Introduction to Fit: Men’s Fashion 104
What makes for a good fit, and why?
“How should my clothes fit?”
It’s simple: the best fits will accent your body.
This is why it's so important to be in shape. Clothing should fall along natural lines; not too tight, not too loose. The fabric should be in the right spot for your body type, in every spot which matters for comfort and aesthetics. Proper-fitting clothes flatter your physique. Someone with the physique of a beanbag will continue to look like a bean bag.
Herein lies the problem. Store-bought clothing is made for a brand’s average customer. And you shouldn’t be average. Most Americans are overweight or obese. Companies all have their own concepts of how fits work, so you’ll need to shop around and see what’s best for your body type.
If you have the funds, look into custom-tailored clothing. Professionals will ensure you have made-to-order clothes of the highest quality. The costs will be higher, but it’s worthwhile. A good tailor is underrated and has a solid ROI.
For lower prices, try the dressing room of your local Macy’s. This is a controversial recommendation. Still, they have a fair selection of multiple brands. You can get through articles of clothing pretty quickly. If you don’t want to measure, this is a fast and easy way to determine which brands your body favors. I’d start with Ralph Lauren.
Fits are subjective since all bodies are different. Every article of clothing fits different areas in particular ways. This article will be a quick overview of how clothes should fit. Note that this is a basic introduction for you to get started. I’ll probably have to cover each option more in-depth later.
UPPER BODY: Shirts and Jackets
Shirts should usually be slim or modern cuts, depending on your body type. Avoid tags with “regular” or “classic” like Monkeypox. Have you seen the average American? Off-the-rack clothing for the average person is ill-fitting. You can do better.
Classic/Regular Fit (sometimes separate categories)
Made to fit average (overweight) men
More fabric around the midsection and arms, for a roomier “comfort” feel
Typically worn with jackets to hide how horrible the shirt fits
The type of shirt you wear as a 45-year-old alcoholic in a dead-end desk job
Modern/Athletic Fit
Middle-ground option for guys who don’t want classic or slim fits
More tapered V construction with slimmer chest measurements than classic, and less room around the waist than classic fits
Slim Fit
Made to fit skinnier guys
Less fabric in the chest, waist, and arm areas, and armholes may be higher than other cuts
Restricts movement slightly due to not having excess fabric
Easily worn without jackets since it already has a clean look
Remember that every company has a slightly different definition of each category. Here are two examples:
On a related note, avoid undershirts. They’re useless.
If it’s a dress shirt, you should comfortably fit two fingers between the collar and your neck. Collars don’t press into your skin, nor should they be too loose.
Long sleeves should end at your wrist without covering your palms.
Torso area should have no more than 3-4” of extra fabric (approximately one fist).
Shoulder seams should meet your shoulder bone and lines should fall along the natural curve of the shirt.
Here’s an example of a decent dress shirt fit. The shoulder line follows the body down to the waist. The torso isn’t a wrinkly mess and fabric isn’t bunching at the waist.
The bottom of an untucked casual shirt should fall between your pants button and crotch. (Keep in mind that dress shirts are longer than casual shirts, because they’re meant to be tucked in.)
Short sleeves go mid-bicep (or higher) to show off your arms. If your entire bicep is covered, you’re doing it wrong.
Leave some buttons open on your polo shirts and henleys.
In all cases, you should be able to comfortably move without the shirt becoming untucked or bursting at the seams Hulk-style.
Jackets are roomier than shirts, of course, but they still follow similar rules. You can’t slide into a tent and hope for the best.
LOWER BODY: Pants, Shorts, etc.
Pants should be slightly tapered at the ankle. Form-fitting without being skintight. This is true of jeans, joggers, everything. Flat-front chinos are the most versatile option for everyday wear. If your pants are too long, get them tailored, or roll up the bottom.
Dress pants have “breaks” to consider. You typically want the hem to collapse a bit on the top of your shoes, like the left two options in this image. For more casual wear, you may go higher, but it depends on your outfit and the season.
Shorts should be at least a couple of inches above the knee. Check out BowTiedGerman’s Substack article for a deep dive.
Underwear can be whatever is comfy and wool/cotton/hemp. Avoid polyester and don’t buy anything that’s tight. Boxer briefs are the most flattering.
Shoes are fairly self-explanatory. You’ll know when they don’t fit. ‘D’ width is standard. Full grain leather is best when possible.
More examples of good fits:
And some bad fits:
Conclusion
This concludes my free four-part introductory series on men’s fashion.
Previous articles helping you understand what to wear and why:
I’ll cover more over time. Know that I’ve planned multiple subjects on Substack. Aesthetics in all aspects of life; not just physical appearance. I’ll leave most of the appearancemaxxing to BowTiedGerman and BowTiedFawn. That way, I can explore more things here, and discuss topics that no one else is discussing.
If you have any questions, or think there’s something I should add, DM me on Twitter and I can make updates.
Read the full series:
The Foundations: Men’s Fashion 101
Dress Codes and Style: Men’s Fashion 102
How To Choose Your Wardrobe Colors: Men’s Fashion 103
Introduction to Fit: Men’s Fashion 104 ←- you are here
Introduction to Shoes: Men’s Fashion 201
Introduction to Watches: Men’s Fashion 202
Introduction to Accessories: Men’s Fashion 203
Introduction to Fragrances: Men’s Fashion 204
Introduction to Hairstyles and Beards: Men’s Fashion 205