How To Get Men’s Clothing to Fit Perfectly

When you get proper fitting clothing, it makes your body look better, it makes the clothing look better, and it makes you look like a guy who knows what he's doing.

You probably know all that, but you might not know exactly how things should fit. Tight? Loose? Long? Short?

Guys ask me all the time how clothing should fit.
My answer is: it should just fit.

This usually gets me a confused stare.

I was recently working with one of our in person styling clients and we were setting him up with a new wardrobe of great stuff. He asked this question and I used this analogy:

Think of it like you're trying on a shoe - when you put on a shoe, you don’t ask how it should fit. It either does or it doesn’t.

If your foot is sliding around, it’s too big. If your foot feels squeezed, it’s too small. Clothing works the same way.

It seems obvious, yet we never adopt this same thinking to what we wear.

If the clothing is pulling, squeezing, or creating tension lines, it’s too tight.
If there’s fabric pooling, sagging, or swallowing your frame, it’s too loose.

Here are some egregious examples of things that are too loose and too tight below.

You'll see when an item is too loose, there's extra fabric pooling in certain areas. When an item is too tight, it's distorted and creating lines of tension in certain areas.

To help further, here are some specifics on how items should fit. These are directly taken from our client education material where I’m actually teaching you how things should fit and what looks best on you.

These are just the basics that every guy should know...

For Tops:

Length: For most untucked shirts, the hem should land around the middle of the zipper or groin area, give or take an inch.

Sleeves: Should end right at the hinge of your wrist and follow the natural shape of your arm, leaving just a pinch of fabric through the entire arm.

Shoulder: The seam should land right at the end of your shoulder bone, right before the curve of your shoulder.

Chest + Torso (Cut/Fit): Be able to grab a pinch of extra fabric away from the body, but not a handful. It should follow the natural contour of the body without squeezing. There should be no strain on the buttons.

For Bottoms:

Waist: The waist should be loose enough for two fingers to fit inside but tight enough to stay in place without a belt. Tension lines around the fly or the pockets popping open mean the waist is too small.

Rise: The pants should sit as high on the waist as possible without discomfort.

Back/Seat: The back pockets should be squarely on your butt, not below it.

Thigh/Taper (Cut/Fit): Think of this as how wide the pant legs are. The pant leg should mimic the way your actual leg looks - larger in the thigh and then narrowing or "tapering" down the leg. You should be able to grab a small pinch of fabric anywhere throughout the leg.

Inseam (Length): The overall length of the pant should end at the shoe. There should be enough fabric to cover the top of the shoe, but not enough to pool up.

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Just remember, it’s actually very easy to tell if something fits you or not. When you try on an item, look for two things: excess fabric or tension. Excess fabric means it’s too loose. Tension means it’s too tight.

The goal is to have just enough fabric that it drapes your body cleanly without squeezing it. This typically is just a pinch of extra fabric away from your body.

That’s all there is to it. Not too tight, not too loose. Items should just fit.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick


P.S. If you know your clothes don’t fit the way they should, and you’re tired of guessing, this is exactly what we help with.

We’ll show you what fits your body, what colors and styles work best on you, and build a wardrobe around your life with items you actually love.

Here's how you can work with me:

1. You can work with me online with our personal styling transformation package, where my team and I will show you what looks best on you, from hairstyle to colors to brands, and then build you a full shopping list and look-book of new items specifically tailored to you, with 1-on-1 support as you're getting your items and putting it all together.

2. You can work with me 1-on-1 in-person to completely transform your wardrobe in one day. We'll go through and edit your existing wardrobe first. Then, you'll go on a personal shopping trip where we've got all your clothing preselected for you, waiting in private dressing rooms for you to try on. All your clothing will be tailored to fit perfectly as needed. By the end of it, you'll have a completely revamped look and a wardrobe of items you love that actually fit.

3. Apply for a 20-minute call with me here, and we can chat about what would work best for you. If you're unclear on the options and you want feedback on your unique situation, this is the best place to start. The call is complimentary with ten open slots per week.