I'm a Super Smodel. (style tips for short men like me)

Being of a short stature, i have always found it difficult to dress stylishly. Because truth be told, it's so damn hard finding clothes that fit me right. It's a chore i tell you. The availability of stylish, fashionable, very Details and GQ outfits for men who are 5"2 and below are next to nothing. Off-the-rack clothing is not an option for me. GIven that, I could have just easily given in and resigned myself to ill-fitting, I’m-swimming-in-my-clothes, yes-I’m-a-clothes-hanger look for the rest of my life. It's a good thing the sartorialist in me refused to give up so easily. I am going dress up as stylishly as i can, whatever the odds are. And I’m going to look good.

So i researched on my options and in my conclusion, as a vertically challenged guy, if you want clothes that fit right and make you look good the only way to go is have it customized. Thank God for tailors! After experimenting on different looks through the years, i have found myself being most comfortable with the classics - - nothing to fancy and avant-garde. Some may say that's playing it safe and i don’t mind. Because i believe that fashion has always been a feminine idea. Women like to exaggerate and change. Men need to be much more stable - - we just need to be stylish, not necessarily fashionable. And so having said that, i would like to help my fellow "hobbits", "smurfs", “weng-wengs”, whatever else we vertically-challenged men are called these days to dress up with more style. Just because we’re small, doesn’t mean we can’t dress up like these models do. We all have our “smodel” potential (small model), the key is to start dressing the part.We can still be style icons in our own little way. So here are some styling tips for shot men that I have compiled during my journey to self-style discovery. Because remember my vertically-challenged brothers - -we should never sell ourselves short when it comes to style.



Taller tips
Before we start with the fashion advice, the following are some simple yet often overlooked tips that can help you appear taller:

1. Confidence is key. The first thing you must learn here is to avoid the lack of confidence you face due to your lack of height. Instead just look at the history and you will notice many great people were short, so where does the height matter? Remember your confidence plays a significant role in how you look. After this you need to pay an attention towards what you wear and how you wear them.
2. Maintaining good posture is key if you want to hit your maximum height potential. Remember to sit with your back straight and stand proud with your head up high at all times. A slouched stance will only make you look shorter, not to mention insecure.
3. Keep in mind that, as a general rule, short hair works best for shorter men. Long hair tends to hide the neck and shoulders, making your head and body look like one body part, which doesn't help you in your quest to look taller.
4. Another tip to maximize your stature is to stay fit and trim at all times. Heavier and extremely muscular men tend to look broader and stubbier, but staying lean and having some muscle (such as built, defined shoulders) can help add some height to your overall frame.

Fit, fit, fit!
An important tip is to plan on having your clothes tailored. Get it in your mind that it will have to be done. Often shorter men don’t want to acknowledge their height and choose not to get their clothes altered to fit. Guess what, taller guys need to do it, too. Looking taller comes down to the fine tuning of a garment. Don’t believe it’s a price issue, a lot of tailors offer their services at a ver reasonable price. My tailor for one is quite budget-friendly. Get it in your mind to get it done! Look at tailor-made clothes as a long-term investment. Because they truly are.

Buy the fit, not the size.
Designers and manufacturers have different opinions on how a size 40 short should fit. If you are 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches, try both short and regular size coats to see what fits best. If you are 5 feet 4 inches 5 feet 5 inches, try both short and extra short size coats to see what fits best. When it comes to dress pants, wear the shortest rise you can comfortably wear. The rise is the distance from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the crotch. Many men think wearing a longer rise increases their mobility, it actually limits it.

Sizes change with the style of clothing, too. Ten years ago a size 32-waist casual pant measured 34 inches at the waist. Now with trimmer fits in style, a size 32 waist may actually be … 32 inches! Don’t get caught up with the numbers, get the right fit.

general styling tips

Wear vertical stripes
Anything that elongates your height is a good thing. For example, vertical stripes in clothing can help extend the look of your shorter body. Patterns such as pinstripe, chalkstripe and herringbone also offer that "vertical" effect.


Wear one color
Wearing a shirt and pants in the same color will prevent obvious breaks in your natural frame, and as a result can give the illusion that you're taller.

Opt for dark shades & light fabrics
In addition, dark colors, especially black, tend to have a slimming effect and help shorter men seem more elongated. The same applies to light or medium-weight fabrics. Heavier fabrics, on the other hand, tend to make you look bulkier and shorter.

A proper fit is key
Finally, remember that it's important that your clothes fit flawlessly. Looser garments can make you look stumpy, so opt for a fit that is trim rather than baggy.

The clothes that'll do the trick...

Short man clothing from the feet up

SHOES
It’s quite tempting for short men to get those elevator shoes to make them look taller, but I rally believe that’s not the point. That just hides your height, when in fact you should be confident with what you have. So celebrate it! Wear normal shoes, but avoid the chunky ones. Opt for the slimmer styled shoes. Of course finding a pair in your size is another issue. You can have shoes custom-made too, or go to stores like Linea Italia. Sometimes they carry women shoes in men’s style - -wing tips, boots, etc.. Once you’ve worn them, no one would be able to tell. Just avoid the ultra-pointy ones because you don’t want yourself looking like an elf at Christmas.

Choose dress shoes of a clean and simple design and thinner soles. Plain toe oxfords are sleek and take attention away from your feet. Avoid chunky soles, it makes you look like a teen who’s never worn a suit before. Leather soles of most American and English style shoes are appropriate for both plain and cuffed hems. Italian and Spanish style shoes usually have thinner soles and are best with a plain hem. To add height, a dress boot can be appropriate. Classic shoes like wing tips are appropriate with suits and tasseled moccasins are best with a suit and sportcoat. Socks should match your pants or be a shade darker. Don’t wear shoe lifts with tall dress shoes. Nothing says I’m trying too hard than suddenly appearing to have had a growth spurt.

Tips for Pants/Jeans
As for jeans, Avoid full-cut baggy styles. Choose trimmer models like a straight leg or boot cut. The best model would be a short rise boot cut. When given the choice, choose a short rise if you want to wear it at the waist, and a low rise if you want to wear it close to the hip. Avoid stovepipe legs, bell bottoms and baggy fitting styles. They bring all your attention down and to the floor. The deal breaker in all jeans is how your butt looks in them. Comfort and attractiveness are inversely related. In most cases, the less comfortable it is, the better your butt probably looks in them. Find a pair that gives you both comfort and sex appeal, buy all you can and horde them. Ask any woman.

For all pants, including jeans, make sure your pant legs are hemmed to the proper length so that they break only slightly. The term "break" refers to where your pants fall on your shoes, creating a horizontal crease in the fabric across the front of your pant leg. If the break comes too high or is not defined enough, your pants will look too short when you stand or walk. If the break is too low, there will be a lot of excess fabric around your ankles, and your pants will look oversized-- this can especially be a problem for shorter men. A slight/short break is the best choice for the short man. If you also happen to have smaller feet, a slight break will keep your pants from "drowning" your shoes. Jeans can break slightly lower than dress pants-- but one should still avoid lots of excess material around the ankles.
Cuffing jeans or other pants makes the legs appear shorter-- have your pants hemmed to the proper length as described above. Avoid white or light-colored shoes with jeans, as this breaks the overall line of the leg.

Another thing to consider when choosing pants is the "rise"-- the distance between the crotch and the waist. If the crotch of your pants hangs too low, the legs will again appear shorter, and the area around your seat and crotch will look odd or boxy. Look for low-rise (or short-sized) jeans, or have a tailor alter the crotch of dress pants if it is too long.

In dress pants and khakis, pleats should be avoided, especially deep pleats. Flowing, full-cut dress pants should also be avoided. Pleats can take away from your clean vertical line, and bagginess in pants can make you look like you're drowning in too-big-a-clothing. When possible, it is generally better to stick to flat front pants and avoid lots of extra material.

In general, baggy jeans should also be avoided. Very baggy jeans will tend to make you look like you are drowning in them, making you look smaller. This is not to say that you should wear ultra-tight jeans, but rather that when observing fashion trends, keep overall proportion in mind, and remember that certain cuts of clothing may suit your better than others. If you do choose a relaxed or baggier cut, be sure it fits you well and is proportioned for your frame to begin with (i.e., proper rise and inseam length).

Furthermore, avoid any kind of puckering around the hips, from tucking in your shirts or having full pockets, as it will make you look wider and hence, shorter.

Your trousers should break on your shoes slightly more than average, to help make your legs look longer by covering your socks properly.

It's also suggested to shun cuffs altogether. If you do decide to wear them, have your tailor hem them slightly narrower than normal (that is, 1¼ inches instead of the usual 1½ to 2 inches). Finally, keep in mind that pants with no pleats or a single pleat are more flattering than multiple pleats.

Shopping tip: If you can't find any pants that fit properly, you can always have them custom-made or visit a specialty store near you.


Tips on Shirts
Try to find shirts that are hemmed to rest only an inch or two below the waistline of your pants; if your shirts are longer than this, tuck them in to avoid giving the appearance of short legs. In general, button-front dress shirts should always be tucked in for the same reason (in addition to the fact that it is a tidier look). Keep in mind that a tailor can alter the hem length of shirts in addition to the sleeve length for a better fit.

Avoid very baggy shirts, or shirts that puff out when you tuck them in. Look for shirts with higher armholes (to avoid extra material under the arms) and that fit properly-- neither baggy nor clinging to your torso. Shirts and jackets with vertical stripes can add height to your look. Choose vertical stripes that are on the thinner side-- too wide and you may start to look squat, or the pattern may overpower you.

On casual shirts, a lower collar can make your neck appear longer (for example, on a polo shirt). A V-neck t-shirt can also have the effect of making your neck seem longer. Turtlenecks, on the other hand, can make you look stumpy, as they conceal your neck.

Avoid wearing blazers and cardigans with more than three buttons because they will draw unwanted attention to your shorter upper body. Also, make sure that your blazers and jackets fall slightly below your buttocks, as this will make your body look slightly more elongated. While you should try to avoid double-breasted suits, if you do choose to wear one, do up all the buttons (including the lower ones), as this will give you a longer look.

Also, when wearing a sports jacket, make sure there's as little contrast between your jacket and trousers as possible, to maintain the natural vertical lines. Center and side vents also add the effect of a prolonged vertical line.

Look for formfitting shirts in order to avoid excess fabric when tucking them in and opt for point collars instead of spreads. Finally, keep in mind that tucking in your shirt can place the emphasis on your legs and torso, which might make you look shorter.

Shopping tip: Shortening the length of a shirt is generally easier than reducing the length of its sleeves, so make sure the shirt fits properly around your shoulders and body, first and foremost. If it does, then you can have the overall length and the sleeves adjusted.



Accessories
When it comes to accessories, shorter men should avoid bow ties. Instead, they should wear narrower ties; solid, and regimental and diagonal patterns work best. Also, choose the less intrusive four-in-hand knot over the bulkier Windsor variety.

When buying a belt, remember that you can have it adjusted to any length by simply adding more holes. A belt that doesn't have holes is even easier, as it's fully adjustable for a perfect fit.

Finally, keep in mind that suspenders can emphasize your natural vertical line, so avoid them.

Sleek suit
Fashion favors the shorter man; especially for the next year or so. Shrunken coats and trimmer fits make finding alternatives possible. The most favorable trend is the pinstripe suit in all its types and colors. Try a light grey pinstripe suit in a three-button, single-breasted model. If you are more concerned about looking taller, choose a three-button model, if you would like to look bigger, choose a two-button model. Lighter colors help emphasis more size, while darker colors make you look slimmer. The width of the stripes should balance with your frame. Stripes should be no wider than 3/4 inches. Avoid loud plaids and windowpane patterns. If you like these patterns, choose more subtle tonal varieties in smaller patterns.
Choose a slimmer and shorter necktie to better balance your body. If the necktie is too long or wide, shorten it from the wider end. Keep patterns small enough to repeat several times. Find a trim fitted dress shirt with the pocket and collar in the right size so that it doesn’t make you look like a flying squirrel. Shorten sleeves to fit about 1/2 inch below the wrist, and shorten the shirt hem enough so you can tuck it in your pants without having it bunch at the crotch. If the pocket is set too low or the collar of the neck too high, pass on it. You can’t move the pocket, and the only way a high collar style will fit is by going to the next size up. I recommend a shorter collar like 1-1/4 inches for more comfort and to elongate your neck.

Tips on Suits
When choosing a suit, request a "short" cut-- short-sized suits are proportioned better for shorter men. Adding a slight taper at the waist of the suit jacket can create a longer look for the legs. A two-button jacket with a relatively low stance that shows more of the tie will make the upper body appear longer. Very subtle pinstripes can emphasize length, but avoid any strong pattern that will overpower.
For suit pants, avoid cuffs; the goal is to create long lines, and cuffs interrupt the line. As with all pants, make sure the rise on your suit pants is short enough, and avoid pleats and excessive bagginess. Keep your pants streamlined, like the rest of your silhouette. Match the color of your belt and shoes to your pants for an even longer look-- a monochromatic color scheme creates an uninterrupted line.

Tips on Ties
Most men's neckties are proportioned (in both length and width) to fit average-height or taller men. Typical sizes are between 58 and 60 inches in length and about 4 inches in width.

For shorter men, a tie of length of 54" to 56" usually fits well. A narrower tie width also usually looks more proportional on a short man-- too wide a tie ends up making a short man appear smaller and stout. Look for ties that are between 2.5" to 3.25" wide at their widest point.


Be a good sport
Sweaters are becoming more popular and more styles will be offered this fall. Don’t get drawn into wearing a bulky sweater. Stick to wearing thinner styles in trimmer fits with a V-neck collar Heavy gauge knits and chunky cable knits will swallow you up like a blanket. Sweater patterns need to be small or subtle. A V-neck brings attention to your head and shoulders. Choose sport shirts with a trimmer fit like you would a dress shirt. Rules are the same as above. Choose stripes in narrow to medium widths You’ll know when it’s too wide. You’ll only see the stripe and not the shirt. When it comes to checks, houndstooths and herringbones, choose patterns where the size of the pattern will have a more solid effect from a distance and can be appreciated closer from a social distance. If people notice your shirt pattern from across the room, that’s all they are noticing.

Get your motor running
Leather jackets are a hot fashion item and leading the way are motorcross styles. Leather motorcross jackets usually come in shorter cuts and many are sleek will minimal treatment to keep a clean look. Choose lighter-weight leather like lambskin instead of calfskin. It drapes better on a shorter man and isn’t as stiff. Go for trimmer bodies and trim sleeve styles to help lengthen your body. Trim cut hipsters and bombers are also a great look. Stay away from blousy bombers, and boxy 3/4-length jackets, you’ll be engulfed by skin.

Dream date on the Carribean
A white linen jacket can be dressed up or down Either way you will look like you just walked off a yacht. Wearing linen says I’m casual and confident enough to know wrinkles are part of its character and relaxed allure. Wearing white says purity, openness and sanctuary. Combine the two, and what date wouldn’t want to be seen with you? Wear it with white, tan or beige pants in a lightweight fabric like silk, cotton or linen for a great dress casual look. For a wedding on the beach or a captain’s dinner on a cruise, try a black and grey pinstriped seersucker dress pant that’s perfect for a white linen jacket. The look is spectacularly continental and elegant. This is reserved for only the most confident man, because the first rule of sportcoats and pants for the shorter man is to minimize the contrast between pant and coat. If you can’t pull it off, we recommend wearing pants closer in color for a taller effect.

When wearing blue, tan or beige linen jackets, choose pants of a slightly darker shade to bring attention up to your chest. It’s best to choose a plain hem on your pants to give you a longer leg line. Pleated pants are OK if the pleats are shallow and in a short rise. Avoid regular rise pleated pants. The pleats are too deep and make you look stubby. Wear dress pants at the waist where most are designed to be worn. To look taller, keep contrasts to a minimum with your sportcoats. Go with more tonal combinations. Avoid large patterned pants, especially in plaids and windowpanes. Solids and marled shades are best, followed by thin stripes, small herringbones, and small checks. If you prefer a cuff, make sure your tailor makes it no more than 1-1/4-inch wide. If you are bigger or stocky, try 1-1/4-inch, if you are thin or small it may look more balanced with a 1-inch wide cuff. You should not wear a regular 1-1/2-inch cuff.

From your backyard to the Beach
It’s a huge misconception that clothing has to be loose to be comfortable, especially casual wear. Tight isn’t good either, but clothing that is too loose will make you perspire and chafe more. Short sleeve casuals like camp shirts polos and T-shirts need to be trimmer in order to look great and feel great. Solids are great, but for a more lengthening effect choose vertical patterns or prints. If you like horizontal stripes, choose stripe combinations that are thinner and/or more subtle in color contrasts. Be aware of shirts that are too long and have the shirt hem shortened. When wearing shorts, choose styles that are above the knee. Man style “short shorts” are an acquired taste. I recommend shorts just at or above the knee. Avoid shorts with too many cargo style pockets. It just looks like you have a bunch of material wrapped around your waist. Cleaner styles like short rise walk shorts or tennis shorts are good. Board shorts and swim trunks are so big it’s like drowning in a parachute in the water. Many boys’ styles are simple and may end up being the right fit for a shorter man. Another option is buying lifeguard trunks. They are shorter and trimmer for less drag. Removing the lifeguard emblem is optional.

Overall
Men under 5 feet 8 inches want the same thing that men over 6 feet want … to have good looking clothes that fit and make us look normal. We don’t want to look like junior high kids in hand-me-downs and we don’t want to look like giant freaks draped in a tent. Wearing clothes in the right proportions will make men of all heights look normal. Appropriate choices in fabrics, patterns and styles will always help shorter men look taller and really tall men just look tall. Looking good doesn’t mean having to look tall. A great fit is always in style.

Just look good
Just remember that the key is not necessarily to look as tall you can, but to look as good as you can. The proper fit and the right styles can make you look great, regardless of your height.

And lastly, Don't treat fashion tips for short men as never-break rules. Use all tips as guidelines. Happy stylin'! :-D