Fashion Tips For Tall Men
Sure, tall men might be good at reaching the top shelf or making that slam dunk, but when it comes to style those with plenty of height to spare face a different set of fashion challenges than others. Pants that are too short, shirts that are too tight and shoes that are too small make dressing a hassle for those over the six-foot mark.
Rest assured, however, that tall men are not doomed to be out-of-date and out-of-style; vertically gifted men, too, can dress as spiffy as their shorter, more fashionable brethren.
And what better place to turn to for fashion tips for tall men than the NBA? Former NBA players and uber-tall fashion experts Jalen Rose and Allan Houston, gave us the lowdown on how to dress your bigger build.
Read on for their fashion tips for tall men.
What are the biggest fashion challenges facing tall men?
Allan: If there are clothes you like, you probably wont be able to get it in most places because tall men’s bodies are different. Most of the stuff you see are for men who are a little bit shorter. Even if you’re not athletically built, the height issue makes the difference. It’s easier for shorter men who are even a little wider to find clothes and make them work than it is for tall men.
Jalen: A lot of the time tall men can’t buy stuff off the rack because it doesn’t fit right; it may be too big in the waist or too big in the leg or too small in the ankles. You can’t get the same kind of custom fit as someone who’s “normal” sized. It becomes challenging, but tall guys just have to take a little more time and really take their look seriously. When you’re a tall man, you can’t just grab something and throw it on and have it work — you have to put thought and effort into it.
The No. 1 fashion rule is about having confidence in your look. You should look in the mirror and accept, like and appreciate what you see. Yes, there are tips you should follow, but for the most part fashion is about your confidence and look. Be the clothes, don’t let the clothes be you.
Should tall men have their clothing custom-made?
Jalen: Ideally, everyone would love to have the opportunity to have tailor-made clothes, but if you can’t do that, the cleaners work just as well, you just have to understand your size.
Allan: There are big and tall stores… but it depends on what you want. Like for me, I’m not all about wearing suits; I like to wear jeans, sweaters and T-shirts, so when you start getting into the different elements of style, clothes gets a little harder to find, and so getting things custom-made becomes one of your only options.
What are the common fashion mistakes tall men make?
Jalen: A lot of the time, tall men might not find things in their size, so they might wear pants or shirts that are too big, or even a hat that’s too big. If you’re tall, you’re trying to compensate for the fact that your pants [for example] don’t fit well in the waist, so you overcompensate with the size.
Allan: There’s just not a lot of stuff out there for tall guys. When you’re tall, you most likely have a build that’s long and lanky, but most clothes aren’t built for that [body type] so most guys wear pants and suits that are too big or too small for their body. This is why you have to get your clothes tailored or custom-made.
Should tall men stay away from things like bright colors and vertical stripes?
Jalen: You can dress for the season; color is universal and it all depends on how you pull it off with the rest of your look. If you’re a tall guy, I don’t think the way you dress can be confined, but there are subtle ways to wear all the looks. There are ways to wear colors, verticals stripes…
More fashion tips for tall guys from the NBA’s best dressed…
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