If you’re taller than 6’4 and weigh more than 250lbs…then you know how limited casual clothing options are for large men. You won’t fit into clothes made according to industry standards. Too tight clothing is uncomfortable and accentuates your heaviness. Off-the-rack “XL” sizes and up tend to be cut too baggy and shapeless to flatter the larger men they’re meant for.
The era of hiding a bigger body is over. It’s shameful that it took this long for people to realise that every shape is stylish with the right know-how. Still, at least it means that the plus size man now has options that let him embrace fashion. Here’s how to make the most of them.
Casual Dressing Tips For Plus Size Men
Dressing well is all about presenting your body in the most flattering way possible – in this case, with casual clothing. Listed below are the casual clothing tips will help accentuate your body in the best light possible.
1. The Sports Jacket – A Big Man’s Best Friend
Plus Size Men look good in suits, so this piece of advice shouldn’t come as a huge surprise – don’t let casual situations rob you of the shape of a single-breasted jacket. A jacket helps break up both height and width and make a man look more proportional.
In situations where suits are too formal, that means the sportcoat. A sports jacket can be just about any color and pattern you like if it’s meant for informal wear. It can go with dress trousers of a contrasting color (often called “odd trousers” in this role), or it can go over a good pair of dark wash jeans. You can wear anything from a dress shirt to a long-sleeve T-shirt under one.
And jackets lend themselves well to personally expressive details – elbow-patches, boutonnieres, pocket squares, or just about any other character-adding flourish that strikes your fancy.
2. Athletic Wear For Plus Size Men
If even a casual sport coat is too formal for your crowd, athletic wear might be the solution for you. Performance fleece lends itself well to unbroken black or other dark colors – flattering to a broader man’s figure. A casual half-zipped look with a fleece jacket gives you a tapered look similar to a suit coat’s effect, the upward-opening V-shape draws the eye up your body and toward your face.
Zippered or snapped athletic pants are also a great option for wider men. The legs can be buttoned close in the thighs and looser around the calves, helping avoid a “bowling pin” look with narrow lower legs and a wider midsection.
Elastic waistbands are comfortable and avoid the bunching of a tightly-cinched belt. Stay away from elastic cuffs, though – you want the loose drape down around your ankles to keep everything looking proportionally wider.
European-style football jerseys (soccer to our American readers) are another good athletic look for big men. Tapered chests and a tight fit in the sleeve can help tall men from looking too scrawny for their shirt, and the soft drape in the shoulder keeps broad men from looming like a wall.
They’re traditionally worn long, and can drape low on the bottom if desired. Just be aware that football fans often have strong feelings of loyalty — be careful which team you support! Hockey jerseys and American football uniforms are cut a bit looser, and work well on broader men.
3. Working Clothes For Plus Size Men
Traditional working men’s clothes are another alternative to baggy jeans and T-shirts for bigger men. Outdoors and labor-focused brands and stores already tend to have better-fitted sizes for big men – they’re used to a large, muscular clientele.
You’re also likely to get more durable clothing for less money than you would at more urban or suburban-focused retailers. Blue jeans or canvas work clothes in a “boot cut” look great when worn the way they’re meant to be – with high-ankle work boots. Stay away from anything that tapers in the leg and keep the footgear solid and high to add balancing bulk to your lower body.
Thick cloth in a straight drape is a great way to make a large body look like it’s fitting comfortably instead of being squeezed. Button-down flannel shirts on the upper body give the same sturdy impression. Broad men get a slimming effect from solid colors; tall and slender men can add breadth with plaids and other horizontal-heavy patterns.
4. Keep It Simple & Sturdy
Big men don’t need extra visual clutter. Whatever style you go with, choose sturdy cloths that drape in a straight line and keep the colors bold and simple.
Exotic designs and intricate patterns are definitely not going to do you any favors. Neither will baggy “XXL” T-shirts made to drape over anyone from a 6’8″ basketballer to an average-height man with a thick waist. Don’t be shy about taking your own style and running with it – there’s nothing like a well-dressed large man to stand out in a crowd.
