I was a skinny kid growing up. I must admit that I was acutely aware of my lack of muscle mass.
In this article, I’ll show you how to dress for a skinny body type and how to use clothing to make you appear more muscular.
I know a lot of you are going to tell me that I should tell these people to go to the gym, eat a lot of protein, and bulk up because it would fix their problem.
That is a viable option, in my opinion.
However, for some people, how they’re born, what they choose to put into their bodies, and their lifestyle will determine how their bodies look naturally.
There are occasions, though, when slim guys do not wish to appear skinny. They want to project a lean and mean image. They aim to project a more muscular image.
That is the purpose of this article.
You’ll find a lot of useful information in this post if you have a bit of a stomach, if you have maybe tiny arms, if you’re tall and thin, or if you just have an overall thin build, not necessarily slim.
Long Sleeve Shirts
The first tip for looking more muscular in clothing is to wear long sleeve shirts.
Dress shirts, long sleeve button-downs, long sleeve t-shirts, and long sleeve polos are all examples.
It’s always best to go with something that matches the color of your arms with the color of your torso rather than fully exposing and having a contrast between your arm and your torso.
Why? It’ll merely make your arms appear slimmer.
These long sleeve shirts come in a variety of styles.
Something with a collar is what you want to go for. The reason for this is that it will strengthen your thin neck.
You’ll want to go with a piece that has two pockets. It will aid in the development of your chest.
It will bulk up your shoulders if you can get any of those casual button downs with epaulets on the shoulder.
Long sleeve shirts will allow you to do all of these things.
I understand what many of you are saying, however I live in a hot climate. I have no idea how I’m going to pull this off.
Roll up your sleeves, then.
I know some of you guys will say didn’t you say don’t have the contrast. The good thing is that you may go for a shirt sleeve roll that doesn’t go all the way up your arms.
Something that comes to a halt at the forearm. This isn’t the most elegant roll, but the important is that it doesn’t extend past the elbow.
By doing so, you’ll be able to make your upper arm appear larger, which will be your greatest look when you opt to roll your sleeves.
Build Up The Chest and Shoulders
The second tip is to strengthen your shoulders and chest.
I’ve already mentioned that when it comes to shirts, go for the double breasted pocket and possibly the epaulets on the shoulders.
But I believe that starting to wear a sports jacket, a suit jacket, a blazer jacket, a trucker jacket, or a corduroy jacket is something that most guys might benefit from.
Jacket made of a heavier weight material.
That will, in a sense, immediately strengthen your shoulders.
What makes you think it’ll do that?
It will serve as a stopping point for your shoulders.
Also, if it’s designed to fit you nicely, and you close it, it’ll trim down your waist and enhance your chest. Increasing the size of your shoulders gives you a more muscular appearance.
Layers
The next tip for looking more muscular with clothing is to layer.
Begin with the underwear. After you’ve found a great-fitting undershirt, layer it with a shirt, like I mentioned in point one.
You’ve got your long-sleeve tees, polo shirts, and perhaps a casual button-down.
Because you’ll be layering, you’ll want to get something that’s a little more streamlined.
Perhaps you’ll forego the double pocket, and you’ll definitely forego the epaulets. We’re going to add the third layer, your sweaters, at this stage.
Sweaters come in a variety of styles.
It’s a lightweight cashmere, wool, cotton, or linen layering sweater that makes a terrific layering sweater.
When you’re a slimmer guy, the fit of your clothing is critical, especially when you begin to layer.
Loose-fitting apparel is something you should avoid. Loose-fitting apparel will not make it appear larger. It’s going to make it look like you’re wearing your older brother’s clothing. It will make you appear even slimmer.
We’ve applied the third layer at this point. The great thing about opting with lightweight cashmeres and sweaters is that you can almost always wear your jacket over them.
You’ve got four layers now. The best aspect is that you can remove it if you get too hot.
However, having these layers and being able to see some of them beneath the shirt, collar, and sweater creates the illusion of depth.
The illusion of depth will make you appear much more muscular.
Use Heavier Weight Fabrics
Use heavier weight textiles as tip number four to look more muscular with apparel.
There’s a lot to choose from, starting with denim.
On your trousers and possibly your jacket, you want to go with a thicker weight denim.
Choose a garment that already has some body to it.
Consider tweeds when you’re selecting a jacket. When you’re in your trousers, take a look at flannels.
When you come up close, these will appear to be a three-dimensional surface that is extremely fuzzy. It makes you want to reach out and touch it. These add a bit of depth and character to the outfit.
Then you should look into corduroy. By adding texture to your legs, you’re giving them more dimension. If you’re a taller, slimmer man, this will suit you perfectly. This is going to be fantastic if you’re a shorter, slimmer guy.
Because you’re suddenly going to add a little more bulk to your legs.
Corduroy jackets are also acceptable. Look for a shirt with a little textured pattern if you’re seeking for something to wear. Maybe it’s a flannel with a little overall pattern.
All of these fabrics will simply make you appear heavier, which is exactly what we’re aiming for.
Know Your Lines
Learning your lines is tip number five for looking more muscular with clothing.
If you have a large midsection, you should stay away from horizontal lines. If you’re a skinny guy, though, you can benefit from the fact that horizontal lines make you appear wider.
You’ll want to make sure you put this into practice in critical areas. In the midsection, it won’t have much of an impact. Wearing a contrasting belt isn’t going to help you out all that much.
However, having a horizontal line up in the chest or shoulder area, or some lines or something that attracts attention up, will be fantastic.
There are a few crucial points to consider.
You’ll want to look for sweaters with a line running across the chest. This thing will bulk you up and make you appear much larger.
Shoulder pats can be found on some sweaters. This can also be seen on various jackets from time to time.
All of those horizontal lines are going to help build up this part of the body. Even if it’s not physically broader, it appears to be, and that’s what we’re going for.
The last thing to remember about lines is the V.
V-neck sweaters and v-neck shirts are your best bets. Consider that V whenever you put on a jacket, whether it’s a sports jacket or a two-button jacket.
On a male, this V is a natural manly look. It suggests that your shoulders are larger than your hips.
That’s the sort of thing you’d want to be able to send with apparel to make yourself look more muscular.
