10 Clothes Skinny Men May Want to Rethink, and What to Wear Instead

Start With Fit

Before any of the ten, check fit.

A jacket, shirt or jumper should sit at your shoulder point, fasten without pulling and follow your body without clinging or hanging loose.

On a slim frame, a standard size can fit at the shoulder yet be loose at the waist, or fit at the chest but run long in the sleeve.

A tailor can usually take in the body of a shirt or jacket and shorten sleeves, and slim-fit and short or long ranges from different makers are worth comparing, because their charts differ.

1. Rethink Very Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans follow the leg closely, so they show slim legs exactly as they are.

With a chunky shoe or trainer, the foot can also look larger by contrast with the narrow leg.

If you would like the legs to look a little fuller, try straight-leg or slim-straight jeans, or a regular fit with a slight taper, which leave a little room around the thigh and calf without looking baggy.

Levi’s 501 Original Fit is a classic straight cut.

If you prefer something closer to the leg, Acne Studios’ River is a slim tapered fit that sits between a skinny and a straight jean.

Skinny jeans remain a fine choice if you like how they look.

2. Check the Fit of Unstructured and Oversized Blazers

An oversized blazer, or one simply a size too big, can look as if it is hanging off the shoulders rather than fitting the body.

That is a fit problem, and it can happen with any blazer.

An unstructured blazer is a different matter: it has little or no shoulder padding or internal canvas, so it follows your own shoulder line.

When it fits, an unstructured blazer can look relaxed and neat on a slim build; it simply adds less shape at the shoulder.

If you want your shoulders to look a little more defined, choose a blazer with light shoulder padding and some shaping at the waist, in a size that sits at your shoulder point.

Tom Ford tailoring is one example of jackets with a more built-up shoulder; try jackets on, because shoulder width and padding vary from one model to the next.

3. Choose Cloth Weight With Care

Very fine, light cloths such as thin silk or fine cotton jersey tend to drape close to the body, so they show a lean build clearly, and some crease easily.

If you want a little more presence, medium-weight wool, firmer cotton such as oxford cloth or twill, and heavier linen hold their own shape a little more and add a touch of bulk.

In hot weather, lighter cloths are still the sensible choice; a lightweight piqué polo or linen shirt that fits well looks better than a heavy garment you are uncomfortable in.

Ralph Lauren Purple Label and Brunello Cucinelli are examples of brands with substantial cloths in their ranges, though weight varies from garment to garment.

4. Do Not Rely on Stripes to Change Your Shape

Style advice often says vertical stripes make you look taller and slimmer and horizontal stripes make you look wider.

Controlled studies have not supported that as a rule: two found that horizontal stripes made a figure look slightly slimmer rather than wider, and another found the effect depended on the figure, so the studies point in more than one direction and none settles a rule.

For a slim build, that means neither stripe direction is a dependable way to look broader or taller.

Choose stripes for the look you like and the occasion.

A pinstripe suit is a classic tailoring choice, and a Savile Row tailor such as Anderson & Sheppard can cut one; striped shirts are widely available, including from Thomas Pink, which resumed trading under new ownership after closing in 2020.

5. Think About Contrast in All-Light Outfits

Advice on light and dark colours points in opposite directions: dark clothes are usually said to make a figure look slimmer, which is not what you want if you are after more presence, yet slim men are also told to wear dark colours for weight.

One controlled study did find darker clothing made figures look slightly slimmer, so there is no reliable rule that dark colours add substance.

An all-pale outfit is a valid choice, especially in summer.

If you want more depth or contrast, add one deeper colour, such as navy trousers, a burgundy jumper or a deep brown jacket, and compare the result in a mirror.

Loro Piana and Brioni are examples of brands with navy, burgundy, forest green and deep brown garments in their ranges.

6. Compare Deep V-Necks With Crew Necks

A deep V-neck draws the eye down the centre of the chest.

Some slim men find this makes the shoulders look narrower; others like the longer line it gives.

A crew neck T-shirt or jumper gives a line across the collarbone instead, a choice often suggested when the aim is a broader-looking upper body; a shallow V-neck or an open polo placket sits between the two.

Try both in a mirror.

Sunspel and John Smedley both make crew neck T-shirts and jumpers; check that the neckline sits close to the base of the neck rather than stretching or gaping.

7. Know When Drop-Shoulder Designs Work

In a drop-shoulder design, the shoulder seam is cut to sit below the natural shoulder line on purpose.

This gives a relaxed, softer look, and it also hides where your own shoulder ends.

If you want your shoulders to look more defined, choose garments with set-in sleeves whose seam sits at your shoulder point.

If you like the relaxed look, a drop-shoulder jumper or sweatshirt is a deliberate style, not a fitting mistake, as long as the body and sleeves are not swamping you.

Johnstons of Elgin and N.Peal both make knitwear with set-in sleeves; check each product description, because ranges change.

8. Balance Wide-Leg Trousers With the Rest of the Outfit

Very wide trousers carry a lot of cloth, and on a slim frame the legs can look lost inside them, especially with a close-fitting top.

If you want a neater line, trousers with a moderate taper from knee to ankle are a comfortable middle ground.

If you like wide trousers, pair them with a top that has some volume or a structured jacket, so the outfit looks deliberate rather than oversized.

Incotex and PT01 are Italian trouser makers with tapered cuts in their ranges; compare the leg opening and thigh measurements on each product before buying.

9. Match Chunky Shoes to Your Trousers

Very chunky shoes or boots next to narrow trousers can make slim legs look thinner by comparison, because the contrast at the foot is so strong.

If you want a more even line, choose shoes with moderate proportions, or wear chunkier footwear with trousers that have a little more width at the hem.

Classic shoes from makers such as John Lobb or Edward Green have moderate proportions; chunky trainers and boots remain a good choice with fuller trousers or jeans.

10. Add Layers When the Weather Allows

A single thin layer shows a slim frame as it is.

Layering, such as a shirt under a jumper, an overshirt over a T-shirt or a light jacket over knitwear, adds a little depth and bulk.

Keep each layer fitted so the combination does not look bulky, and in hot weather choose one well-fitted garment in a firmer cloth instead.

Ermenegildo Zegna and Corneliani are examples of brands with knitwear, overshirts and light jackets suited to layering.

Building a Wardrobe That Suits a Slim Build

If you want a slim build to look a little broader, structure, cloth weight, layering and proportion are the main tools.

Fit matters more than any of them: clothes should follow your body’s lines without clinging or hanging loosely.

A tailor can take your measurements and adjust the jackets, shirts and trousers you wear most, which is often the quickest improvement.

Consider these suggestions as a starting point, and keep the skinny jeans, unstructured jackets or wide trousers you enjoy if they fit and you like how they look.