Fashion Fixes To Hide Your Flaws

Dressing well isn’t just about accentuating your assets, but it’s also about downplaying your flaws. Maybe that beer belly is affecting your self-confidence, or your boring fashion sense is making you invisible to the ladies; These sartorial tricks can help you work around those issues.

You Want To Look Taller
Tip: Avoid deep V-necks

Streamlined lines create a taller-looking silhouette. Choose flat-front pants over pleated and long pointed collars to create a “lengthening” effect. Pleats and spread collars can make a man look squat, so avoid them. For tops, wear shirts with straight-point collars and blazers with peak lapels. These visually draw the eye up towards your face. Avoid anything that draws the eye down, such as deep V-necks. Have your bottoms (jeans and trousers) altered to fit you properly, so they don’t bunch at the ankles. Wear lower-rise boot-cut or straight-leg pants if you have a shorter torso relative to the rest of your body. You can also wear shoes with slightly thicker soles, but absolutely no platforms. Women would rather date a short man than a man on heels.

You Want To Hide Your Beer Belly
Tip: Pick thin knit cotton material

You may have heard this before: wear black. It makes everyone look leaner. When buying a shirt, go for a slim-fit dress shirt. Wearing one that hugs your shoulders, waist and chest will automatically create a slimmer image. Also, wear V-neck sweaters in a thin knit. The V-neck creates the illusion of height and slims down the frame. For your garments, choose thin knit cotton, wool (merino rather than lamb’s wool), cashmere, silk or other blends that sit high on the waist and hips, and snug in the shoulders, chest and arms. Avoid thick knit, heavy and bulky sweaters, as they add weight to a man’s frame.

You’ve Slimmed Down And Everything Is Baggy
Tip: Ditch your old "fat" clothes.

Now that you’ve shed the extra kilos, your old clothes are probably swimming on you! That’s fine if you’re a rap star but even that trend is dying right now. You could send your favourite pants for alterations but our expert suggests you go shopping instead. “You can tailor down one size, but you can’t tailor beyond that,” says image consultant Elena Castaneda. Anything more than that and the styling is lost. Moreover, your old clothes “carry negative connotations of when you were heavy,” says stylist Marcy Carmack.

It can’t hurt to take a couple of your best pieces to a tailor to see what he can do. But toss everything else and show off the results of your hard work. For instance, trade in pleated, high-rise pants for ones with a slimmer, flat-front, midrise fit. Watch how shirts fit your armpits – they should come in close instead of tenting out toward your breastbone. It’s fine to try out some trends, but stock up on classics – simple, well-fitting shirts and trousers. If you still have some pounds left to drop, Carmack suggests buying as few items as possible and bargain hunting.

You Want To Jazz Up Your Black Suit
Tip: Inject some colour or accessorise.

Don’t wear your black suit with a white shirt. Add colour to your outfit by wearing coloured shirts and ties. The black suit looks great when worn with plain shirts of light to medium tone. Printed shirts also add an interesting dimension. Try classic stripes or square print (also known as window pane print).

For an added touch of style, choose shirts with French cuffs – this will give you a chance to express your personal style with your choice of cuff links. Match your ties to the colour of your shirt and cufflinks. Don a black leather belt, matched with classic black leather lace-ups shoes. If you need to carry items with you, use a black leather briefcase or messenger bag – functional and fashionable. If you’re thinking of wearing a black shirt with a black suit, wear your black shirt opened (top two buttons undone) and accessorise with a silver necklace to jazz up the outfit.

You Want To Wear Jeans Without Looking Sloppy
Tip: Pair it with a crisp shirt.

Can you look smart in jeans? Of course! Start with a crisp, collared long-sleeved shirt. You can either go for a plain solid-coloured shirt, or one with vertical stripes that contrast bright and muted tones. You can even opt for a shirt with small floral designs. Since you want to go smart, tuck in your shirt.

Over your shirt, you can wear a thin wool cardigan or sweater. For a more “formal” look, choose a blazer or a vest. Ties are optional.
Next, pick a belt to match your jeans. Your classic black leather belt probably gets a lot of mileage with your work pants. For your jeans, choose brown leather instead. And a pair of dressy brown leather shoes would instantly glam up your jeans too.