How to Design a Suit for Your Body Type

Looking and feeling great in your clothing has nothing to do with fashion trends, and everything to do with understanding your body type.

Every body shape is unique and poses its own tailoring challenges, which is the reason we created our exclusive 108Bespoke fitting process.

Here’s some general advice to flatter your physique, and some of the things we keep in mind when cutting garments for our gentlemen.

Tall and Lean Body Type

•            Avoid pinstripes but don’t be afraid of a check or a glen plaid fabric.
• ·         Consider a double-breasted jacket, it’s the best option to effectively widen your frame.
• ·         I usually recommend a notch lapel over a peak.
• ·         Keep the pockets straight, not slanted, and use a ticket pocket to fill some empty space.
• ·         Chris Bosh, NBA power forward, makes this monochrome plaid jacket look so much fun and he looks dapper too!
• ·         Go three-piece! The vest is your best friend as it can add some heft and give you plenty of layering options.
• ·         Point shirt collars are a better choice than spread or cutaway.

Short Body Types

• ·         Shorten the jacket a little, it will lengthen your leg line and add the illusion of height (just make sure your seat is mostly covered).
• ·         Bruno Mars is the perfect example, look how effortless and fun his look is.
• ·         Go with slim (not skinny) peak lapels, in proportion with your neck and shoulders.
• ·         A one-button jacket keeps the suit in balanced proportion and allows you to have deeper button stance, creating a visual lengthening effect.
• ·         Avoid check or plaid patterns, and stick to fabrics that are dark and sleek. The same “slimming” effect can also be “lengthening”. Pinstripes and herringbones are also a good idea.

Heavy Body Types

• ·         A slightly longer jacket will visually elongate the body.
• ·         Avoid check patterns. Solid darker colors are sliming, as are pinstripes.
• ·         A deeper button stance will create a stronger “V” shape, accentuating the chest and masking the belly.
• ·         Go with a peak lapel to draw the eye upward and proportionally flatter your broad shoulders.
• ·         Slanted pockets, in theory, can draw the eye downward and are slimming on the tummy.
• ·         Spread collar shirts should be matched with beefier tie fabrics as both are ideal for a large neck.
• ·         Hem your trousers with a light to medium break, and leave a little room through the leg – too slim at the bottom can make you look top-heavy. 

Muscular Body Types

• ·         Use the smallest possible shoulder pad, or none at all.
• ·         The Rock is a prototype of muscular body. His well-fitted suit makes him look even more classy af!
• ·         Avoid anything too short or cropped – it will look boxy. A longer with a lower button stance will stretch out your bulky physique.
• ·         Avoid bold checks and plaids – stick to solids and subtle textures.
• ·         Keep the lapels wide enough to balance out your broad frame, and stick with peak lapels over notch.
• ·         For the trousers, you need room in the seat, hips, thighs and calves. Nothing looks worse than a muscular guy blowing-out of his garments. A little flow in the trousers is elegant and balances out your larger top half.
• ·         Go with side-adjusters over belt-loops. The belt-less look is slimming and streamlined. You have enough bulk, think minimal with your whole ensemble.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Yours in style,

Harshita Makhija.

108Bespoke