This may be hard to believe, but this was me at 359 pounds. Amazing what a great outfit can do!
For over 20 years I have been creative with what I wear. I always wanted my clothes to reflect who I was, and with my weight that was not always an easy thing to do.
As I got older my taste in clothing began to shift to a more professional business attire. Being a big guy this was a hard look to pull off due to the limited stores to shop from, but I did it!
Being an overweight shopper can be tough, but you just have to be stronger. My mother always told me, “the clothes make the man.” That old saying always stuck with me and when I wanted to give up I just remembered that saying and gutted it out.
With that in mind I thought I would share some tips and tricks I picked up along the way with all of you big guys out there. All of these are things I have learned the hard way my self. Just don’t want you to think you are about to read a list of BS.
1. Never buy adjustable pants!! I don’t care how comfortable they are, they look horrible on everyone. I hovered between a 48 – 52 for 2+ years. What I did was buy 52 dress slacks and have them taken in to about a 51. Then all I needed was a belt to take care of the low months, and was golden in the high months.
2. Bright colors are not the enemy done right. Most large men result to all black as we are told it is slimming. Those of you who know me, know I used to do the same thing till I discovered a lighter top with dark slacks was even more slimming. From that day on you would rarely see me in all black. My go to mixture is black slacks and a bright (pink, green, or orange) Polo or Oxford. I know there is some fashionista reason for this, but I just noticed that it created a waist line for me, and helped make for a slimmer look overall.
3. Suit and Sport Coats are your best friend! Almost all my weight was and is still in my stomach. This causes the “peek-a-Bo belly button” effect in dress shirts when you sit down. A quick fix is a tie, but that is not full proof. This is where that amazing coat comes in, because let’s face it guys we want to hind that gut! I know you might be worried about getting to hot, but don’t be. Get your butt to a real tailor, NOT MEN’S WAREHOUSE, a real old school tailor. They are actually cheaper and can cut you a coat that will breath and not get you over heated.
4. Invest in your feet! I was so bad at not investing in good shoes for so long. Then my wife surprised me with a really nice ($200) pair of dress shoes and I learned quickly what I was missing out on. With all that extra weight your feet, ankles and especially your arches are taking a beating . The majority of back pain comes from the over stress we put on our feet guys. Get your self fitted, and spend some cash it is worth it.
–> small side note with shoes. If you polish them regularly they will last a long time. Also don’t just use this advise for dress shoes. Your gym shoes require maintenance and investment as well!
5. Shop with fashion forward women! Yes I know this may sound like hell, but you will thank me. Fashionista women are brutal, and will never settle for okay. They will make sure what you buy looks great on you, and always know where the deals are. You only need to do this a couple of times to learn what looks good on your body. Once you got it just repeat and accessorize!
7. If you think you might be under dressed you are! Men are judged sometimes even more harshly by what we wear. When I see a guy in baggy clothes and t-shirt way to big on him, my instant reaction is “KID.” I follow the rule to go one step beyond what is called for. For instance if you are told it is casual, go for jeans but add a sport coat and a button down. Or if you hear business casual go with a comfy suit but leave the tie at home. This will always make sure you presence is felt the way you want it to be.
8. Accessories make and break outfits! Men tend to be on one end of the extreme or the other here. I am a huge fan of accessories as long as they are not tacky and not over done. The rule here is if the first thing you see in the mirror is you watch, ring, bracelet and necklace you over did it. Clothes and Accessories are only there to make your features look better.
To sum it up guys, just take some pride in the way you look. When you look good, you will feel good. I know this can be very hard when our bodies don’t look how we want them to, but it does help, I promise!
