Many men think they’re fashionably challenged. But, it’s likely they simply don’t know how to dress for body type. It’s the key to easily and always looking put-together and grown-up.
No matter how bad you think you are at dressing yourself, you can always look great.
See, I live in fashion-conscious New York. Is that guy who just got off the bus from “Anytown, America”, or a small eastern European village? He or you may not know what Givenchy or Law Roach is. It truly doesn’t matter. Just know how to dress for your body type.
Once you’ve learned how you can easily look as good as that long-time New Yorker who’s been working at Brooks Brothers for decades.
I’m an eternal optimist about this. I see a new crop of 20-something would-be bankers, writers, artists, and industry leaders arrive in Manhattan every single day.
They’re not always from other fashion capitals. And yet, I see these men, and men like them, level up their style all the time.
I promise you it’s easy.
How To Dress for Your Body Type 101: Learning Your Type for Men
There are two things you need to figure out when it comes to learning your body type. What is your shape, and what is your somatotype?
The three somatotypes are mesomorph, ectomorph, and endomorph. Then, from there, you should figure out your shape, which could be rectangular, triangular, inverted triangular, trapezoidal, or oval-shaped.
These are pretty self-explanatory. A rectangle type has a straight silhouette, with shoulders and torso extending out, or not extending out, equally.
An inverted triangle has broad shoulders and a tapered waist.
A trapezoid sits somewhere in the middle of these two.
An oval has a broader torso and soft lines, while a triangle, not inverted, has a broader torso and hips. Depending on your diet and workout routine, these types often look like they have smaller shoulders compared to their torsos.
Within each somatotype, you can (usually) be any of the shapes as well, though there are common partnerships. A lot of ectomorphs are rectangular, for example. In fact, a lot of men who are relatively fit are.
Do you build muscle relatively easily? Do your broader shoulders give the look of an inverted triangle even when you’re skinny? Then you’re likely a mesomorph.
If you’re naturally thin, with a slim frame, and don’t gain fat or muscle easily, you’re probably an ectomorph.
Do you gain fat easily and have a natural strength about you? Or are you built like a lineman with a wider waist? It’s likely you’re an endomorph.
If you’re not quite sure, try our handy body type calculator. To take your measurements, all you need is a soft tape measurer.
Dressing for Your Body Type
Figure out which one of the somatotypes you are. Then, I’ll help you figure out how to dress for your body type. Of course, you might even be a combination.
That being the case, you’ll need to decide which components of each type apply to you. You might be a thin mesomorph or a really beefed-up ectomorph. Use the best practices per each, of course.
Let’s start with learning how to dress a mesomorph.
How To Dress a Mesomorph
Because of their strong upper body, mesomorphs often have that previously mentioned inverted triangle shape. Of course, mesomorphs can also be rectangular and, depending on your diet, can even be broader around the torso.
However, accommodating your strong shoulders is step one. After all, that’s where your tops hang from.
Tailoring is always important, particularly with suits. However, since mesomorphs have such a dynamic silhouette, it’s particularly important. When buying a suit off the rack, even a good one, either the jacket or the trousers will fit too largely.
So, when you can, opt to buy suit separates separately if possible.
Trends Aren’t Great for Mesomorphs
I’m afraid trendy fits and mesomorph body types don’t always go hand-in-hand. Overly baggy clothes will hide your naturally dynamic shape. Overly skinny clothes will look, well, frankly, gauche.
Yes, you may have worked hard to get that Spartan-like chest. But do you really need it to pop out so much that your buttons are struggling for dear life? You don’t want your shirt to look like a simple flex of the arm might break a seam.
If your top is too loose, it may hang off of your chest, then loosely over your stomach in an unflattering way. Even if you aren’t constantly pumping iron to get that Superman build, you might consider muscle-fit shirts.
In fact, this fit works well with inverted triangle and trapezoid bodies.
With pants, especially formal clothes, you may need to size up. Otherwise, the trousers might squeeze your seat and thighs too much.
From there, alter the waist. Most mesomorphs usually need to take the waist in, but again, this depends on your shape. It’s easier to take a garment in rather than take it out.
Moreover, straight cut pants, especially jeans, will complement your legs. They won’t hide them like oversized pants will or overly emphasize them either.
When it comes to jackets, go for ones that stop at your hips whenever you can. This is particularly important if you’re shorter or have a short torso. Also, you likely don’t need any jacket padding.
Now, let’s move on to how to dress an endomorph — the strongman of body types.
How To Dress an Endomorph
Endomorphs are solidly built, so we want to visually enhance that strength.
Many endomorphs are oval-shaped, depending on your muscle and fat structure, or triangular, depending on your skeletal structure.
To balance this out, well-structured outerwear can make your shoulders look broader. I’ve always said that workwear looks best on endomorphs. It can sometimes drown a shorter, thinner ectomorph. And sometimes it looks a little costumey on a mesomorph (a bit too Magic Mike, frankly).
A utility jacket, a blazer, even an unstructured blazer, or a flannel with strong shoulders are good examples. I also don’t think you should be ashamed of using subtle shoulder pads — if you want to!
When it comes to casualwear, see if you can create a suit-like silhouette with your layers. What I mean by that is wearing open outerwear. Or, don’t button up or zip up the outerwear all the way, like a suit jacket.
By wearing a darker, solid shirt underneath, people can see how flatteringly brawny your upper body is.
An open piece of outerwear creates vertical lines, which are slimming. And if you’re insecure of your torso area, dark shirts, solid colors, and small patterns are your friends.
The Power of Menswear Classics and Minimal Layers
An endomorph can really fill out a suit beautifully. Between that and how naturally military wear, workwear, and outdoorsy clothes look, it’s a great body type for classics.
You can even dip into trendy streetwear since they tend to incorporate a lot of the above.
The only trend I recommend you avoid if you’re an endomorph is skinny pants. They’ll broaden your hips, even if they aren’t even that broad. Full-cut and straight-cut pants are really the only way to go.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a lot of menswear classics involve layers. Think about suits or waxed canvas jackets.
For endomorphs, stick to two layers. Three might bulk you up in places you don’t want bulking. So, avoid the three-piece suit or a jacket over a pullover over a shirt.
Another classic you should go for? Suspenders over belts whenever you can. They’re distinct, old-world, and classic.
Now, let’s talk about pants.
The most important thing when it comes to all types of pants is where the waist lands. Don’t wear them any lower than right above your hips. The higher, the better, actually — within reason, of course.
If your pants are too low, it may create a muffin effect, even if you’re quite fit.
Unfortunately, big and tall sections often cater to very tall or very rotund men. You might be one or both of these, in which case, you can shop there. However, just because you’re an endomorph doesn’t mean you’re a giant or very fat.
If that’s the case, know your measurements and get your suits tailored.
Now, let’s move on to the fashion industry’s favorite body type and learn how to dress an ectomorph.
How To Dress an Ectomorph
Ectomorphs are relatively easy to dress since our silhouettes are often straight. Most of us are rectangular, which, again, is a common body shape. Fortunately for you, I’m an ectomorph myself. I’ve had a lot of professional experience learning how to dress for my body type.
A lot of off-the-rack clothes often fit a medium-sized, healthy ectomorph quite well. But this isn’t always the case, and we shouldn’t rest on our laurels.
Out of all the body types, ectomorphs pull off skinny fits best. Relatedly, they pull off oversized fits the worst.
Since skinny fits go in and out of style constantly, your best bet is slim to regular fits. However, I’d lean more into the slim cuts. This is because if you’re super thin, which most ectomorphs are, they’d fit you like a regular cut might fit a bigger guy.
Whether or not it’s in style, slim shirts will always be the most flattering. Looser shirts will narrow your upper body, and darker shirts will slim down your already-slim frame.
Simplicity Is Key
I think all guys look good with a simple men’s style. This is especially so with ectomorphs, though.
If you’re insecure about your small shoulders, go for structured tops. For a casual look, a button-down is better than a regular T-shirt. Or, if you want something even more relaxed, a henley provides subtle architecture around the chest area. Meanwhile, a raglan adds the same solid look to your upper arms.
You can also just go for a substantially woven shirt in general. Pima cotton is a good example.
One big challenge for fit, gym-going ectomorphs is that clothes can often hide our hard work. Because our muscles are so lean and close-to-body, we basically look like the ectomorph that never goes to the gym and eats whatever he wants.
How do you show off your assets while keeping your shirt on without bulking up too much? Colors and layers.
Go for a lighter-colored shirt and a structured piece of outerwear. For example, a fitted white dress shirt with a suit jacket. This combo will add strength to your shoulders while sitting flatteringly on your chest. In fact, ectomorphs look great in layers.
This is good news for your cardigan, sweater, and double-breasted suit lovers.
For ectomorphs with longer limbs and shorter waists, find outerwear that sits far below your waistline. I recommend a blazer or a Harrington.
When it comes to pants, slim to slim-regular is best. If you want to go for a regular fit, stick to straight-leg cuts. Flared and wide trousers will make you look shorter, or that you simply picked the wrong size.
And yes, skinny jeans look more natural on ectomorphs than on bulging mesomorph calves. But they’re not flattering on super scrawny legs. If you want to pull them off, don’t skip leg day.
Conclusion: Anyone Can Look Good
As long as you know how to dress for your body type, you’ll look good no matter what you wear.
Fit and color play a huge role.
Here’s my tip to you since I know I threw a lot at you. Start with one of the tips. Master that, then move on to the next.
For mesomorphs, I’d say focus on shoulder fit first. For endomorphs, start with dark, solid colors for shirts. And for ectomorphs, see if you can have fun with layering.
Ultimately, even if you think you’re unfit, you can look handsome together and well-adjusted through clothes. Even if you hate shopping or don’t understand clothes, dressing yourself can be simple and fast.
Questions? Comments? Let’s start a conversation about body types and fashion below!
