Primer Magazine

Okay this may sound out in left field, but wearing a shirt that tight doesn’t allow for any concealment. And by that I mean belly, or for the tens of thousands of regular people who carry a firearm, concealment of that firearm so as not to freak people out. So while I am all for style, give me a style that provides some more coverage.

That is what light jackets are made for.

Hate to burst your bubble, but that photo is obviously professionally styled. I’m a fashion photographer… Lemmie fill you in on the tricks of the trade. The shirt on the “after” guy was either tailored for the shoot, or temporarily pinned at the back.

If you want that look, almost no off-the-rack cut is going to give it to you, even the “fit”/”slim” stuff. You have to get your shirts tailored. Take in the sides, or darts if you have to… It costs about $20 to get the work done, so just mentally add it to the purchase cost.

Guy Who Knows,

Actually, I think you’d be surprised at how well the right brand of shirt can fit off the rack. I’m also a photographer, and am pretty familiar with pinning back shirts, but right off the top of my head I can think of Express Men and Gap Athletic that can totally fit that well right off the rack.

I think there are more problems with that outfit than the tucked in shirt, haha. The boots are too light for the pants, the belt is not even close to matching the boots…and i personally do not like tucking a shirt in while wearing jeans. If I plan on wearing jeans, I usually make sure that my shirt tails are cut short enough that I don’t have to tuck it in. I think it looks very ridiculous to dress up jeans by tucking your shirt in. My friends and I usually make jokes about “jean tuckers”.

Dear 50CS,

My friends and I usually make jokes about guys who think your belt needs to match your shoes.

I’m surprised at the amount of negative reactions and snarky comments on this post. It’s a simple, straight-forward message. Buy shirts that fit you.

The wrong example, guy in purple-ish shirt, looks terrible and fatter than he probably is. That’s what happens when you buy shirts that are regular cut, or are not your size.

Buy shirts your size, and if you think you know your size, you probably don’t. So try on multiples and ask a pro.

Buy slimmer cuts, you don’t need all that billowy fabric.

Or, if you love billowy shirts and want to keep looking the way you do, then don’t listen to Andrew. Geez.

William,

Earlier this year I was in VERY MUCH he same boat as you. I’m 6’2″ and at the time was bordering on 270lbs (down almost 50lbs in the last 10 months).

Best piece of advice i could give you is, in regards to fit, try and accentuate what features of your body you DO like. Broad shoulders? A shirt with chevron straps on it will accentuate those bad boys. Beastly forearms? Roll up those sleeves.

As far as the fit along the waist line, make sure that when you wear your pants you wear them at the waistline. I know when I was at my highest weight I would rarely if ever wear my pants at the waist, they were usually well below, which only made the problem worse.

Also, consider accesorizing in that area to draw attention away from the “muffin top” love handles. Things like (tastefully) large belt buckles, vests, and even ties can REALLY draw the eye away from a tummy. Solid colors and vertical patterns are your friend.

Baggy “classic fit” clothes might make it feel like your extra poundage is less visible. It’s not. Now its just being covered by poorly fitting clothing. The best thing to do (besides working to get to look the way you want to) is to draw attention AWAY from the extra padding, not try to hide it outright.

Just my advice, but I hope it makes some sense to you!

Hey William,

I completely agree with Ricardo. Also, don’t write off the Modern Fits yet, they’re not just for pencil-thin guys. They’re just cut less billowy. No one, thin or wide, should be wearing tight shirts. Check out the picture on our Blank Label review, Robert is probably 230 at that point and he looks fantastic because his shirt fits correctly.

http://www.primermagazine.com/2010/spend/custom-shirts-blank-label

@Derrik

Good story and interesting perspective. I agree with most of what you said and I would offer a follow up comment. For the most part, I am a guy that views clothing as having a purpose (one of the reasons I don’t wear jeans often besides more comfortable alternatives). With that said, I tend to view jeans similar to how I view t-shirts…I will reach for something nicer unless I am working on a car. Jeans were primarily made for the purpose of working in fields and then for those in the gold rush. They were then primarily worn by blue-collar workers, hippies and 1980s hair bands. My bias is based on all of those things and when I think about pairing a $80 Ralph Lauren shirt (intended for dress), with a $40 pair of Gap jeans (intended for work), it seems to like and feel wrong.

It is kind of the same concept as wearing a t-shirt with a suit for me. Or a polo with a suit. I don’t know if I could ever do it.

Good job with the kids though. I have always vowed to make sure my kids don’t end up dressing overly casual and rebellious.

@Andrew thanks for the Blank Label shoutout…

@William…I agree with Andrew and Ricardo. It may be time consuming at first, but spending some time finding the correct sizing is important; and you can wear a more modern cut without the shirt being too tight.

Also…the pattern of the shirt plays a big part. A shift in the pattern can make the same “size” fit differently from brand to brand; which is why it can helpful to try different brands and see how that pattern looks on your body.

Andrew,
I read this article and your article on the Anon sunglasses. Are they no longer available? The link on the previous article is broken.

Ben