17 Fashion Tips For Big Guys (Who Don’t Want To Wear Sweats)

Pretty much any magazine or fashion blogger now is full of tips for plus-size girls. Not to mention the huge influx of designers catering to larger bodies.

But what about us big guys? Well, we’re left out in the cold.

Fat guys are just fat so there’s no point in trying to help them, right? Wrong.

There is a vast difference between fat dudes who know how to properly put clothes on their bodies and those who just bumble through life in ill-fitted jeans or sweats.

I know it’s not entirely our fault since no one seems to care about fashion for big guys but imagine being twenty, thrifty, or forty years old and not knowing how to properly choose clothes for your body so you don’t look like a slobby doofus.

That’s why I’m here. It has taken me years of being the slobby doofus to figure out exactly how fat guys should dress, what we should avoid, and how we should present ourselves to get the best possible reactions from people.

So here are my best fashion tips for big guys. No matter your personal style these will set you up for success in pretty much any domain.

tuck in your shirt…

Best Fashion Tips For Fat Guys

1. Wear Properly Fitted Clothing

The most flattering thing anyone can do for themselves is to buy clothing that is actually properly fitted.

Wearing big baggy clothing in an attempt to cover up your body shape or type doesn’t fool anyone and just leaves you looking like a lump.

Opt for well-fitted shirts, tailored suits, pants, jackets, etc.

If society is already judging our body type there’s no reason to agree with them and dress down.

The types of things that look good on average individuals are a good starting place for big guys.

I will mention that “well-fitted” does not mean tight. Shopping for clothes that are too small is not flattering. Buy tailored or fitted clothing that is the proper size for your body.

2. Consider A Haircut

Outside of clothing, one of the best fashion tips for big guys is to have impeccable hygiene.

I’m sure this will anger somebody but I’ll just have to speak for myself: fat guys tend to sweat more and stink worse. I’ve always been determined not to give people more ammo to use against me.

So I’m well groomed.

Having a great haircut can make your face look thinner while accentuating your best features. Since I’m balding I opt for a shaved head and a beard but having a little more on top can lengthen your face if you haven’t started losing your hair yet.

3. Overdress

If in doubt, always overdress. This doesn’t always mean that you should be wearing a suit and tie, but rather you should be dressing nice than people would expect.

For example, if you’re headed to the gym, wear nice running shoes, shorts, and an athletic tee rather than a stained tank top and the shoes you mow the lawn in.

Overdressing is always better than undressing but we’ll just have to distill it down to “wear better clothes that you think the situation warrants”.

4. Choose Great Accessories

It’s often said that you can get the measure of a man just by looking at his watch and shoes.

Choosing nice accessories (shoes, hats, wallet, hats, etc.) can make sure that you stand out from the crowd.

5. Choose Your Colors & Patterns Carefully

You’ve probably heard a hundred times that “black is slimming” but it’s true for big guys as well.

Wearing dark or patterned clothes has a ton of benefits: it hides your rolls, it doesn’t show sweat, and it’s easy to pair with great accessories.

Wearing all black pants and shirt with a nice shoes and a watch means that very little attention will be on your body.

6. Carefully Groom Your Facial Hair

Having whispy or unmanaged facial hair is a really great way to give up basement-dweller vibes.

Many big guys choose to grow their beards as long as they can because they think it will lengthen their faces, cover their chins (multiple), and give them lumberjack vibes. Unfortunately, this is only true for the small subset of big guys that also have incredible beards.

Longer is not necessarily better. Better is better. If your beard looks best when it’s trimmed, trim it.

If you are able to grow a long and thick beard, get it professionally shaped at least once so you know what best suits your face shape.

7. Wear Slim Fit Suits & Pants

If you are an overweight middle-aged manager at a call center that owns a suit for his quarterly meetings with corporate, I can guarantee that you look super unfashionable at least once a quarter.

Suit fashions have changed drastically over the past 5 years or so and if you have an old suit — dressing up might actually be dressing down.

Having baggy pants and an oversized jacket makes big guys look like amorphous tree trunks. Like, do you have calves, or are you just one size from your waist to your ankles?

Even if you can only afford a mall suit, wait for a sale and have them tailor it for you. Opt for a slim-fit jacket and straight-leg pants that end just above your shoe.

If you’ve gained or lost weight, know that clothing tailors are underutilized in the U.S.

Take your suit to a small seamstress or tailoring shop and they’ll be able to fix it up for you. I wore thrift-store suits for years and never felt out of place before I bought them for $10 and then paid $40 to have to perfectly tailored for me.

8. Wear The Right T-Shirts

Some big guys have yet to discover that there are any shirts besides polos. Turns out there are!

There are many types of shirts because they all fit different aesthetics and occasions. Except for turtle-necks, they only exist to make fat men look fatter.

Choose a shirt that isn’t clingy and doesn’t show sweat.

Many big guys choose to layer shirts because it breaks up their body lines and covers sweat. If you’re in a cooler area, a long sleeve flannel over a black shirt is a great example of a fashionable shirt combo for heavy guys.

9. Wear thick belts and skinny ties

Looking fashionable as a big guy is all about messing with proportions and perceptions. The right belt for big guys is not only more comfortable but can make you look taller and your gut look smaller

Interestingly, a thin tie does the same. Wide ties give an overall impression of width while a moderately slim tie (not a string tie) can make you look thinner.

10. Up Your Shoe Game

Dress shoes are an integral piece of a big man’s fashion arsenal. After all, you’re feet are probably pretty average and so that part of your body can look just as good as anyone else’s.

Pick up some dress shoes and high quality athletic shoes for casual wear. As with most fashion, but once and cry once. Leave the walmart tennis shoes that needs replacing every few months at the store.

11. Practice Impeccable Hygiene

50% of the fight for fashion involves wearing clothes that are fresh. Don’t be lazy and put on that stained t-shirt again. Make sure that your clothes are clean wrinkle free.

Oh and make the extra effort to smell great. Investing in a quality cologne will greatly improve people’s perceptions of you.

12. Consider Taming Your Man-Boobs

If you’re having gynecomastia or are very self-conscious about your chest, consider wearing a compression tank or shirt under your normal clothing.

While I would encourage you to accept your body how it is and learn to dress accordingly, a compression top is a good short-term measure for something like a wedding, fancy dinner, or family pictures.

13. Accentuate Your Best Features

Got a great face? Flaunt it. Got a face like mine that was made for radio? Wear short shorts!

But seriously, a good part of fashion is really just deception. Put your figurate best foot forward. If you’ve got big arms, show them. If you have a broad chest and shoulder, accentuate them. Great butt? Wear jeans meant for big guys that make it even better (probably not skinny jeans though…)

It’s not vain to make yourself look as attractive as possible.

14. Pull Up Your Pants

While this tip will vary slightly based on your body type, you need to figure out where to actually wear your pants. For most big guys, this means you should not wear them under your belly. It makes you look fatter and does weird things to the fit of your pants.

In general, wear pants at your waist instead of around your hips. This will help hide those love handles and make you look slimmer overall. Oh and it’s fine to tuck in your shirts.

15. Avoid Thin or Silky Fabrics

Every time I see a fat guy with his man-boobs poking out and his shirt pulled tied around his belly I want to pull him aside and tell him that it doesn’t have to be like that.

Choosing the types of fabric you wear carefully will mean that you don’t have to display your least favorite features to the world.

In general, opt for shirts with fabrics that are thicker and drape better, like Oxford cloth shirts, twill dress shirts, and flannels. These types of shirts have structure so they do not hug every curve of your body.

16. Wear Trendy Clothes

Many big guys today are stuck in the fashions that were popular when I was in high school. Big baggy pants or shorts that reach halfway down their calves and an oversize jersey or t-shirt. Maybe you should add a gold chain, bro?

If you are trying to be fashionable in any sense you should opt for “fashion” over trying to hide your body. You won’t fool anyone into forgetting you’re fat but you can convince them that you look good anyway.

This means that you’ll want to get some shorter shorts, not baggy shirts, pants, jackets, etc.

17. Practice Self-Love (Get Confident)

Confidence in dress and presentation will go a long way in making you appear more fashionable, no matter your size.

If you chose to wear something truly ballsy to work tomorrow (gingham skinny jeans, for example) nobody would be brave enough to comment.

If you don’t respect your body enough to dress it well then everyone will just take a page out of your book and think you’re not worth considering highly as well.

Practicing self-love is something that you should make a priority no matter your body shape or size.

Conclusion

At the end of the day you’ll probably don’t need many fashion tips if you’re a fat guy. At least not specific ones. While plus-size guys do have a slightly different body-type than the average joe we can take most of the same advice and up our fashion game quickly.

So, in short, buy nice clothes that fit your body and stride out confidently. Good luck!