What Suits You Should Wear Based On Your Body Shape

Men can have many different body shapes. Recognising what shape you are is the first step to helping you buy suits that will better complement your body shape. Some of the most common shapes are rectangular, inverted triangle, round, and triangular. Let’s look at each more closely. Keep in mind, these are the main (most popular) shapes. There could be in-betweens, and also the occasional different and unique shape.

If you are a rectangular shape, it means that your shoulders are quite even with the width of your hips. This is a very common body shape for men, and if you’re lucky enough to be a rectangular shape, you are most likely to be able to fit into a suit bought straight off the rack – with the exception of perhaps needing to have the length of the sleeves and trouser hems adjusted. Rectangular-shaped men can wear most suit styles, including single and double-breasted suits. You may like to have your jackets tapered a bit through the centre of your waist, to create a more stylised shape.

The next most common shape is the inverted triangle. This means that you have wide shoulders and a small waist, where the base of the triangle is the shoulders and the tip is at the hips. This shape is common on guys who go to the gym often and who like to work on their upper section. It’s recommended they find a suit that will balance out the waist and remove emphasis from their wide shoulders. The point of a suit is to create balance in the overall shape. If they wear their clothes really tight, they will look out of balance and top heavy. So if you have an inverted triangle figure, try to wear your suit loosely tailored in the waist area, instead of skin-tight. Unstructured jackets with less shoulder padding are also good for this shape. Stay away from wide lapels and big patterns, which will emphasise your wide shoulders. You will most likely require alterations on off-the-rack suits, or have it custom-made.

Then we have the round body shape, where the midsection of the body is more prominent compared to the shoulders. When buying suits, opt for sizes that fit the waist and tummy first, then have the rest adjusted to fit. Try to go for simple lines and dark solid colours to create a more slimming look. Your jacket should float on top of the body, not be skin-tight or too loose – both of which can make you look bigger than you are. A dark coloured suit with a bright tie or pocket square is ideal. Round shaped men sometimes have trouble finding trousers to fit nicely around the waist, therefore braces or suspenders will be helpful in keeping the trousers on the waist throughout the day.

Finally, there is the triangular body shaped men, with narrow or sloped shoulders and thicker set waist and hips. The tip of the triangle is at the shoulders, and the base of the triangle is at the hips. You may want to try and broaden your shoulders by finding structured jackets and take attention away from your midsection. Try to avoid unstructured clothing that does not give you definition in the shoulders, instead go for wide lapels and thick shoulder pads.

If you would like to learn more and see what types of suits and shirts you should wear, we would be glad to setup a zoom consultation with you. As always, if you need any assistance, help, advice, more information, feel free to get in touch with us. We would love to hear from you.