Whether you’re having a leisurely romantic dinner, partaking of wine and cheese with friends, or furtively scoffing a microwaved Hot Pocket, you should be as comfortable as possible at your own table. Since most kitchen and dining-room chairs are designed for taller people, the seats are sometimes so large that they cut into the back of your knee. Worse yet, you can end up with your legs dangling above the floor like a six-year-old.
What you need is a smaller chair. And you don’t have to sacrifice one iota of hipness. Apartment Therapy put together a list of a dozen modern chairs that are sleeker or smaller than average. Of course, you should always try before you buy, but this list may help get you started.
Saw a bunch of random stuff on the internet this week that piqued my interest. Here’s a short rundown on each:
Rugby will soon have an e-commerce site, according to Off the Cuff. That’s great news for short men who don’t happen to live within driving distance of one of only a dozen of their brick-and-mortar stores. As long as you have a credit card and high-speed internet.
Less than a year ago, I reviewed Rugby and said their suits had “a beautiful classic American silhouette harking to the ’50s — tasteful and timeless with just a hint of youth and the now ($750).” Probably could have dropped in a Mad Men reference if I was writing it today… Anyway, “I tried on a 36R (they don’t have Shorts in 36) and it fit great: slim, shoulders perfect, sleeves weren’t even too long. I also tried on a 38S just to see what a Short was like, and if your frame is at all larger than mine, you’re in luck because their Shorts are truly nice and short.” They also make short neckties.
Check out a short interview with Steven Alan about Lark & Wolff here:
Sticking with the video theme for a moment, Scott Schuman (aka The Sartorialist) special guests on “In the Closet,” a Men.Style.com series. He chats with the hosts about the Paris Spring 09 preview show, which is fine if high fashion’s your thing. I just think it’s interesting to see Schuman in person, since he’s so often behind the camera with his blog. He may be short (5-foot-6), but the guy’s got his own sense of style and he’s powerfully built, too, which probably helps. Note to self: do some push-ups.
A Suitable Wardrobe discusses the importance of high armholes on suit jackets. This is essential for short men, but I guess it’s important for other reasons as well. Apparently, “a high armhole helps keep the jacket collar firmly affixed to the back of a man’s neck throughout a range of movement. A big sloppy one let’s the coat move around.” A fellow short man with the remarkably Wodehousian name of Percy Chatsworth left this comment on the post:
Being a student on a limited budget, I must find clothing which I can afford - which obviously means that I cannot even go for MTM. However, with a lot of searching, I found that Club Monaco makes great suits for a fair price, and with a little tailoring, they can be perfect. The scyes of my seersucker suit from CM fit quite well (I should also add that being 5′6 and slim makes finding clothing which fits properly difficult as well).
Percy, I couldn’t agree more, my good man. Back in June, I sung the praises of Club Monaco’s seersucker suiting, saying: “I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cut is much shorter than their usual stuff. The Dean blazer has high hems, armholes and pockets.
And finally, Racked turned me on to this. You can watch a video on the Bushwick-based Martin Greenfield Clothiers on Vimeo. I can’t say it’s a documentary so much as a love letter that becomes a bit saccharine and Hallmarky at times (maybe it’s the American flags?). But he’s an interesting man, it’s beautifully shot, and it’s only 8 minutes. What I like about it best is that it’s another opportunity to peer into the MTM/bespoke world of men’s tailoring. As someone who’s still not entirely comfortable at the tailor, and is still learning about custom suiting/shirting, etc., I appreciate any chance to demystify the process. Spending money on a custom suit is a big commitment, and watching stuff like this make me more inspired to do it.
Is it just me or is nobody even remotely thinking about shopping these days? The thought of dragging large plastic shopping bags around on the hot, steamy pavement: disgusting. It’s the height of summer and if you’re not drinking ice-cold beer while lazily flipping steaks on the barbecue at the lake house while the kids are out diving off the rope swing into the water while setting off sparklers and eating ice cream, well, you’re doing something wrong. But here’s a deal that doesn’t require going anywhere or carving more than five minutes out of your summer pursuits.
Land’s End is having a Summer’s End Sale (man, that has an ominous ring to it). They’ve got a bunch of things marked down (shirts, shoes, etc.), but I chose to focus on pants. It seems to me that short men always have the toughest time with inseams.
I’ve said this before but the best thing about Land’s End is that their pants are hemmed to order (to the quarter inch) all the way down to a 26-inch inseam (unless noted otherwise below). And it’s always free.
Slim to Regular Fits Plain Tailored Fit Summer Chino Pants: $29 (was $49); tailored fit (updated with less ease in the seat and thigh), plain front, alterable waistband. Available in waist 30-46, inseam 26 and up.
Ringspun Original Fit Prehemmed Jeans: $16 (was $29); even though they’re pre-hemmed, inseams are available down to 29 inches. Available in waist 30-38, inseam 29 and up.
Stocky Fit
Several readers have asked for more explicit advice for short, stocky men. It’s true that a lot of my posts are more geared toward slim cuts, but there’s usually also plenty of information that applies to all short body types. Still, I know I need to do better. So here goes: Plain Front Comfort Waist Washed Chino Pants: $29 (was $39); traditional fit (classic and roomy), concealed side bands expand waist up to 3 inches, plain front. Available in waist 32-48, inseam 26 and up. Six-Inch Plain Front Comfort Waist Carefree Chino Shorts: $29 (was $36); traditional fit (classic and roomy), expandable stretch side bands, flat front. Available in waist 40, 44, 46, 48. They also have a 9-inch inseam in the Comfort Waist style.
What doesn’t kill you makes you a better punk rocker. Or so I thought in high school. And it was mostly true. Except when it came to my height — and freakishly small hands. It made playing the guitar difficult; my fingers just weren’t long enough to form some of the more complex chords. So I made up my own chords. And I soldiered on, writing songs, playing garages, churches, and rec rooms until I managed to put together a halfway real band in college (Listen to my band, the Franklin Mint, here).
Even though I haven’t written any songs for well over five years now, I find myself getting the itch again. (Very Kevin Shields/Scott Walker/Lee Mavers of me, no?) But this time, I’m on the lookout for a guitar that’s more ergonomically suited to my small stature: a shortscale guitar.
Typically, “short scale” refers to guitars originally produced by Fender Musical Instrument Corporation during the 1960’s including: Mustangs, Duo-Sonics, Musicmasters, Jaguars, and Broncos. What set these guitars apart from other models was the reduced scales (the length from the bridge to the nut) and off-set or elongated bodies. The scales of 24″ and 22.5″ were 1.5″ and 3″ (respectively) shorter than Fender Stratocasters, Telecaster, and Jazzmasters. This made for easier speed-playing on heavier gauge strings, and these shorter instruments could be used as “Student Guitars” as the reduced length was easier for smaller and less experienced hands.
Most of the original short scale models had disappeared from Fender’s catalog by the late 1970’s. But with the resurgent influence of punk rock in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s there arose a crop of players willing to use non-traditional instruments. This primarily was due to how inexpensively one could find a Mustang, for example, at a pawn shop or local music dealer. Prices as low as $50 for instruments rarely played were not unheard of.
However, not long after teenage fans saw their favorite bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth sporting these distinct looking instruments, they began to disappear from the very storefronts they once had flooded. Not to be left out of this rebirth, Fender Music Corporation began not only re-issuing these short scale classics, but new breeds of varying shapes, sizes, and setups began rolling off the line and continue to this day.
Cool. So shortscales are not only suited to folks with smaller hands, they’ve got plenty of rock ‘n’ roll credibility. I mean, it they’re good enough for The Pixies, Elvis Costello, Yo La Tengo, Echo & The Bunnymen, Graham Coxon, and The Beach Boys, they’re good enough for me.
So, if you’re you’re in the market for a smaller-sized electric guitar, try out a shortscale. And check out Shortscale.org, which features a user forum and a comprehensive wiki. The latter contains all sorts of info on different makes and models as well as links etc. Oh, and if you have a dirt-cheap Jaguar that you want to unload…
There’s a new short kid on the block: ShortMenStyle.com. You should already be familiar with the essential Men’s Clothing for Short & Small Guys subpage of Hudson’s FTM Guide (discussed here previously). Well, Hudson (who is 5-foot-5) has basically taken all of his clothing tips and spun them off in their own dedicated website.
An updated, expanded, and easier-to-navigate version of the information found on [ftmguide.org], www.shortmenstyle.com is a new project devoted to more frequent updates and detailed postings on clothing for short men.
I’m not sure how frequent the updates will be or what form they’ll take, but I’ll be tuning in for sure.
Like the old page, the new site features:
lists of retailers and specialty stores that offer men’s clothing in small and extra-small sizes (including sizes for short, heavyset men)
lists of shirts, jackets, jeans, pants, shorts, suits, work wear, and accessories in small and extra-small sizes
lists of shoe retailers that offer small sizes in men’s footwear
pointers on measurements and fit, as well as style tips for shorter men
–
Whoa there, pardner. Mind how you type that there url into your browser. Too quick on the draw and you might add a stray “of” by mistake and end up a might piece further down the virtual highway from where you reckoned you’d be. But that wouldn’t be so bad, either.
The typographically similar website Short Men of Style (discussed here previously) recently published the winners of their Short Man of Style Contest 2008. So which diminutive dandies were deemed to tower over the rest of us this year? Vincent Massaro (5-foot-7), a 23-year-old web programmer from Woodbridge, CT, took the grand prize. And Houak Namburi (5-foot-7), from Auburn, AL, was the runner up. A Short Shrifted reader, Houak said: “For a while, I never shopped for clothes because nothing seemed to fit me right. Finally, I started altering clothes myself to make it fit perfect and add my own flair. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but now I make pants that seem like they are made just for me.”
The whole “Style Advice for Short Men” article seems to crop up in newspapers on a fairly regular basis. In the publishing biz, we call that an “Evergreen” piece. It’s perennial, timeless — always good on a slow news day. The “Short Man” version usually imparts some variation of the same basic stylist commandments: Stand Up Straight, Wear Stripes, Don’t Cuff Your Trousers. I’m not saying these stories are without merit; the advice is sound. And if you’re short and aren’t already aware of some of the basic advice out there, these summaries can be a good starting point to building a better-looking wardrobe.
But for me, I’m always looking for something more. Something that goes beyond the basics. The most recent example of this evergreen story popped up this week in Canada. The Vancouver Sun published a story by J.J. Lee called “Sartorial Survival Tips for Short Men.” It covers a lot of the usual bases, but I did think this was an interesting point:
Menswear has traditionally been conceived for the average male who stands at 5′10.” While all designs are “graded” (that’s a fashion industry term for scaling clothes to fit various sizes), grading does not guarantee clothes will actually look good on smaller men. Often something is lost in the translation.
Then there’s the problem finding small or extra small items on the racks. Blame the scarcity on the trend towards tighter and shorter garb. Many hipsters, sized medium and large, have been horning in on tinier togs, leaving short guys to pick through the dregs.
So the same fashion-industry trend that’s responsible for the current rise in smaller cuts is also responsible for those sizes being less available. Drat.
I am not an advocate of so-called “short shorts” on men. The kind of barely-there, so-high-you-can-glimpse-a-bit-of-cheek mere scraps of fabric that Magnum PI favored circa 1985. But I do think that shorts have gotten way too long (and baggy in a lot of cases). I’ve postedpreviously about how shorts that fall somewhere above the knee and below or at mid-thigh are more flattering to men of our stature (I also received lots of great reader recommendations).
As a follow-up, looks like Time Out New York just did a round-up of so-called short shorts. Check out the slideshow.
Of their picks, standouts for me are:
Land’s End elastic waist chino deck shorts in garnet ($19.50) — Best deal of the bunch (the only pair under $70).
Orthodox Balzac shorts at Cry Wolf ($119) — Lederhosen chic?
Marc by Marc Jacobs chambray swim shorts in indigo blue ($128) — I like the subtle verticality added by the piping on the pockets.
Spread collars are a big trend these days. But that got one Short Shrifted reader wondering just what kind of a collar is most flattering to a short man’s physique?:
I just discovered your site and really appreciate all the great articles and advice. As a 5′ 3″ slim guy, I’m always looking for all the advice I can get about how to look my best given my short stature (or, at the very least, not to look bad). I’m looking to buy a few new dress shirts and was wondering if you had any thoughts on whether an Ainsley (4″ spread) or forward point (3″ spread) collar is best for a lean, short guy.
–Jay, Boston
I don’t know that I have a clearcut answer for Jay here.
My guess is that more important than height in this case is the size/shape of your head/neck. Everything I’ve read about collars (and ties) talks about how this area is the focal point of your entire outfit and works to draw attention to — underscore, if you will — your face. So it’s probably a good idea to match your collar to that handsome mug of yours. Here’s one custom shirtmaker’s take.
As far as height factors into it, another site suggests for “Short & Stocky” types… “the traditional straight point collar is the shirt of choice, as it provides an excellent counterpoint to the natural build.” But this tailor goes on to suggest the following for the “Short & Slim” types: “When considering mens’ suits, the jacket cut should pick up where the body leaves off, moving the dimensions towards a more triangular appearance: broader at the shoulders and narrower at the waist.” Although this is advice for choosing a suit jacket, as a short and slim guy, the whole inverted-triangle thing has always resonated with me. And I guess it’s why I’ve always been attracted to collars with a substantial (though not extreme) spread.
For me, I want lines pointing up (peak lapels on jackets) and out (spread collars on shirts) near the top part of my body. I think they help lengthen my body or, at the very least, broaden my chest and shoulders. Although point collars do offer more of a “vertical” line, I can’t help but see them as something that “points” — as the name suggests. And where they seem to point is down. Not a direction a short man wants to emphasize.
That’s my take on it. But my advice on this one is hardly definitive (whether you choose spread or point, there are many variations of each). I’d love to hear what other people think.
What advice would you give Jay? What kind of collars do you wear and why? And how does head/neck/build play into the decision?
If Cern doesn’t destroy the planet (by accidentally creating a black hole), SF’s Cordarounds just might. The two-man design team call themselves an “online clothing experiment.” And what a dangerous experiment it is. Like many scientists, they scoff at tradition and history and insist on defying (and defiling) the laws of nature with their laboratory-created abominations. Clearly mad, the Cordarounds guys have desecrated men’s fashion in the past by turning the laws of corduroy on their head when they unleashed horizontal waling on an unsuspecting public. And not even a whisper of outrage from the Corduroy Appreciation Club. Shame.
That was bad enough news for the short men of America (all 50 million of us). We rely on vertical stripes to visually lengthen our poor, all-too-gravity-prone bodies. Vertical stripes are the bedrock of every Short Man Playbook out there. Without vertical stripes we’re lost. And luckily for us, vertical stripes have always been a common law of fashion. Until now. Cordarounds is again threatening to upset the natural balance of the universe.Urban Daddy reported:
On the heels of their world-famous horizontal cords, Cordarounds is rolling out a khaki-striped seersucker version with ridges in horizontal rings all the way up and down your lower half. The fabric is the same narrow-striped cotton you know and love, but it’s twisted 90 degrees to leave you with 500 ventilating ridges between your waist and the sun-cooked pavement.
OK, OK, maybe it’s not the end of the world. Maybe horizontal seersucker won’t catch on. My advice is to have a seat in the shade, grab a cool mint julep, and chill out. But just to be on the safe side, think about stocking up on some of these old-school, vertical-striped seersucker items. Before they become extinct:
Club Monaco Dean Seersucker Blazer: I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cut of Club Monaco’s summery suiting is much shorter than their usual stuff. The Dean blazer has high hems, armholes and pockets. The only downside is the working buttonholes on the too-long sleeves. Not totally untailorable, but a tough workaround. ($199) They’ve also got matching seersucker Ethan Pants. ($129)
Parke & Ronen Seersucker Boeing Redux Shorts: Tried these on in their SoHo boutique a few weekends ago. As their web copy says, they feature “elastic trim waistband combined with a tailored fit, and sexy 6-inch inseam.” My friend who was helping me shop can definitely vouch for the “sexy” inseam. Or was that a look of horror I noted when she spotted my blindingly pale legs? Hmmm… They’re available in waist 30 to 36. ($108)
Land’s End Plain Front Tailored Seersucker Dress Pants: Not only do they sport those oh-so-subtle vertical stripes, they’ve got other short-guycentric stuff going for them: plain fronts as opposed to pleats, a tailored fit for a shorter rise, and they offer free hemming on all pants. Best thing about Land’s End, though, is that the inseams are available all the way down to 26 inches! ($79)
Brooks Brothers Seersucker Stripe Swim Trunks: They do look a bit naff, but at least they’re not over-the-knee types. If you’re buff or have a lot of self-confidence, you might be able to get away with these. ($59) At least they’re better than the Seersucker Baseball Hat. ($59)
Whether you’re having a leisurely romantic dinner, partaking of wine and cheese with friends, or furtively scoffing a microwaved Hot Pocket, you should be as comfortable as possible at your own table. Since most kitchen and dining-room chairs are designed for taller people, the seats are sometimes so large that they cut into the back of your knee. Worse yet, you can end up with your legs dangling above the floor like a six-year-old.
