2008, May 14: AskMen.com – Jalen Rose offers some fashion tips for tall men
June 24, 2008
May 14, 2008 — Sure, tall men might be good at reaching the top shelf
or making that slam dunk, but when it comes to style those with plenty
of height to spare face a different set of fashion challenges than
others. Pants that are too short, shirts that are too tight and shoes
that are too small make dressing a hassle for those over the six-foot
mark.
Rest assured, however, that tall men are not doomed to be
out-of-date and out-of-style; vertically gifted men, too, can dress as
spiffy as their shorter, more fashionable brethren.
And what
better place to turn to for fashion tips for tall men than the NBA?
Former NBA players and uber-tall fashion experts Jalen Rose and Allan
Houston, gave us the lowdown on how to dress your bigger build.
Read on for their fashion tips for tall men.
What are the biggest fashion challenges facing tall men?
Allan:
If there are clothes you like, you probably wont be able to get it in
most places because tall men’s bodies are different. Most of the stuff
you see are for men who are a little bit shorter. Even if you’re not
athletically built, the height issue makes the difference. It’s easier
for shorter men who are even a little wider to find clothes and make
them work than it is for tall men.
Jalen: A lot of the time tall
men can’t buy stuff off the rack because it doesn’t fit right; it may
be too big in the waist or too big in the leg or too small in the
ankles. You can’t get the same kind of custom fit as someone who’s
"normal" sized. It becomes challenging, but tall guys just have to take
a little more time and really take their look seriously. When you’re a
tall man, you can’t just grab something and throw it on and have it
work — you have to put thought and effort into it.
The No. 1
fashion rule is about having confidence in your look. You should look
in the mirror and accept, like and appreciate what you see. Yes, there
are tips you should follow, but for the most part fashion is about your
confidence and look. Be the clothes, don’t let the clothes be you.
Should tall men have their clothing custom-made?
Jalen:
Ideally, everyone would love to have the opportunity to have
tailor-made clothes, but if you can’t do that, the cleaners work just
as well, you just have to understand your size.
Allan: There are
big and tall stores… but it depends on what you want. Like for me,
I’m not all about wearing suits; I like to wear jeans, sweaters and
T-shirts, so when you start getting into the different elements of
style, clothes gets a little harder to find, and so getting things
custom-made becomes one of your only options.
What are the common fashion mistakes tall men make?
Jalen:
A lot of the time, tall men might not find things in their size, so
they might wear pants or shirts that are too big, or even a hat that’s
too big. If you?re tall, you’re trying to compensate for the fact that
your pants [for example] don?t fit well in the waist, so you
overcompensate with the size.
Allan: There’s just not a lot of
stuff out there for tall guys. When you’re tall, you most likely have a
build that’s long and lanky, but most clothes aren’t built for that
[body type] so most guys wear pants and suits that are too big or too
small for their body. This is why you have to get your clothes tailored
or custom-made.
Should tall men stay away from things like bright colors and vertical stripes?
Jalen:
You can dress for the season; color is universal and it all depends on
how you pull it off with the rest of your look. If you?re a tall guy, I
don’t think the way you dress can be confined, but there are subtle
ways to wear all the looks. There are ways to wear colors, verticals
stripes?
More fashion tips for tall guys from the NBA’s best dressed…
By Maggie Kalogeropoulos
Fashion Correspondent – Every Wednesday
