Shorter With a Belly: Choosing a Tuxedo

When you are neither tall nor flat in the stomach, two principles have to work together: lengthen the vertical line so the body reads taller, and avoid any horizontal line across the belly. A single button, a medium peak lapel, one colour from top to bottom, a high trouser rise and no long waistcoat are the four main choices. Double-breasted is the style to avoid.

One button and a medium peak lapel

A single-button jacket opens a deep V at the chest and lets the front fall straight, which lengthens and slims the torso. Two-button and double-breasted jackets have a lower or wider fastening point and pull the eye to the middle of the stomach.

A peak lapel sends two diagonal lines up toward the shoulders, so the shoulders look broader and the belly relatively smaller. The lapel should be neither very wide, which looks heavy and shortens the body, nor very narrow, which narrows the shoulder. Match its width to your shoulders. TUX-018 is a deep navy single-button tuxedo with a black satin peak lapel, in exactly this spirit.

Button placement matters. The fastening should sit near your natural waist and not lower, so the jacket does not pull across the stomach. The skirt should just cover the seat and no more.

One tone from jacket to trousers to band

The key is to avoid strong contrast at the midsection. One block of colour from shoulder to hem keeps the eye moving vertically.

• Jacket and trousers in the same colour and cloth, with the trouser braid matching the lapel facing.
• If you wear a cummerbund, make it the same colour as the suit, never a pale or wide contrasting band. Some men with a belly skip the cummerbund and rely on a high rise instead.
• Black or midnight blue slims the figure more than lighter shades or large patterns.
• A white shirt, black bow tie and a small white pocket square place the light accents high, drawing the eye to face and shoulders rather than the waist.

High rise, no long waistcoat

A high rise set at your natural waist lets the trousers hold the belly instead of sliding beneath it. Low-rise trousers leave the stomach spilling over the band, which pulls the jacket and creates horizontal creases.

• A high, straight waistband, with braces if you like, so you do not need to cinch a belt. Braces also keep the crease and leg hanging straight.
• No long waistcoat and no tight one. A short waistcoat ending above the waistband creates a horizontal line, and a tight one makes the belly more obvious. If you want three pieces, choose a high-cut waistcoat of moderate fit in the same colour so it merges with the body of the suit.
• Have the waistband fitted both standing and seated, since the belly can expand when you sit.

Our piece on tuxedos for a fuller stomach covers the waist and cut in more detail.

Avoid double-breasted

A double-breasted jacket adds a layer of cloth and two columns of buttons across the chest, widening the torso. For a short man this makes the figure look shorter and fuller; with a belly, the overlapping front can also pull diagonal creases. When you are both short and fuller at the waist, it is the style to skip. A shorter man with a slim torso can still try it, as discussed in shorter men and double-breasted tuxedos.

Comfortable but not loose

Many men with a belly assume a loose cut will be kinder. In practice, loose clothing swamps the body and makes it look larger.

• A cut that follows your measurements: close at the shoulder, moderately fitted through the body, not tight over the stomach and not baggy.
• A slight waist suppression to create the V, but no pinching.
• A smooth wool of moderate weight with good drape.

How Mon Amie can help

A short, fuller figure varies from person to person, so a real fitting matters. The consultant will adjust button position, jacket length and trouser rise on you directly. Read about shorter men in a tuxedo, see made-to-measure tuxedos, then book a fitting at a showroom. Making time depends on the model and the fitting schedule, and your consultant will confirm it when you are measured.