Being plus-sized can be challenging to manage, both physically and mentally. From the social stigma of being fat, lazy, and a slob to the associated health challenges with being overweight, there seems to be no way to win. Being overweight does put a person at risk of many avoidable conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and even some kinds of cancers, but it’s sometimes unavoidable. For some people, it’s due to genetic reasons. For others, it may be due to some condition.
While the advisable thing for most overweight people to do is to lose weight, it may not always be possible due to genetic or health-related issues. Most of the pressing issues that chubby people have to face are related to people’s perception of their appearance, and this can be very hurtful, especially for people with self-esteem issues. Part of the social issues plus-sized people face is that most fashion guides neglect them. While the neglect might be because of oversight from the fashion industry, which prefers to use slim figures as models, it leaves a lot of plus-sized people without an idea of what works for their appearances.
Weight loss may be the best advice for any plus-sized person looking to improve appearance, but it’s a lengthy journey. Whether you’re already working out to get into a healthier shape or are limited by other factors, there are tricks you can take to improve your appearance. Here are a couple of these steps:
Wear clothes that are a good fit.
For guys with a full figure, having clothes that give a definite shape to your body is essential for looking good. Blazers, suits, sports coats, and jackets top the list of clothes that can be worn to give your body a solid impression.
Wearing well-fitted clothes can, however, be problematic if the added weight has resulted in other conditions like gynecomastia, also known as man boobs. In such cases, you might need to wear a compression undershirt to cover the man boobs up. A compression shirt applies pressure on the body and is healthy for exercising, so you can wear this for proper compression.
You should take care not to wear athletic wear and sweatpants too often as they appear a bit too shapeless. Of course, the only exception is if you’re going to the gym or for a jog. Loose shirts should also be avoided as they often emphasize your belly and crotch region. Shorts are another pariah for plus-sized guys, especially loose shorts, as they can make your legs appear smaller, thus emphasizing your upper body.
Use suspenders instead of belts.
One of the more common mistakes full-figured guys make with their outfits is to use belts to hold their trousers. They often end up looking a bit too flabby for anyone’s liking. If you have a protruded stomach and use a belt on it, a circular band is almost certain to slip off the belt due to the shape of the stomach tapering.
With suspenders, however, the trouser front takes the shape of a smooth drape and partially masks your round stomach. Suspenders can be fashionable, especially if you’re using a jacket.
Wear shirts with a broad-shaped collar.
Broad or spread collars can help to keep your face looking proportional. There is, however, no standard for broad collars as the definition varies by brand. You’ll have to find a style that works with your face and stick to it. If you’re wearing a tie with the shirt, make sure to keep the proportion by wearing a big necktie knot. You might even go all-in with a neckerchief for some pizzazz.
When wearing tailored shirts, leave them untucked.
One of the tricks with looking smart as a plus-sized man is to deemphasize your waistline. Untucking your shirts over your trousers will draw less attention to your midsection. It’s easy to achieve this look with short-sleeved collared shirts and T-shirts. However, with long-sleeved shirts, you can wear a light sweater on them to achieve the same effect. Wearing sweaters on long-sleeved shirts is probably the only way to get away with deemphasizing your waist by untucking your top.
Wear large accessories.
By now, you should have taken note of how important proportion is to rocking an outfit for a big guy. Make sure to go for larger accessories depending on your size. Everything but necklaces should be plus-sized to maintain a sense of proportion.
Use a hat or cap.
Gaining more length vertically can help you appear slightly slimmer, and there’s no better way to do that than by using a hat. By marginally increasing your height, your weight will appear more evenly spread. When in your casual outfits, you can achieve the same effect by using a baseball hat. Growing your hair fuller can also prove useful for increasing your verticality.
Keep your facial hair tidy.
Anyone would look bad with crappy facial hair, but the effects are even more slobbering on big guys. Most plus-sized guys have soft-looking faces, and getting a sharp trim can help toughen that up. You can decide to go for a goatee to sharpen your face and give it more depth.
Use overall when doing manual labor.
Trying to some work around the house? Avoid going to jeans and a t-shirt. Regular casual outfits can be problematic for plus-sized guys as they expose skin in all the wrong places. A plain overall can give you the same freedom you want and still leave you well-covered.
Conclusion
Looking good is possible for everyone, including plus-sized guys, as this article should show you. Understanding that your body shape influences your outfit choices is essential. Even if you’re working on losing weight, you can still look good while doing so. Keep in mind that you can always mix up the suggested outfits to get some variability.
