Tuxedos for Very Tall Men: Rebalancing the Proportions

A very tall man does not have a problem of shape, only of proportion. Ready-made garments are cut for an average frame, so the jacket runs short, the sleeves stop early and the lapels look small against the torso. A tuxedo that suits you should be longer where you need length, broader where you need breadth, and carry just enough horizontal detail to stop the body reading as a single vertical stripe.

A jacket long enough to cover the seat

For a tall man a short jacket is the most visible fault. A hem that sits too high makes the upper body look compressed and the legs look overlong, as though the suit belonged to someone else. A tuxedo jacket for a tall man should cover the seat fully, and extra body length over the standard cut is routine for a bespoke tailor.

Check it by standing side-on to the mirror: the hem should fall across the fullest part of the seat or slightly below, and the front should not ride up when you button. Do not judge only from the front, where a short jacket often seems to pass.

Medium to wide lapels

On a large frame a narrow lapel looks lost. A medium to wide lapel fills enough of the chest to balance the shoulder and the length of the torso. A broad peak lapel gives a strong line; a broad shawl gives one big curve that reads calm and elegant. The article on wide-lapel tuxedos goes further into choosing lapel width.

Two real models to look at:

• TUX-071: a black tuxedo with a wide shawl lapel.
• TUX-014: a blue tuxedo jacket with a wide lapel, for a man who wants colour.

A wide lapel needs a shoulder that can carry it. A tall, lean man should let the tailor scale the lapel to his actual shoulders rather than to a photograph.

Double-breasted suits tall men

Double-breasted jackets are often fussy on shorter men, but a tall man wears them with ease: the length of the torso lets the two rows of buttons settle, and the chest is not crowded. The two rows also add a horizontal element across the chest, which stops a tall frame being stretched into a thin vertical band.

A few notes on this style:

• Six buttons with two to fasten is the familiar layout, and peak lapels go well with it.
• Keep it buttoned when standing and open it when seated.
• Trousers with a straight leg, not flared, keep the proportion with the jacket.

TUX-033 is a black double-breasted tuxedo with six buttons and peak lapels. The article on black double-breasted tuxedos with peak lapels covers the style in detail.

Why off-the-peg often runs short

Tall men meet this problem regularly. Three places usually fall short:

1. Sleeves: too much wrist shows, or the shirt cuff appears far too long. A tuxedo sleeve should leave about a centimetre of shirt cuff visible.
2. Jacket body: as above, usually cropped.
3. Trouser length: the hem climbs above the ankle and shows the sock. With a tuxedo the trouser should rest lightly on the instep, and no sock should show when you stand.

Many labels offer a long size, but it typically lengthens the jacket and sleeve without adjusting shoulder, chest or waist to match. The result is a longer jacket with the same small shoulders and lapels. That is why made-to-measure suits a tall man: every length is calculated separately.

Keeping the body from stretching further

A tall man can use a few horizontal touches, in moderation, to give the eye somewhere to rest.

• A cummerbund or a waistcoat that cuts across the waist works in your favour, the opposite of advice for a shorter man.
• A satin-trimmed flap pocket and a flat white pocket square add width to the chest.
• A medium to large bow tie, not a tiny one.
• Shoes with a solid enough sole. A very slender shoe can look unable to carry the suit.

What to tell the tailor

At the fitting, tell the tailor your real height, weight and the shoes you plan to wear. Trouser length depends on the shoe, so bring them if you can. The jacket hem needs a little extra cloth so the tailor can fine-tune at the trial.

If you will sit for a long evening, check the fit seated as well: whether the jacket rides up, and whether the trousers climb above the ankle. The tailor can rebalance it on the spot.

Fitting at the Mon Amie workshop

Tall men often spend a long time looking for a tuxedo that actually fits. Made to measure lets the jacket be cut to your true lengths. You can read the made-to-measure tuxedo page and book a fitting so the adviser can measure torso, arm and leg in person.