Is your physique closer to that of a jockey than that of a weightlifter? No worries ! To be well dressed, it's not the size that matters...
Disclaimer: Jonathan is a loyal BonneGueule reader and contributor. Having tested several tips for dressing according to this body type, he wanted to share his advice with the community. The floor is his!
Let's make it clear from the outset: clothing doesn't do everything . If it can help to enhance your body shape, it cannot in any way change it.
Remember, Rick Owens caused a scandal with this quote:
Physical exercise is modern sewing. No outfit will make you look or feel as good as a sharp body. Buy fewer clothes and go to the gym instead.
Although the tone is provocative, the idea is relevant! Indeed, your self-esteem and the way others look at it are as much about maintaining your physique as it is about choosing your clothes.
But actually, what do we mean by “being small and thin”?
To put it simply, I correlated these approximate and arbitrary physical criteria with ready-to-wear sizes (yes, the specter of Rick Owens is not far away!). Roughly speaking, a small and relatively thin man is generally an XS. Which gives more precisely 44 in jacket, 36 in pants, 37 in shirt.
You will have understood: for the rest of this article, understanding the importance of cutting precision will be your top priority!
To get off to a good start, I recommend that you take a quick look at the ultimate size guide developed by BonneGueule.
If knowing your size is essential, knowing how to recognize a good cut is also essential .
Yes, even a big winter sweater must be impeccably cut! ( De Bonne Facture Breton sweater, “small standard” APC jeans, Septième Largeur ankle boots.)
Verticality, an unstoppable tip for “gaining” a few centimeters
To illustrate my point, let's quickly analyze an outfit in pictures. It is made up of fitted pieces that are vertical : from head to toe, the line is uninterrupted.
The pants are fitted and worn short. The buttons of the cardigan continue this line on the bust, extended by the stand collar of the shirt. (De Bonne Facture cardigan, The Kooples shirt - neither censorship nor dogma: when a piece suits you well and brings something new to your wardrobe, go for it -, Le Pantalon chinos, Bresciani knee-highs, Doc Martens shoes.
To reinforce or not the vertical effect, you can also play on the length of the pants, wearing a coat or a scarf.
The length of the pants, an easy gimmick
You can alter everything on pants, especially their length. In my opinion, the fabric should not “break” more than once on the shoe, otherwise it will flatten the silhouette. Likewise, doing a backhand
Regarding wearing rolled pants, there is no right or wrong choice: it all depends on the result you are aiming for. Pants that break over the shoe artificially elongate your figure, while rolled-up pants reduce the imbalance between long legs and a short torso.
Personally, I prefer the second option which brings dynamism to my look. It doesn't bother me that people see more of my socks as they are an integral part of the outfit, even adding a touch of sophistication.
However, this choice is valid because I operate in an informal environment, namely the university. If I worked in a company, I would have opted for a model that does not break but just touches the tongue of the shoe. It's all about context!
We can clearly see the formalism that emerges in the photo on the left, while the one on the right offers a more relaxed look. (Bonne Facture Breton sweater, BonneGueule flannel pants, Septième Largeur ankle boots)
Long coats, allies of verticality
The coat can be the structuring piece of your outfit. The first visible layer is what will first give the “mood” of the outfit .
Despite my small size, I am a big fan of the long coat. I even encourage you to wear one that falls to your knees. But you have to wear it open ! He will then create the famous vertical line all by himself. It covers the other pieces and, unless you wear a sailor top underneath, it’s “your line” that will win out.
In my eyes, the only coat that a “small size” can wear closed without fear is the double-breasted one. It offers a generous build thanks to its double-breasted and its cut slims the silhouette, while defining the waist.
On the other hand, be careful with certain coats reaching mid-thigh which can have a “treacherous length”: too short to create true verticality and too long to give stature to the bust. A few centimeters lower are therefore ideal.
Note in passing how a light coat illuminates the face. (Editions MR trench coat, COS turtleneck, De Fursac pants, Septième Largeur ankle boots.)
A successful bending completes the structure of your silhouette, thus visually enlarging it! (BonneGueule coat, COS turtleneck, De Fursac pants, Septième Largeur ankle boots)
The scarf and its multiple effects
Adding a scarf to an outfit allows you to choose the line to favor. If we let it hang along the jacket, it accentuates the vertical line. If it is wrapped around the neck, the volume thus created brings the eye to the shoulders and flatters the build.
Hanging, the scarf asserts verticality and visually enlarges its wearer.
Curled, it creates a broad build, even for the slimmest among us. ( Balibaris jacket, Howard's scarf, De Bonne Facture cardigan, The Kooples shirt, Le Pantalon chinos, Bresciani knee-highs, Doc Martens shoes
Controlling volumes: the key to success
Now let's see how to give volume to our featherweight. Your brain can rest, it's now your eye that will exercise!
The essential fitted cut
Wearing “fitted” clothing at the top helps accentuate your build. Here, the goal is to highlight the back and shoulders by creating a non-vertical line. I say not vertical and not horizontal, the desired effect being a V-shaped bust . The verticality is broken, my silhouette goes from an I shape to a Y.
On the same basis as my previous outfit, I add a jacket that I wear closed.
Wearing a jacket reduces the vertical line by creating two “vanishing lines” on the shoulders. (Balibaris jacket, APC jeans, Septième Largeur boots)
Now let's leave the jacket aside: these are the pieces of the outfit that will create the same volume effect. To draw the eye to the upper body, I chose two very fitted pieces. They follow the curves of the bust and thus reveal its V.
(Six&Sept cardigan, Maison Standards shirt, Le Pantalon chinos, Doc Martens shoes)
Below, wearing fitted pants slims your figure.
Choosing the leg opening is always tricky. It is often said that unless you are a fan of Hedi Slimane, it is better to stick with a semi-slim classic. This is obviously a safe bet, but this choice reduces your possibilities for stylistic experimentation.
Even if you're thin, almost skinny jeans won't shock you. It will emphasize your shapes much more than a semi-slim would. Once again, it's up to you to choose the image you want to return.
The difference is noticeable, but real. (Left: white Levi's t-shirt, La Comédie Humaine jeans - the brand no longer exists -, Septième Largeur moccasins. Right: Le Pantalon chinos)
Note from Rafik: if skinny can indeed lend itself to certain fine physiques, it can also convey a form of “youthfulness”. As usual, only one solution: try it and form your opinion.
Loose : a little-explored playing field
So here we enter the gray zone where only your good taste can tell you if the whole thing suits you. That said, we learn a lot from our mistakes...
Ideally, a successful loose cut will enhance the pectorals and shoulders by blurring the waist. It therefore rests entirely on the top of the bust. Make sure the sleeves don't bite into your hand (you can otherwise roll them up) to show that the loose effect is desired.
Wearing this kind of cut is very interesting. That being said, you already have to have the eye to distinguish the porous border between loose and too big. In addition, it is important to know the brands offering these cuts. For example, those of COS are correct, although a little long. Editions MR, on the other hand, had very successful ones (photo below) in 2015.
This sweater brings together all the expected details in a loose, controlled cut: the collar is clean and fitted; the pectorals are valued; the shoulder seam is low; the sleeves stop neatly at the wrists; the bust length is ideal and the waist is not marked. (Editions MR sweater, Le Pantalon chinos)
Same fight for the lower body, but easier to master. However, the choice of cut is also essential.
The ready-to-wear cuts are designed for standard body shapes (meaning neither thin nor small). It may very well be that a cut labeled semi-slim looks straight on you. It's all about thighs and calves!
Therefore, favor “carrot” cuts, which give volume to the thighs while tightening at the ankle. The cut must of course remain harmonious without being too wide at the thighs or too tight at the calves. The balance is difficult to find...
Alternatively, and this is what I did, you can buy pants that fit your waist, but are cut too straight, and have them altered. Her leg opening went from 21cm to 17.5cm!
Even if there is a little excess material left at the hips, the result is quite convincing. (Tubular T-shirt found at thrift stores, altered Ralph Lauren chinos, Gammarelli knee-highs, Nike Air Force One sneakers)
Tip: Ralph Lauren offers a children's range incorporating the classics of the preppy wardrobe . The cuts are straight and the design classic. Impossible to see that these pants are a size 18, for example!
Bonus: formal clothes when you're short and thin (by Paul F.)
Paul F. is a regular contributor to the very good magazine The Rake and to Parisian Gentleman , which we no longer need to introduce.
While thinking about this article, I didn't think I would tackle the formal wardrobe but an email sent to Paul - asking him about his "tips" for choosing ready-to-wear clothing when you are a size 44 - raised a technical point which I hadn't thought of.
Paul F, formal expert. (Photo credits: DapperGentsClub)
I give you his response below in full:
“ First of all, I very rarely buy ready-to-wear and when I do, I make sure the length is perfect. This is one of those things that is difficult (or at least not desirable) to retouch.
There is a myth that it is better to avoid natural Neapolitan type shoulders when ours are not huge. I find the argument false, it all depends on how the bust is constructed around it . The fit is even more important than for the larger sizes, so that it is flattering.
The height of the notch should be neither too high, as can sometimes be seen with Solito for example, nor too low (old French or English style). The width of the sleeves must indeed be altered accordingly so as not to look like a bag... but we must not go to the other extreme and appear to have come out of Dior. That would be anything but flattering.
The width of the bottom of the pants does not have a huge influence but we avoid bell bottoms. It all depends on the size but an opening of 18 to 19 cm seems to be a good measurement, it is more the cut of the pants that can play a role. Taking advantage of single or double clips can be wise to give a certain volume to a body that may lack it.
The idea is similar for the bust of a jacket. The English drape from Anderson & Sheppard can be interesting to create an additional volume effect. »
Padded shoulders and a tight waist, the "drape cut" of Sean Connery's Anthony Sinclair jacket enhances 007's V-shaped torso.
The drape cut is in fact a particular cut , rarely worn in the sartorial world and very difficult to make ready-to-wear.
Even if it mainly concerns bespoke lovers (Anderson & Sheppard, Liverano & Liverano ), know that it involves leaving an excess of fabric at the chest (this is what gives the drape) while pinching the waist to highlight the shoulders. I find the effect very successful.
Jake Grantham is also a big fan of the drape cut , even if not everyone has his flair for adapting it to their body shape.
The effect is interesting, isn't it?
From theory to practice: some brands to practice with confidence
- A little bit of everything : The “children’s” line at Ralph Lauren. Once again, prices are very moderate on this line. The preppy style is really mature (you won't see the difference with the adult line on this point), and it covers a nice range of physiques (the largest size in this line, the 18-20 years, corresponds to a S French).
- Coats : SuitSupply provides access to a wide variety of cuts and materials (and therefore drapes) on its long coats. In addition, sizing starts at 42.
- Sweaters : Six&Sept 's XS is really fitted, while its S is loose. If you're smart enough, the gradation gods will be with you! Otherwise, check out De Bonne Facture: the cuts are more timeless but are also very suitable for thin people, and the numerous knits will allow you to play with the materials.
- Shirts : the XS shirts from Maison Standards are very well cut. The armhole gives you fullness while the waist is defined.
- Trousers : we fell in love with the Le Pantalon chinos. The leg is fitted but remains far from skinny thanks to a correct leg opening (17.3cm for a 36). If you want a tighter leg, Maison Standards offers chinos with a 16.5 leg opening. Perhaps a little too slimming when you don't have cyclist's calves...
- For carrot pants , this will be done at Coltesse depending on your style. In a more formal register, Julien Scavini launched his line of pants and notably offers a cut inspired by Ambrosi Napoli . It is therefore quite wide and the sizes start at 38, but its retoucher could adapt it to your body shape.
Note: if you are closer to the XXS than the S, do not hesitate to look at the Japanese brands, which often run very small. I know from experience that Jinji , for example, offers sweatshirts and some vintage field jackets, perfect for small body types.
To have more brands offering small sizes, I invite you to read this article:
The final word
By writing “how to dress when you are short and thin? » and by giving you some tips already experienced, I remember that the most important thing is the gradual construction of knowledge and a “clothing culture”.
In reality, whether you are short or tall, thin or curvy, the main thing is to visualize your body shape. Test clothes to play on volumes and lengths, in order to choose the piece best suited to the image you want to convey.
To go further, I would say that you have to dress for yourself more than for others. It's not because you wear a knee-length coat even though you're 1.60m tall that the opprobrium will be on you! Your style should reflect your personality and not be a compilation of pieces seeking to hide this or that physical characteristic.
This may seem contradictory to the whole article, but it's actually the next step. First learn to use clothing to enhance yourself, then leave these established rules aside to have fun finding your style.
As Picasso summed up: “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” »
NB: The photos were taken in Les Baux-de-Provence by Sarah Meyssonnier
More articles on body shape
- How to dress well? (in general)
