Style and the Shorter Man: Facing the Challenges of Being Below Average Height

I heard recently from Jon Cooper who's started a blog for the shorter man called The Shorter Guy (links below) which focuses on 'fashion and confidence' for men shorter than average height. This is a topic which I've touched on in the past, but it hasn't been given the space it deserves, so I invited Jon to contribute a feature for the blog. Here it is:

Fashion advice for the shorter guy by Jon Cooper

With the average male height in the UK at 5’9” and the average fashion model towering 6-foot plus, this creates a few challenges for the shorter guy like me, standing at 5’7”. Shopping for menswear as a shorter guy can be tough: in my experience internet shopping is an absolute no-no as smaller sizes vary greatly between brands, so I prefer visiting stores.

Jon of TheShorterGuy.com

On top of being short, I also have small features such as a skinny frame and legs that are sometimes mistaken for pieces of cotton!

When it comes to finding fashion advice online, the collateral available is very limited when you are short and is usually generic with some old favourites such as ‘wear vertical stripes’ or ‘try shoes with a heel’. While these are great tips for starters, it is important to have more options available and not just tips on how to appear taller.

I have spent years researching things that work well for the shorter guy, and I would like to share a few with you that will hopefully bring confidence to your wardrobe, no matter what your age or style. 

Dress to flatter your body type 

The most important piece of advice for short men is wear clothes that flatter your body type. Having a small neck size of 14.5” and relatively thin torso, I tend to stick to slim fitting shirts with a spread collar type, which takes the attention away from my small neck.

As I have very thin legs, I steer clear of boot cut or flared trousers. On the flip side, if you have larger legs, skinny jeans would only emphasise your size. 

Wear monochromatic colours 

When somebody first looks at you, for a split second their brain literally looks you up and down! By wearing colours that completely clash, such as black trousers and a white t-shirt, you are cutting yourself in half and this will make you look shorter. Just like an interior designer creates a free flowing room, it is important to dress monochromatically (right down to the belt and shoes) which will create a free flowing outfit with no break lines to your body.

Have a look at the differences in two outfits that Martin Freeman wore, you can see how he looks shorter in the photo with the colour contrasts.

Courtesy of Getty Images

Get your trousers hemmed

Don’t drown in your trousers! Remember that leg sizes are generic and if you are slightly out of the range your trousers could be too long, which will create an irritating ruffle on top of your shoes. Invest a bit of time and hem your trousers. There are many how-to videos online or if you don’t feel confident enough, visit a tailor.

Visit your local tailor 

After years of searching, I finally found a long mac jacket from Hammond & Co that I absolutely love. Whilst it fitted me perfectly up top, it buried my legs, going below my knees to my shins.

Jon's tailor at work

In danger of looking like Batman, I took it to my local tailor (‘clothing alteration store’ in the UK) and I was charged a mere £11 to reduce the length. This  transformed the jacket and meant I wasn’t so conscious every time I felt it flapping in the wind!

I now visit the store often to get quite a lot of my wardrobe tailored to fit me;  a very personal service for a low budget.

Accessorise, respectfully

I love accessories, nothing pleases me more than seeing a nice watch or pocket square, but with the average watch face sized at 40mm – this is too large for guys with thin wrists and really does emphasise the thinness. 

It is important that when you accessorise, you take consideration to your body type. If you have a stout body type, wearing a skinny tie will only make you look stouter. For shorter men, I wouldn’t recommend a thick belt, as this will draw eyes towards your midriff and split you in half and you will look visually shorter. Effective accessorising will transform your outfit.

In Summary

I welcome you to give the advice a shot and give me your feedback. Personally, it transformed the way I dressed, but more importantly, putting focus into the way I dressed brought so much confidence to me as a person and I hope it does you.

Scott Schuman The Sartorialist uses proportion well in selecting clothes

Jon Cooper of TheShorterGuy.com told me something about himself:

"The initial inspiration for the blog came from my height, standing at a mighty 5’7” tall!

Whilst working in sales I realised that a good 90% of people I met with were 6-feet tall, especially in London were I felt like I was towered over on tube and that most guys that appeared to be were successful (CEOs etc.) were tall, which knocked my confidence. 

Volunteering as a special constable (and being the smallest male special) is both fantastic and also challenging, with lots of jokes thrown my way! The policing aspect will feature in the blog more as get authority from Lancs police.

Fashion and style has always been an issue for the shorter guy, we fit in a grey area where clothes hardly ever fit right. The models are tall and brands develop for the ‘average’, so we are left with mostly ill-fitting garments. Online shopping is a strict no-no due to the sizing structure. 

In the world in which everybody seems to be getting taller, my aim of the blog is to develop a community solely dedicated to the shorter guy, 5’9” and under!"