What's your body shape?

Every man is different. Did you know that experts have identified 5 unique male body shapes?

Knowing which shape you are means you can dress in a way which emphasizes your best features.

Today I'm going to teach you how to dress perfectly for your body type.

So what are the 5 male body shapes?

Triangle: You're larger around the waist and hips in relation to your chest. Your lower body is heavier than your upper body and you have narrow or sloped shoulders.

What to wear:

• Tailored patterned blazers: Wear checked blazers and fitted waistcoats with solid trousers. The mix of prints and solid colors will create the illusion of shape and take the focus away from the larger waist.
• Vertical stripes: This pattern creates a streamlined effect that elongates and slims down the upper body. Horizontal stripes are preferred only if they are visible from the chest upward.
• Jackets with structured shoulders: Slouchy shoulders on jackets (bomber jackets, for instance) will exaggerate your already sloping shoulder line. Structured shoulders (on a topcoat, for instance) square off your frame.
• Single-breasted suits: Instead of going for double-breasted jackets which bulk to the waist, opt for a single-breasted jacket to allow for a more relaxed and slimming fit. Get your jackets tailored for a structured fit on the top but with extra room around the waist.
• Brighter color panels: Patterns and detailing across the chest and shoulders help broaden the narrow upper torso. Wear jumpers and crew neck tees with color panels across the chest but a slimming darker color like gray, navy, or black around the mid-section.

You must avoid these:

• Fitted polo shirts and roll necks: Both these styles tend to make the neck and shoulders appear slender while accentuating any roundness in the waist.
• Brighter colors and busy prints: Bold and bright patterns will draw attention to your triangular-shaped torso. Work them into your outfit as accents in the form of pocket squares (how to fold a pocket square), glasses, socks, and trainers. Bold belts will only draw attention to the width of your waist.
• Skinny fits and extreme tapers: Narrowing trousers draw the eye of an observer to the center of your body. Swap them for wide and straight leg fits that add proportion to your silhouette.

Inverted Triangle: You have an athletic build – a well-developed chest and shoulders that are significantly broader than your waist and hips. Overall, the upper half of your body is wider than the lower half. Your shoulder, arm and chest muscles may be fairly bulky.

What to wear:

• Horizontal stripes: Especially from the chest down, to broaden your comparatively narrow waist.
• Slim-fit shirts: You can wear shirts to show off your incredibly fit body but remember to size up. You want to hint subtly at your fitness, not scream it by wearing figure-hugging costumes.
• Slim cotton polo shirt: A spandex mix will allow stretch across a broad set of shoulders and chest while creating a tailored look around the waist.
• Regular V-neck T-shirts: The collar shape has a narrowing influence on your chest and draws the eye down and away from the broadest part of your torso. Stay away from plunging V-neck t-shirts.
• Straight-leg trousers and jeans: men's skinny jeans will accentuate your chicken legs. Slim-fit pants will do just fine. Wearing patterned pants, camo shorts, or checked trousers distracts from your comparatively broad upper body.
• Trousers with larger seat drop: Athletes have the common problem of finding pants that are roomy around the groin area. Look for a larger drop measurement between the waistband and the crotch seam.
• Jackets: Slim-fit jackets that follow the natural line of your silhouette, with a bigger difference between the width of the torso and the width of the waist

You must avoid:

• Structured tailoring: Suit jackets and blazers with shoulder padding and wide, especially peak lapels, will emphasize your heavy upper body. Unstructured silhouettes work better in streamlining your frame.
• Prints, patterns, and scoop necklines: Any detail, especially around the shoulders, will focus attention on your wide frame and throw your body out of proportion.

Rectangle: Your shoulders are roughly the same width as your waist and hips. You have a slight or slender frame.

What to wear:

• Horizontal stripes: Especially across your upper torso (short and long-sleeved Breton tees), as they’ll add width to your slight frame.
• Structured tailoring: Once you’ve found structured blazers and suit jackets that add size to your shoulders, have your tailor take them in slightly at the back to emphasize your waist.
• Layered looks: A button-down shirt and fine-gauge crew neck jumper is a no-fail pairing that’ll add instant bulk to your frame.
• Scarves: A neatly tied or draped scarf is an easy way to add a point of difference to your look, as well as flesh out your upper torso.
• Prints, color pops, and detailing: Pops of brighter colors up top or details like epaulets will expand the dimensions of your otherwise slim frame.

You must avoid:

• Double-breasted jackets: Unsurprisingly, tailoring cut in the shape of a rectangle does little to nothing for the rectangle-shaped body. Try a single-breasted style with plenty of structure in the shoulders instead.

Oval: You're carrying a little extra weight on your body. Your torso is wider than your shoulders and hips. You have a more rounded stomach, fuller face, and short neck. However, your legs are slimmer in comparison with your upper half.

What to wear:

• Trousers: The trouser waist should always be comfortably loose, never belted so tight that it pinches and wrinkles.
• Suspenders: Men's suspenders (“braces” in the UK) are your best friend. They hold the trouser front out slightly, letting it fall in a smooth front all the way past the crotch. Whether belted or worn with suspenders, the trousers should always be worn at the natural waist, where they can drape smoothly over the bottom of your stomach instead of squeezing it all upward.
• Pleats: will help the pants widen slightly when you sit, adding a bit of comfort for men with large thighs and bottoms.
• Shirts: A good fit is crucial in avoiding either pinching and wrinkles (too small a shirt) or billows that add even more bulk (too loose a shirt). Find a brand that works for you, or else have your shirts tailored. A wider collar spread works well for broad men, especially when the neck and face are broad.
• Jackets: Dark, single-breasted, and only slightly tapered are the keys to a good jacket for big men. A sharp taper at the waist will be hard to button and stretch over the stomach. Just a hint of an inward bend right around the buttons is all that’s needed. The jacket gives the torso a frame, essentially putting it between two narrow lines, making it a worthwhile addition to almost any outfit.
• Neckties: Bow ties can be a good way to avoid a tie that drapes over the bulge of the stomach.

You must avoid these:

• Tight fits in the torso are a bad choice: and trying to squeeze into clothing that’s too tight is the worst choice of all — it does nothing but emphasize the body’s bulk, and it makes you look desperate besides.
• Patterns and visual clutter are a bad idea: as is anything that draws attention to the midsection. Work on outfits that guide the eye smoothly up the whole length of the body and focus attention on your face.

Trapezoid: You have broad shoulders and a well-developed chest. Your waist and hips are narrower but not disproportionately.

The Trapezoid is a well-proportioned healthy figure and one of the most desirable body shapes for men.

What to wear:

• Trousers: Avoid baggy clothes. Find a brand with a close fit, or have your trousers tailored. Stylistically, most colors and patterns should work just fine with your build. Cuffs and pleats are up to personal taste.
• Shirts: Vertical stripes will make you appear a little taller. Checks and plaids add horizontal bulk, so pick which one you need based on your height.
• Jackets: A blazer or suit jacket tapers your waist, making your stomach seem slimmer, and your shoulders seem broader. Wear it buttoned with a single button at the waist for maximum effect.
• Neckties: Stick to a normal length (the tip should be right around your belt buckle) and a normal width (about 3 to 3 1/2 inches). Short, skinny, fat, or otherwise oddly-sized ties throw off the balance of your torso.

You must avoid these:

Remember your hips are narrow and do not wear jeans that are too tight as that makes your hips look even slimmer. Never wear your pants much below your waistline, as this makes the lower half of your body look dis-proportionally short.

The biggest no-nos are anything loose and saggy, and any outfits that are completely bland and generic-looking.

Here are some additional tips for dressing for your body type:

• If you are short, wear clothes that have vertical lines or patterns. This will help to create the illusion of height.
• If you are tall, wear clothes that have horizontal lines or patterns. This will help to create the illusion of width.
• If you are thin, wear clothes that have a bit of structure. This will help to add some weight to your frame.
• If you are overweight, wear clothes that are tailored to your body. This will help to hide any excess weight.
• If you have muscular arms, wear clothes that show them off. This could be a short-sleeved shirt, or a jacket with rolled-up sleeves.
• If you have muscular legs, wear clothes that show them off. This could be shorts, pants with a slim fit.

With a little bit of effort, you can dress for your body type and look your best.