Part III for the Men

This week we’re focusing on how men who “have a little more of them to love” should dress in order to look slimmer. This was something I talked about for both men and women when I was a guest on Channel 4’s Better Nashville, but this week’s tips are just for the men who want to look like they’ve lost several pounds without having to spend hours on the treadmill. Guess what guys…they don’t make Spanx for men so you have to be more creative about dressing in ways that make you look slimmer. (If you have no clue what Spanx are, don’t worry…it’s nothing you need to know about.)

First and foremost, as I’ve stated numerous times in my blogs and have emphasized in my book Advance Your Image, you must make sure your clothing fits you well! I have worked with so many men who were originally wearing clothing in sizes that were too big for them. Committing this fashion crime will instantly add an additional 10 pounds to your appearance. You also don’t want to do the opposite and wear clothes that are too small for you. This will also make you look like you weigh more than you do. Proper fitting clothes not only make you look slimmer, they also look more expensive. Take the time to get your clothes altered for a custom fit.

Last week I talked about how skinny men can add some meat to their appearance by wearing a shirt with a wide horizontal stripe. Only the really skinny can pull off horizontal stripes, so you bulkier men need to do the opposite and wear vertical stripes that will visually slim you. When it comes to suits, look for pinstripes. For a casual look, add a vertical stripe button down with a nice pair of modern-cut, dark-wash jeans (the dark blue wash will also make you look slimmer as opposed to a faded/light-colored blue jean). If you have a larger butt, opt for jeans and pants with back pockets that are flat instead of flap-pocket pants or jeans. Flap-pockets will just make your but look even bigger. If you want to add a blazer or sports jacket to this casual look to dress it up a bit, make sure you choose a jacket that covers a larger butt and has a single vent as opposed to double vents (vents are the slits on the bottom part of the back of a jacket).

One of the same dress rules I gave a couple of weeks ago for short men also applies for the bulky men…go for a monochromatic look. This means you can wear the same color on both the top and the bottom which will create an uninterrupted vertical line. The only exception to this rule is you don’t want to wear what I call the denim tuxedo: jeans on the bottom and denim on the top. It’s a look that RARELY works! Whatever color you choose, it’s best for the bulky man to choose darker colors to wear on top and bottom instead of lighter colors. Darker colors help you look slimmer when they fit you well. If you have a large belly and skinny legs and need to balance out your look, then you can wear a dark color on top and a lighter color such as khaki on the bottom. Also, if you are larger up top or have a full, round face, stay away from any type of turtleneck. Instead, a v-neck will make your neck look longer and give the illusion of a slimmer face.

Finally, unless you’re Jimmy Buffett, stay away from shirts with large, busy prints such as Hawaiian shirts and the outdated 90s Garth Brooks-style shirts. Again, a vertical stripe is the best pattern for a man with a larger upper half.

Now that we’ve covered dressing for your specific body type over the last several weeks, next week I’m going to tell you what women really think of your shoes! Yes, what kind of shoes you wear can make or break your chances with that hottie you’ve got your eye on, so stay tuned!