Suitable styles for the exceptionally skinny?

[beanstalk__]

I'm pretty tall (6') but *extremely* skinny on account of having a neuromuscular disease, and I've wanted to dress myself better for a while but really have no idea where to start. Most men's styles seem to work better if you have some muscle to fill them out, especially in the upper body. I'm missing a good deal of what one would consider normal muscle mass and my condition interferes with building it up, so just bulking up at the gym isn't an option. What styles or types of clothing (shirts particularly) work well on a very skinny upper body?

I'm sorry to come here asking for such general advice but I'm really at a loss. Most of the tips I've found online are aimed at regular-skinny guys and my predicament is a bit beyond that.

 

[breakaway01]

Hey, welcome and I appreciate your conundrum. What kinds of outfits are we talking about? Tailored clothing like suits and sportcoats? Workwear? Something else?

Can you share some of your proportions e.g weight, chest and waist measurements if you feel comfortable doing so?

 

[beanstalk__]

Hey, welcome and I appreciate your conundrum. What kinds of outfits are we talking about? Tailored clothing like suits and sportcoats? Workwear? Something else?

Can you share some of your proportions e.g weight, chest and waist measurements if you feel comfortable doing so?

6'1" tall, 28 in. waist, 29.5 in. chest, 125 lbs.

As far as outfits I'm just trying to put together, I'm trying to upgrade my closet with things that look better on me, but I'm not on a super large budget. I'm willing to learn to sew or get things modified if that's what it takes for good looking clothes. My end goal is a decent looking casual wardrobe for a warm area. I suppose some workwear might not go awry. Thanks for your interest in helping!

 

[Lev Vyacheslavovich]

Well, the common-sense thing to say is that slim fit is your friend, but the less obvious answer is to know what to buy and how/where to buy. For workwear, brands such as Naked and Famous, Gustin, etc. are good, since they come often slim fit...even their relaxed fit is slim, which is personally not good for my athletic build, but better for people who are on the skinnier side. These brands don't come cheap, but they are quality. To find brands at a large discount price I will say go for slightly used or off-season clothes on eBay. Go for brands that are niche, so that you avoid the fakers

^^ edit: What I said above was mainly for pants, Gustin is still good, but in my experience, shirts from Kent Wang, Banana Republic Luxury touch, Spier & Mackay, etc. are good options

 

[breakaway01]

In general, most people benefit from clothing silhouettes that do not call attention to their imperfections. So as you think about clothing, think about the silhouette that it will create. In general, form-fitting clothing is very unforgiving because you can't hide anything. The common advice is to go as slim as possible for your body, but IMO that is usually the wrong advice.

In your case, I would suggest that you think about two things:
(1) how to look a little less slender than you are
(2) how to create the appearance of a little more bulk in your upper body compared to your legs

For your upper body, think about draping and layering to create a larger upper body silhouette. Long sleeve T-shirt (to hide your bare arms) in size small hopefully is not too big for your shoulder width but will hang down over your torso. A light overshirt, chore coat, or hoody over that as another layer, with or without outerwear depending on the weather.

Trousers, again, should not be too skinny. You don't want to highlight your skinny legs. Since your waist size is slim but not unusually so, you will have a variety of options. I'd suggest trying a range from slim to straight trousers. They should look proportional to what you're wearing on your upper body. Consider trying some baggier/looser fits if you feel more adventurous. I have some trousers with 9-10" hem openings and I am 'normal' slim at 5'10", 145 lb.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

28-inch waist at 6 feet or taller is unusually narrow. Slim probably is the best style for that. Skinny fit in a light color is the danger zone. Zara and H&M are worth trying, might as well save money toward other items.

When the weather makes layering not feasible, patterned shirts (but not most vertically striped shirts) will disguise thinness better than most solids. A button-front shirt with a grid-style pattern, epaulets, and one or two chest pockets that button, in a midweight fabric, might be ideal. Assuming the neck is skinny, avoid tee shirts by themselves.

 

[beanstalk__]

Thank you all for the advice! Also sorry for taking so long to come back to this.

I'm in the process of building a better business casual wardrobe for a new job and it's been very helpful. I probably would not have planned on including a sportcoat or blazer before consulting y'all but I'm going to now as I can definitely see how one could work well for me.

I might have an additional update if I feel like I've killed it or if I have any more questions on fit. Thanks for your time and knowledge!

 

[Leiker]

In general, most people benefit from clothing silhouettes that do not call attention to their imperfections. So as you think about clothing, think about the silhouette that it will create. In general, form-fitting clothing is very unforgiving because you can't hide anything. The common advice is to go as slim as possible for your body, but IMO that is usually the wrong advice.

In your case, I would suggest that you think about two things:
(1) how to look a little less slender than you are
(2) how to create the appearance of a little more bulk in your upper body compared to your legs

For your upper body, think about draping and layering to create a larger upper body silhouette. Long sleeve T-shirt (to hide your bare arms) in size small hopefully is not too big for your shoulder width but will hang down over your torso. A light overshirt, chore coat, or hoody over that as another layer, with or without outerwear depending on the weather.

Trousers, again, should not be too skinny. You don't want to highlight your skinny legs. Since your waist size is slim but not unusually so, you will have a variety of options. I'd suggest trying a range from slim to straight trousers. They should look proportional to what you're wearing on your upper body. Consider trying some baggier/looser fits if you feel more adventurous. I have some trousers with 9-10" hem openings and I am 'normal' slim at 5'10", 145 lb.

This is all great advice, spot on.