As far as menswear’s concerned, it’s not easy being short. When it comes to off-the-rack tailoring, coats, shirts and trousers, it can be a lottery just trying to find anything that fits.
The problem is that a lot of brands utilise a standard body type which just so happens to be tall, slim and in perfect proportion what is quite rare in real life.
Some items like longline tees, cropped trousers and fitted bomber jackets can look out of proportion on shorter guys and just pulling togeteher a decent outfit in the morning can be tough.
Fashion Design Weeks will give you a list of the best retailers and brands for shorter gentlemans, which will help you looking good that little bit easier.
As well as offering sizes down to XXXS, ASOS provides shorter length trousers as most of their own-label tailoring, negating the need to get them taken up.
Add to the greatest brands for shorter men and a ‘shop by size’ feature, and this e-tail giant is better stocked than most high street stores for men on the slighter side.
Using shorts will make your legs seem longer.
END. Clothing
This Newcastle-based menswear store has a strong focus on streetwear, offering a wealth of labels that are ideal for shorter men.
On the tailoring side they stock Thom Browne, whose suits might be a mortgage-level investment but are cut short and in proportion, and who also makes more affordable items like knitwear and shirts.
Thom Browne Shirt
Other brands to look out for include Japanese labels such as Journal Standard, who produce premium basics like bomber jackets, sweats and tees in slightly shorter fits.
Journal Standard’s Aqualinc Pertex Trench Coat
They also have a strong selection of pieces from A.P.C. and YMC – two labels that we’ve found make good outerwear for smaller guys.
A.P.C. T-Shirt
Another Fashion Design Weeks suggested brand for shorter men is Sunspel. Sunspel’s t-shirts and sweats are made from high quality cotton that practically shapes to your body – perfect for achieving a more custom fit, no matter what your size.
Sunspel’s T-Shirt
Beyond Retro
Vintage shops are like “home-sweet-home” to smaller men. Back in the day, clothes wew often cut a littler shorter and boxier and plus: there was a lot more custom-made clothing around. This brand is 50’s and 70’s inspired, especially things like denim shorts, coats and workwear.
Beyond Retro has a particularly impressive online store stocked with hundreds of vintage sweats, flannel shirts and jeans – though prices are around the £30 mark, quality is often much better than you’d find on the high street for the same outlay.
UNIQLO
The Japanese retailer is ideal for sweaters and knitwear when it comes for shorter men. That is great, considering you can pick up premium quality cashmere and merino wool pieces at unbelievably low price points.
Its range of chinos and jeans is also superb and each UNIQLO store offers free alterations, taking the hassle out of needing to get everything professionally tailored.
Oliver Spencer
There’s something about Oliver Spencer’s outerwear and shirts that fit slighter frames just right.
The designer favours shorter, more pulled-together pieces such as chore jackets and bombers with straight hems which look good whether you prefer them fitted or slightly oversized.
If you’re not yet familiar with J.Crew’s famous ‘Ludlow’ suit, it might be worth getting acquainted.
One of the cornerstones of the US brand’s offering, it comes in a range of colours and materials, from Japanese cotton to Italian linen, as well as short and regular sizes – both of which are widely regarded as an excellent choice for men of below average height.
