Level Up Gents

In clothes and how they fit that is.  Men tend to buy clothes that are too big for them.  Here are some basic timeless tips to getting clothes to feel right and look right.

Button-Down Shirts

• Sleeves should cover your wrist and reach the beginning of your thumbs.
• Cuffs should be tight enough to prevent them from slipping down your wrist.
• If you opt to leave your button-down shirt untucked, it should hang just above your pants zipper (at back pocket level).
• When wearing a jacket and extending your arms, the sleeves should land between a half-inch and one inch past the jacket. Anything longer is cause for tailoring or buying a smaller shirt.
• The shirt’s seams should meet at the shoulder.
• Your forefinger should be able to fit in between your collar and your neck when the shirt is buttoned to the top.
• The collar’s tips and outer edge should be covered by your blazer or suit jacket’s lapels. To ensure that this happens, always fit your dress shirts and button-downs before fitting your jackets and blazers.

Trousers

• Try them on without shoes; they should just touch the floor. With shoes on, the back part of your pants should barely touch the ground (one rule of thumb is that pants should break at about 1/3 of the way down the shoe). And if you need one more sign that your slacks might not fit well, remember that your socks should not show when you walk.
• When belting slacks, don’t pull too tight, or you risk bunching up the fabric around your midsection. This will make your gut appear larger than it is.

Jeans

There are basic varieties out there, so get familiar with them and figure out which looks most flattering on your body type.

• Regular/Classic fit is as the name implies; traditional and somewhat slim-fitting with a straight leg opening
• Relaxed/loose fit features an extra one to four inches of additional fabric in the butt and thigh with a straight leg opening
• Bootcut is straight through the leg and opens at the ankle
• Skinny sits low on the waist, slim in the leg with smaller leg opening

And of course, remember that jeans usually shrink when you wash them. Buy (or have a tailored) pants just a shade longer than what you actually need.  If they are too long GET THEM HEMMED!  No staples or letting them get tattered.  If you buy designer jeans they are meant to be hemmed and many places hem them for free.

Neckties

• Should hang barely above your belt buckle.
• The size of the tie knot should not lift the tips of your shirt collar.
• The inverted triangle of the tie knot should fit snugly into the triangle created by your buttoned-up shirt collar.

Belts

• You should buy one size bigger than your pants. A 34″ waist means a 36″ belt.
• The buckle’s notch should fit into the center hole of the belt (usually hole number three; most belts have five holes).
• The tail of the belt should end just past the first loop on your pants
• The edge of the belt buckle, the row of buttons on your shirt and your fly should all line up vertically.

Blazers

• The sleeve should rest at your thumb knuckle when your arm is extended, and the blazer or jacket should cover your backside.
• The collar should leave about a half-inch of your dress shirt’s collar visible.
• If you plan on wearing your sports jacket frequently over sweaters, bring a thin or regular knit sweater with you when trying on or tailoring the blazer or suit jacket.

§ One Response to Size Does Matter

• Jackson says:

  September 26, 2011 at 12:43 pm

  this is a MUCH needed post. I want to tailor 85% of the mens clothing I see walking down the street.

  Reply