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10 styling tips and hacks for short men

There are many things in life we don't control over, and that includes height. Using clothes to enhance your appearance is common. Although we're all perfect just the way we are, there's no shame in putting that extra effort into dressing well according to your body type. If you're short by nature, continue reading this article to get the best styling tips.

1. Avoid loose-fitting garments

Slim fitting clothes enhance your body type, while loose-fitting clothes tend to cover you up and make you look shorter. While this topic is also subject to personal taste, you should always wear your clothes as slim as you're comfortable with.

  • Avoid sleeves that go past your wrists
  • Ditch jackets that go past your knees
  • Dodge pants that stack up on top of your shoes
  • Invest in custom-tailored clothes that fit you just right

2. Don’t wear a belt

Wearing a belt creates a horizontal line around your waist, which both disrupts the clean lines in an outfit and could make you appear broader and shorter than you are.

3. Use accessories proportionate to your size

This tip is simple: choose accessories that are proportionate to your height (and size).For example; if you have a small wrist, wear a smaller watch as a bigger one will probably look too big.

4. Wear medium or high waisted pants

This tip is a real gem that you should remember. By wearing medium or high rise trousers, your legs will appear longer than they are. Naturally, wearing low rise pants will shorten your legs and make you look shorter.

5. Don’t wear bulky outerwear

We get it. It gets cold sometimes. We're not telling you not to wear warm clothes; we're just recommending you avoid puffy outerwear as it will make your figure appear shorter. Instead, go for some well-insulated layers that will keep you protected from harsh winds and colder days.

6. Go for small scale patterns

Some say it's wise to avoid horizontal stripes altogether; we would like to argue otherwise. Instead, make sure that the stripes are thin and not thick. Thick horizontal lines will most likely look too big on you if you're short.

7. Choose modern collar styles

Modern collar types usually have a profile that suits short guys very well. Our Cut-away modern, Button-down modern and Club modern collar are all suitable for short men.

Shirts with modern collar

Gondomar, white
White Oxford shirt
4.3/5
NZD 159
Venice, white
White seersucker shirt
4.6/5
NZD 179
Sandford, mid blue
Mid blue striped oxford business shirt
4.8/5
NZD 169.95
Olympia, white
White Non-Iron business shirt
4.8/5
NZD 259
Crowley, white
White dress shirt
4.4/5
NZD 119
Sandford, navy
Navy striped oxford business shirt
4.7/5
NZD 159

Looks for short men

Gondomar, white
White Oxford shirt
4.3/5
NZD 159
Venice, white
White seersucker shirt
4.6/5
NZD 179
Sandford, mid blue
Mid blue striped oxford business shirt
4.8/5
NZD 169.95
Olympia, white
White Non-Iron business shirt
4.8/5
NZD 259
Crowley, white
White dress shirt
4.4/5
NZD 119
Sandford, navy
Navy striped oxford business shirt
4.7/5
NZD 159

8. Match colors

When dressing for your height, it's all about proportions and simplicity. By matching the colors in your outfit, you'll increase the length of your silhouette. In contrast, two different colors tend to break it up.

9. Wear slim shoes

Shoes with broad toes or a square design tend to make you look shorter, so opt for slim shoes that follow your foot's contour and have a rounded toe to lengthen your appearance.

Looks for short men

Hayden, military green stretch
Military green stretch chinos
NZD 219
Heritance, navy melange
Navy melange polo shirt
4.2/5
NZD 129
Heritance, dark gray melange
Dark grey melange polo shirt
4.5/5
NZD 129
Hayden, khaki stretch
Khaki stretch chins
4.8/5
NZD 219
Dover, navy stretch
Navy stretch chinos
4.7/5
NZD 219
Atlantic, light gray melange
Light gray melange t-shirt
4.7/5
NZD 99

Looks for short men

Hayden, military green stretch
Military green stretch chinos
NZD 219
Heritance, navy melange
Navy melange polo shirt
4.2/5
NZD 129
Heritance, dark gray melange
Dark grey melange polo shirt
4.5/5
NZD 129
Hayden, khaki stretch
Khaki stretch chins
4.8/5
NZD 219
Dover, navy stretch
Navy stretch chinos
4.7/5
NZD 219
Atlantic, light gray melange
Light gray melange t-shirt
4.7/5
NZD 99

10. Choose custom-made clothes

We've saved the best tips for last. By choosing custom-tailored, you don't have to worry whether your dress shirt will look too baggy, your trousers too close to your shoes or your suit jacket too long. A custom-tailored size will always have you look your best whether you're short, tall, slim, or broad.

Did you come here looking for style tips for tall men? Read our article filled with must-know style tips for tall men here.