HOW TO GET CLOTHING THAT FITS YOU PERFECTLY

Far and away, most men complain to me about clothing not fitting correctly.

The majority of the time, men are wearing things that were not meant for their shape, no matter what their shape may be, and have trouble finding stuff that fits them well.

You've probably felt something similar, feeling like nothing fits you.

I have worked with a large spectrum of men over the last decade, from 5'3 to 6'7 and skinny to rotund. Not one guy I've ever met says, "Oh, everything fits me perfectly." So, if you feel that way, don't worry - you're in good company; everyone feels this way.

Today, we'll talk about how to get stuff to fit you correctly, as there are only a handful of ways to do it.

First, you need to know the brands YOU should shop at. This isn't about one brand being better than another. This is about uncovering the brands that are constructing clothing to fit men with a body type like yours.

Uneducated Youtubers and beginner stylists will say things like, "This brand fits well" - Really? For whom? Everyone?

Tommy Bahama will fit differently than Zara - they're targeting two different types of customers - TB for larger older American men and Zara for slimmer European teenagers.

Just like any good business, clothing brands have a target customer. They don't just decide on their sizing and fit by rolling dice.

You should find a handful of brands that work well for you and then only shop at those brands. This will give you clothing options that will fit you consistently over time.

When I'm working with clients both online and in-person, I am showing them, and we are shopping for those brands that fit them perfectly, and then, they're always set up for the future.

As a pro tip - If you're larger, shop at American brands. If you're slimmer, shop European brands.

And for the love of God, stop telling me you need "diversity," and that's why you shop at 500 different brands. You need clothing that fits, not diversity, just for the sake of it. Also, brands produce way more clothing than you could ever buy each season, so you'll never run out of options no matter how often you buy stuff.

Second, you need to tailor your stuff. Every celebrity you see that you think, "Wow, he looks super stylish!" - all of that stuff has been tailored. All of it. Trust me… I know...

If you shop at department stores, they'll usually tailor your stuff there for you for a much cheaper cost.

You can tailor almost anything.

Most men try to find something that fits them perfectly right off the rack. They bounce around from store to store, finding things that are almost perfect but not quite there. Instead, make those items fit you.

Most clothing manufacturers will try to make items that will sort of fit the most amount of people. In this way, they can sell a lot more, as most guys settle for an average fit. But if you're trying to look better than average, you need to not settle for an average off-the-rack fit. Tailor those average items.

Find a neighborhood tailor you can take your stuff to. You'll mainly be shortening pants and taking in the sides of shirts and jackets. Those two alterations alone make up 80% of the alterations I see that clients need when I work with them both online and in person (and if you work with me in person, you don't need to worry about this as our expert tailors actually tailor all your new and existing stuff for you). Both of those alterations only cost around 10-25 dollars, and you will be a lot happier with your stuff.

Third, create stuff custom. Everyone knows that you can make custom suits, that's nothing new, but these days you can create whatever you want custom - T-shirts, polos, sweaters, etc. for just a little more than the average cost you'd pay in a major department store.

Proper Cloth, M Tailor, Son of a Tailor, etc., are all examples of online custom stores you can use to create great stuff. These options are great for guys who are really outside of "average" measurements. If you're very tall or short, skinny or large, go custom. If you're slightly off of average, tailor your stuff. It's cheaper and takes less time.

A word of warning about custom - these guys make their money off of buying cheaper fabric but focusing on fit. Sometimes, the quality isn't there. This is especially true with suiting, dress trousers, dress shirts, etc. You want to make sure when you're doing something nicer like a suit, where a lot of construction is involved, and a lot of hands are in the process, you're going somewhere good. It almost always pays to have this done in-store at a custom menswear shop/tailor. But for basic stuff like tees, sweaters, or casual shirts, they're great as those items are easy to construct.

If you complain about something not fitting you, realize it's, unfortunately, but ultimately your fault. Clothing brands aren't out to get you, and they don't fit "bad" - they just fit YOU badly.

If you think it's impossible to get clothing that fits you because you're such a special case, you're not. After working with over 1,000 men 1-on-1, I can tell you that fit is always solvable. Everyone has these challenges. It's the guys who know how to solve them by shopping at the right brands, tailoring, or creating stuff custom that looks the best, and now, you're going to be one of them.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick


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