Tall men possess a natural advantage in many aspects of life. They often earn more, report higher happiness levels, and effortlessly reach top shelves. However, the world of fashion isn’t always tailored for them. Travel discomfort, back issues, and limited clothing choices can be common challenges.
Ready-to-wear fashion frequently caters to men up to six-foot-two. Beyond that, options often fall into the ‘Big & Tall’ category, which can unfortunately translate to ill-fitting, oversized garments with inconsistent lengths. But fear not, dressing well as a tall man is absolutely achievable. This guide will show you how to leverage your height to your advantage in the fashion world.
Top 5 Fashion Tips for Tall Men
1. Embrace Contrasts and Break Up Your Height
For tall and slender men, overly simplistic outfits can accentuate height and slimness, sometimes leading to an elongated appearance. The key is to create visual breaks. Luke McDonald, a stylist from Thread, advises against monochrome head-to-toe looks. Instead, he recommends incorporating texture and pattern to segment your silhouette. Experiment with contrasting colors in your outfits to add visual interest and dimension.
2. Add Horizontal Volume and Dimension
While adding bulk is beneficial, avoid drowning your frame in oversized clothing. The goal is to add width strategically. Since height is already prominent, focus on clothes that create horizontal expansion. Horizontal patterns, such as Breton stripes or color-blocked t-shirts, are excellent choices. Chunky knits, puffer jackets, and structured tailoring also contribute to a broader appearance.
3. Prioritize Perfect Fit and Tailoring
Nothing emphasizes height more negatively than ill-fitting clothes. Trousers that are too short, exposing ankles, or sleeves that don’t reach the wrists are common pitfalls. Finding garments long enough yet slim-fitting can be difficult. Establishing a relationship with a skilled tailor is invaluable. They can adjust off-the-rack clothing to achieve a perfect fit, ensuring your clothes complement your tall frame.
4. Step Away from Skinny Fits
Being tall allows you to explore bolder silhouettes. Embrace this freedom and move beyond skinny fits. Tom Saunders, menswear buyer at John Lewis, suggests experimenting with pleated trousers. To further enhance this style, tuck in your shirt or knitwear. This draws attention to the pleats and adds structure to your lower body, creating a balanced look.
5. Detail-Oriented Dressing
While volume is your ally, large expanses of fabric can appear overwhelming on a tall frame. Break up these areas with details. Embrace pockets, buttons, epaulettes, and even patches. These elements draw the eye across your outfit, preventing it from focusing solely on vertical length. Detailed clothing adds visual complexity and interest to your overall look, enhancing your Tall Men Fashion style.
Essential Tall Men Fashion Pieces
Double-Breasted Jacket
To add shape and structure to your torso, double-breasted jackets are highly recommended. Luke McDonald explains that these cuts add width to tall, lean physiques. A double-breasted jacket creates visual contrast when paired with a suit. For an even more impactful look, wear it with mismatched trousers to further separate your upper and lower body, adding stylish dimension to your tall men fashion ensemble.
Trench Coat
While shorter men are often advised to wear cropped coats to appear taller, the opposite is true for tall men. Avoid waist- or thigh-length jackets. Instead, opt for a trench coat that falls at least below the knee, or even mid-calf. The belted waist of a trench coat is particularly beneficial. It creates a V-shape silhouette – narrow waist and broad shoulders – which adds bulk to your upper body and breaks up a potentially overly slender appearance.
Wide-Leg Jeans
If your height is primarily in your legs, wide-leg trousers are your friend. They introduce width to your lower body, balancing your proportions. While tapered wide-leg jeans are acceptable, steer clear of skinny styles and high-waisted cuts, unless you intentionally want to accentuate leg length to an extreme. Wide-leg jeans contribute to a more grounded and proportional look for tall men fashion.
Safari Jacket
Any military-inspired or adventure-style jacket with multiple pockets is a great addition to a tall man’s wardrobe. Safari jackets and tactical vests (for those with a streetwear inclination) are excellent choices. They break up your vertical frame by drawing the eye horizontally across your body, diverting attention from your overall height. These detailed jackets add visual interest and dimension to tall men fashion outfits.
Regular-Fit Shirts
Slim-fit shirts might seem like a natural choice, but they can sometimes be problematic for tall men with long torsos. Tom Saunders points out that slim-fit shirts are often not just narrow but also shorter in length, which doesn’t always work well for taller builds. Opt for regular-fit shirts for tall guys and have them tailored if needed. Alternatively, consider the military tuck to achieve a more fitted look without compromising on length.
Tall Men Fashion Icons
LeBron James
Over the past decade, the NBA has become a hub of men’s style, proving that style transcends body shape. LeBron James exemplifies this. He looks equally sharp in tailored suits – slim but not skinny, often layered with vests or hoodies – and oversized streetwear or statement leather jackets. His style demonstrates versatility and confidence in tall men fashion.
Armie Hammer
At six-foot-four and physically fit, Armie Hammer naturally commands attention. His broad build could be a styling challenge, but he transforms it into an asset. He uses contrasting tailoring to break up his height and favors looser fits, ensuring he always looks comfortable and stylish, never constrained by his clothing. Armie Hammer showcases effortless tall men fashion.
Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch, known for his height on the football field, also understands how to dress his frame off-pitch. His outerwear choices often include pea coats and double-breasted overcoats, which add volume and balance to his long legs. He is also a proponent of roll neck sweaters, which broaden his shoulders and minimize a potentially lanky appearance. Peter Crouch provides excellent tall men fashion inspiration.
Top Clothing Brands for Tall Men
Levi’s
Most brands don’t offer jeans with inseams beyond 36 inches. Levi’s, however, provides some styles up to 40 inches, with their iconic 501 jeans reaching up to 38 inches. Their classic t-shirts and denim jackets are also designed for longer physiques, allowing tall men to enjoy timeless style with a proper fit. Levi’s is a go-to brand for foundational tall men fashion pieces.
Allen Edmonds
Allen Edmonds is an American heritage brand with a century-long history of crafting luxury footwear. They are also a champion for tall men’s shoe needs, offering an extensive range of sizes and widths, up to size 16, readily available without special orders. Allen Edmonds ensures that tall men can find well-fitting, high-quality shoes for their tall men fashion looks.
Sene Studio
Sene Studio, an American online retailer, takes a tech-forward approach to tailored menswear. Their sizeless polos, pants, dress shirts, and t-shirts utilize a SmartFit quiz or direct measurements to create perfectly fitting garments, regardless of your proportions. Sene Studio offers customized fit for tall men fashion, simplifying the search for well-proportioned clothing.
T By Ted Baker
Designed in collaboration with Olympic swimmer Mark Foster, the T By Ted Baker collection adapts Ted Baker’s signature quirky prints and classic designs for men over six-foot-three. Beyond excellent fit, the collection incorporates patterns and textures that effectively break up tall frames. T By Ted Baker brings stylish and well-fitting options to tall men fashion.
Spoke
Spoke, a wardrobe startup, focuses on solving fit issues in menswear. Initially specializing in chinos, they now offer shorts, polos, and t-shirts in numerous fit options. This allows tall men to find trousers and other garments that fit both their waist and leg length perfectly. Spoke prioritizes personalized fit in tall men fashion, eliminating compromises on garment dimensions.
American Tall
American Tall is a US-based brand specifically designing clothes for tall men. Rather than just scaling up standard sizes, they create versions tailored for taller physiques. Starting as a small business, American Tall has expanded globally, offering beautifully made blazers, t-shirts, and even swimwear designed for tall men. American Tall is dedicated to providing dedicated tall men fashion options.
