In this article, we’ll be talking about how to best dress a man who’s pretty much proportional, but is over 5’11”.
If you’re a guy who’s tall but in good shape but not so muscular that it affects the kinds of clothes you buy, you’re in luck. This is the best kind of tall to be!
If you’ve just arrived here, please note that we’ve put together a collection of articles that detail the ins and outs of various male body types. If you’re not sure if it makes sense for you to read this particular page, see our high-level guide which covers nine different body types, two body type “modifications (“athletic” and “irregular“), and the methodology with which we created them all.
If you’re a tall guy who’s here intentionally to get some advice on how to look his best, keep reading!
What Is A Tall Male Body Type?
We define tall men as 5’11” or over. An average weight range for a guy like this is 170-225 depending on height.
The key for tall men is to avoid dressing in a way that accentuates their height. Focus on the horizontal as opposed to the vertical.
Again, we’re not looking for a specific weight here, but rather a frame that’s neither skinny nor heavyset or super muscular. This is for a tall guy who’s otherwise pretty average.
How To Dress A Tall Guy
Tall guys can be dressed similarly to average guys with only a few modifications for best practices. Thankfully for you guys, the average man can wear literally whatever he wants.
Enjoy life on Easy Street, just be careful not to hit your head on the traffic signs.
Jackets
- Typical jacket size: 38″-42″
- Typical jacket length: Either regular or long. If height is derived more from the legs, you may be a regular. If your height comes more from your torso, you’re likely a long.
The most important thing for a tall man to keep in mind with jackets is button stance. Most modern ready-to-wear jackets have relatively high button stances. This draws the eye upward, and a tall man needs no help in that regard. Keep button stances either in their classic position (about 2″ above the navel), or even a bit lower.
We also suggest a gorge placement that’s a bit lower than what we see in many off-the-rack suits nowadays. A high gorge draws the eye upward and lends height to the wearer. As you don’t need help accentuating this, we advise you to go the made-to-measure or custom route if you can afford to do so, and ask them to lower your gorge no more than a half inch.
One- or two-button single-breasted coats work well for this body type. If you’re feeling stylish, any double-breasted jacket will work well for you.
Notched lapels will draw less attention to your height, whereas peaked lapels will accentuate your height.
Trousers
- Typical waist size: 32″-36″
- Typical inseam: 32″-36″
Cuffed trousers are great for tall men.
You can feel free to wear either pleated trousers or plain-front ones. Cuffs (“turnups” for the Brits in the room) are advisable since they help to reduce verticality, and you can stand to wear your trousers a bit lower on your waist than we’d advise for other body types, as you don’t need any help making your legs look longer.
Neckties
We recommend our sweet spot width range for you guys depending on your height. If you’re closer to 5’11”, wear a 3″ wide tie. If you’re closer to 6’5″, wear a 3.25″ wide tie to offset your height a bit.
Avoid overly skinny ties, as these will make you look comparatively huge.
Patterns
You’re a lucky guy because your frame allows you to wear nearly anything. With that in mind, it’s much quicker to tell you what to avoid:
- Vertical stripes: These add verticality, which you don’t need. You should try horizontal striped shirts and ties though, as the breadth will even out your height a bit.
- Micro-scale patterns: No tiny ginghams, checks, or anything else. You have a lot of ground to cover being so tall, so make sure your pattern scales are a bit on the larger side.
Large-scale patterns like the one on the jacket pictured, below, however, are great for tall guys. They lend breadth to your frame, especially in a pattern that’s got some horizontal lines, like the windowpanes in this grey jacket:
Braces Versus Belts
Custom braces allow them to fit your torso properly.
Though we love us some braces, belts are actually advisable for a tall guy because they work to counteract his height. If you choose to wear braces, you may have to have a pair custom-made to accommodate your torso. This is assuming that your height comes from your torso as much as it does from your legs, if not more.
Shoes
- Typical size range: 9D-11D (8-10 medium width in U.K. sizing)
Keep your toes tapered, but rounded and gentle as opposed to sharp and drastic. A strongly tapered toe adds length. Great for a short guy, not for you.
Tall Celebrities
A Final Thought On Tall Guys
As a tall guy with an otherwise average build, you have a lot of leeway in what you can wear. This is fantastic, and you should take advantage of that whenever your professional or social situation allows.
With that said, we strongly encourage you to read our article on irregularities in the male body to fully flesh out your wardrobe. Most men have some kind of irregularity no matter what their body type, and it’d be beneficial to be familiar with how to get around these issues.
I think there is an error in the sizes for both waist and shoe sizes as these are the averages for average height. The waist average for this height range is 36 to 38, and shoe size 11 to 13. In height range is also not tall. Men’s average height in the US is 5’10”. So, 5’11” isn’t really “tall”. Tall really does start at 6′ or better. 6’2-6’6″ is where a man begins to note a style change may be required. Over this and custom clothing become necessary.
As for style recommendations there is an error. Most tall men should wear a higher rise. A low waist with a short rise can result in a plumbers reveal. Many Men’s tall pants offer a longer leg but the rise is often shorter then a proper proportional fit should be. Go ahead, try them on but bend over at the knees before you buy. Duluth adds three inches in length, and frankly for truly tall men, an additional inch would be better.
Also, you fail to take into account age appropriate dressing. Slim fit is fine for the very young man under 30 because he hasn’t yet built all the muscle he will have as he ages. My tall husband became his strongest and largest muscle mass at 36 and he wasn’t trying. This muscle mass differentiates a man’s build from that of youth. The shoulders are broader, the chest wider. This will change again after age 65 or so for most men as they lose muscle mass. Men should adjust their fashion choices to their build overtime. Your size averages are for youth I believe .
Hi Patricia,
Thanks you for your constructive criticism of our content. The original author of this piece has since left us but we’ll certainly bear it in mind when it gets updated in the near future.
All the best,
CP
Do you think the US average is the world average??
Wow, thanks for that take on this matter. Im 6’6″ and weigh 260 with a 38 waist and a size 14 shoe. Your take is refreshing!
Great information , I’m a tall medium build, Everything is always too big or too small or too baggy or 2 tight, The struggle is real!!
I can imagine! Glad that this article helped you!
True.. I’m 6’4 and I find it important to get anything that fits????????
Hope that this guide was helpful!
I can never find any info for my structure. 6-3 is tall but very common. Large muscles but not “hulk like.”225lbs with little fat and long legs is also common. Everything is either way too big or too small. Where’s the happy medium for tall/athletic/muscular guys? It’s not uncommon!