The fashion industry has exploded throughout the years with a ton of eye-catching trends that have lit up the globe and caught the attention of guys all over the world. But there is one item that has consistently gone unnoticed: short men's fashion. Particularly when selecting the outfit that best suits their sense of style, short guys struggle.
Every short man will admit that they have experienced this at some point in their life when they have combed through a pile of clothes while in front of a mirror, only to turn away in dismay when they discovered that the clothes they had chosen always had overly long sleeves and the length sagged.
Through this article, we shed light on how short men face fashion challenges, and how can we empower them, by redefining inclusive fashion trends and bringing out new fashion standards.
Why is fashion a challenge for short men?
First and foremost, short guys (who are commonly those under 5' 8") find it difficult to go outright for the dress they like because their size does not comply with the ideal fitting norms. What does this do? This makes it a real challenge for short guys, who are forced to spend more time and effort looking for well-fitting and appealing clothing styles just to dress well. Does this bring full-hearted contentment? Not, because you don’t get to wear your first choice dress and rather have to put up with another decent one.
The so-called 'Short Guy Problem' highlights an inner flaw in the fashion industry that needs a touch-up. There are indeed a few renowned brands that have expertise in making and designing clothes for shorter men. However, the problem is that these are few and far between. Due to the market's dearth of choices, prices for these clothes are frequently higher as well. This again forces short guys to think twice about whether they should indeed go all in for it, having to spend extra bucks for it.
Short guys are forced to grin with it and resort to alterations with local tailors to attain a perfect fit. What's more, they are forced to put up with mockery like, "Go shop in the kids’ sections, lad!"
Fashion options for short men
While it can be challenging for short men to dress for their height, there are certain smart options available that you should know about.
Keep it simple color-wise and go monochrome
Consider your proportions when choosing clothing to fit your height. You can create the proportions for the impression you want to generate with the help of colors. Your clothing won't overpower you if you use monochromatic color schemes. A monochromatic or loosely toned color scheme adds a realistic, streamlined appearance. Bold color-blocking is out for the shorter guy because it essentially splits your body in half, emphasizing either your stumpy legs or your small torso. When in monochrome, dark tones featuring the likes of navy, black, and charcoal look even better, creating the illusion of blended height as the dark hues run up from your shoe to your collar.
Well, in case you didn’t know, going monochrome offers a personality in itself. The same hues that you often associate with monochrome enable uninterrupted visual movement for the spectator. Going monochrome refines your physical structure to a more pronounced visible height!
Go for medium-drop pants
For short guys, the right drop in your pants is a crucial element of style and fit. A medium drop in your pants can just be the right one for you. When compared to pants with a low or high drop, medium-drop pants often feature a moderate drop crotch, which means they sit slightly lower on the waist than high-drop or extreme drop-crotch pants. This slight decline helps the overall outfit retain a better proportion, which flatters shorter people better. It may give the appearance of a taller silhouette and longer legs.
Medium-drop pants offer the perfect blend in terms of being slender and offering a slim fit near the ankle. The versatility that these offer, in addition to the fit, makes them a go-to for short guys.
Turn to small-scale patterns in the shirt
Selecting patterns and designs might prove to be a bit challenging for short men. You are better off looking for shirts with small stripes and patterns. The general rule is to stay away from garish or huge images that dwarf you.
Choosing prints with smaller or vertical lines is the best way forward. If you're short, thick horizontal lines will probably look too huge on you. Going for smaller and thinner stripes helps minimize certain characteristics of your shape because narrow lines are more attractive than larger ones. Your shape will seem balanced when you wear shirts with evergreen, thin, and small-lined patterns.
How can we redefine the current fashion standard to empower short men?
Brands should become customer-centric
Brands should prioritize meeting customer expectations and providing a better customer experience and lean toward being more customer-centric. Improvements in this area not only enable brands to make decisions based on the needs of their customers but also allow room for the voice of short men to ring in and make huge waves.
The voice of short men can only be heard if brands provide proper feedback channels for people to voice their opinions and concerns. After all, customer satisfaction is a key part of a brand’s growth, isn’t it? This way, brands will also lean toward the needs of short guys.
Promote size inclusivity
The idea of size inclusivity must be present in every facet of a brand and should not be used as a cheap publicity stunt. Brands should keep in mind that they are now providing a service to a customer who is comfortable in his skin and believes that fashion should fit him, not the other way around.
Every man in the world will be able to find the garments they like in the sizes they need with size-inclusive clothing. Making all forms of clothing, from slim-fitting jeans to small-size shits, accessible to everyone is the outright goal of inclusive sizing. Offering a wider range of sizes will assist short men in finding clothing that fits them right without requiring extensive alterations all the time. At the end of the day, customer satisfaction is central to any brand’s success.
Collaborate with short male celebrities
Fashion designers and brands can work with shorter male celebrities or influencers to create collections tailored to fit shorter men. Go around the Hollywood industry, and you’ll find no one other than Tom Holland himself. Holland's short stature has not affected his heartthrob status, with millions of people referring to him as their "short king. His dressing style always stands out, and he is known to collaborate with top fashion brands.
Collaborating with short male celebrities will help spread the message that fashion is for short men as well and that fashion is not limited by height.
Conclusion
While fashion for short men is still a challenge, there is room to be hopeful that this will spring into the limelight and that a change is imminent. There is light at the end of the tunnel because we see the men's fashion business expanding at exponential heights every month. New businesses emerge, and the internet provides more options and better accessibility than ever before.
Redefining the current fashion standards to one that leans more on customer satisfaction and is size-inclusive is necessary. At the same time, it is important to understand that there are indeed viable dressing options available for short men, albeit not many. You can look back at the styling tips aforementioned to shop smartly and dress fashionably.
Written By - V. Sam Josh
Edited By - Bhagwat Jha