Portly Gentleman's Guide To Stylish Attire ???

[LeoAllen]

Gentlemen of Girth, please post your ideas and photos of appropriate stylish attire for the larger gentleman, and share any hints (or horror stories) regarding your stylish apparal victories or defeats. Shopping? Fitting? Cost? Availability? Or simply, "The Look"?

Let the rest of us know how you fare and help us all learn what works and what doesn't work in attempting to look great without having to "bend" to the fashion of a 14" collar, or a 40" jacket.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Wear your pants at your natural waist, above your gut. Use REAL suspenders/braces such as Albert Thurston. None of that elastic front & back stuff. Tuck your undershirt into your underwear & wear said underwear underneath your gut. Then tuck your shirt in between your pants & underwear.

I feel your pain. I too suffer from Dunlap's syndrome.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Also, unless it's you skivvies or sock, avoid elastic in your clothes such as the waistband of your pants. You would have no way of knowing if you're losing, gaining, or mantaining your weight. Try to find some shirts with longer tails such as Duluth trading Longtail tees or Matt Deckard dress shirts. I bought some dress shirts at Men's Wearhouse & I'd swear they were shorter by at least two inches than the last time I bought them!

 

[LeoAllen]

Here's a specific question some of you may have an answer for. I've tried my local tailor/alterations people, and they just can't seem to get that tent-like bulge out of the lapels of my suit jacket.

This seems to be a problem with "portly" sizes rather than "big" sizes. That is, the sizes where the size of the waist is greater than the size of the chest, and the result is that unseemly tent / puckering on jacket lapels. Whether it is a "CUT" issue, or an "EXTRA MATERIAL" issue, I don't know...but I know someone out there has a clue.

So who knows the solution to flat-laying lapels?

 

[Guttersnipe]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean about lapels bulging. Can you post a picture (or post a link to a picture) which illustrates this?

Bruce Wayne hit the number one issue already. Nothing makes a thin guy look heavy or a heavy guy look heavier than wearing trousers below the natural waist. However, also watch our for wearing trousers too high also (aka the Fred Mertz look). Right at or slightly above the belly button is optimal.

Another point is to watch out for is the width of the trouser leg at the ankle. Generally, there is a pretty standard formula used on ready-to-wear trousers that dictates the width of the trouser leg at the ankle. However, with larger sized waist bands, this balance can be thrown off, leaving the trousers with an excessively wide leg. Having a slight extra tapper can alleviate this issues. Although gain, moderation is key because too much tapper will accent the larger waist in an unflattering manner.

The last tip is be a stickler for proper fit, and by proper fit, I don't just mean size, I also mean cut. Baggy clothes do not (repeat DO NOT) make a heavy man look slimmer. Likewise, not trimmer fits, even when technically a proper fit, only accentuate portliness. Another example is flat front trousers; they are not flattering on anyone with even the hint of a belly.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I am not sure about the tapered trousers. While I am not that portly (yet) my trousers size is rather big compared to my jacket size. I like wide legged trousers. I think the tapered cuffs would make it look pear shaped.

 

[Fastuni]

High-waisted straight legged trousers (or with a slight taper, but not "pegged" - Floey is right about the "pear"-issue) with deep pleats.
Go for much chest and shoulder padding and large lapels... building up the upper torso through clothes will make one appear "big" rather than "portly".
I therefore think that the heavily padded Mid-40's to early 50's coats are well suited for "portly" gentleman.

Also wear hats with wide brims and full crowns.

Wearing anything "slim" or "narrow" (ties, lapels, hats etc.) IMO only accentuates the fullness of body or face.