The Short Game

Let's face it: most men wouldn't mind being a little bit taller (or a lot taller, and I include myself in that category). Unfortunately, there aren't many options out there for a man to increase his height, unless he's willing to go on the extreme and slip on stilettos, but that's pretty rare. A man could buy a dress shoe with a thicker heal, but other than that, there really aren't any options.

However, there are some tricks that a man can do with his attire which can give the illusion of looking taller (or at least reduce the perception that he looks short). These simple tricks, if done properly, can make a man look taller, more proportionate and, most importantly, sharply dressed. For those who are vertically challenged, it's my hope that these tips below will provide some assistance to you at your next suited event.

Have the end of your tie touch the face of your belt.

No more, no less. A short tie looks extremely awkward, and a long tie creates the illusion that the wearer is even shorter than he really is; therefore, it's best to tie a tie so that it runs all the way down to the face of the belt.

Consider tapering your pants

Some people love tapered pants; others cringe at it, mostly because they think of the extreme (like skinny jeans or George Stroumboulopoulos on HNIC). But honestly, tapering just means that the ankle opening is smaller than the thigh and knee. In fact, a lot of pants advertised as 'straight cut' are actually slightly tapered. By taking in a bit (or more, if you want) at the ankles, you can create varying degrees of tapering, which can make your legs look longer, and hence give you a taller look.

L to R: Skinny, slim, narrow, regular.

Wear shorter jackets and jacket sleeves

I think this single-handedly makes or breaks the perception of the 'short' man, particularly the sleeves because it's so easily noticeable. If you are on the shorter side and you wear a jacket that is even a tad too long, you'll look even shorter, and it'll look like you borrowed your suit from your dad. As mentioned previously, altering the length of a jacket (and/or sleeves) is not very expensive, so it's worth making the adjustments in order for it to fit properly. For the shorter man, try to wear a jacket that ends just before the bottom of your pants zipper; this will leave your legs more exposed, making them look longer. And for your sleeves, try to have them so that they end around the ball of your wrist so that your full hand is visible when your arms are by your side.