties. Buy narrow ties in solid colors or diagonal, herringbone patterns.

• The aim behind dressing should not be about appearing taller or disguising your lack of height, it should be about looking your best with proper-fitting trendy clothes.

Always remember to keep it Raw and Stylish! XOXO