The Bigger Guy's Guide to Buying a Great Suit

When it comes to personal style, finding clothes that fit correctly is more than half the battle. But tracking down pieces that complement your body can be difficult if you fall outside average sizes. For many big and tall men, the struggle to find flattering silhouettes for their body type causes them to opt out of fashion entirely, resigned to the idea that good style is inaccessible at their size. Those challenges are especially amplified when it comes to suits, sport coats, and other tailored wear. 

David Lane has dealt with—and conquered—those sartorial issues for a long time. Made internet-famous by a recent @DieWorkwear Twitter thread, Lane, a high school teacher in upstate New York, may seem like an unlikely fashion influencer. But via his aptly-named Instagram account @bigfits1, Lane shows off his knack for piecing together classic, elegant, wholly flattering looks—and proves that simple tailoring and a little extra effort are the keys to unlocking big-time style as a bigger guy. Below, Lane offers some suggestions and best practices for suiting up with a larger frame. 

You're Going to Need a Tailor

Off-the-rack suits at larger sizes rarely look flattering. This isn’t some evil plot by designers against the big and tall. Patterns for mass-produced clothes are drafted for an average size—usually a 40-regular jacket and a 32 waist—and then scaled from that original. As a result, converting to larger sizes impacts the inseam, the rise, and the length and width of the sleeve. By the time the clothes get to an XXL, there’s a lot of unnecessary fabric.  Which means that for larger men, a tailor is non-negotiable. 

“I know I'm a bigger guy. I'm not trying to look slimmer,” says Lane. “But when you have two or three extra inches of width on the upper arm or elbow on the shirt, it makes you look that much wider through your midsection.”

Getting your pants hemmed and your sleeves shortened are simple first steps you can take today to look better in your clothes. The goal is to create a balanced silhouette: too tight or too baggy puts emphasis on the wrong places.   

Know Your Actual Size—And Always Try Stuff On

A good tailor can do wonders for your wardrobe, but without a decent baseline to start from, there is only so much they’ll be able to change. Finding stores with your size and actually trying things on can take a bit of time and effort, but it’s a crucial step to finding something that looks great. 

Lane recalls figuring out his own size at O'Connell’s, an old-school haberdasher in Buffalo. “They had a 52-short jacket,” he says. “I had never seen a jacket in that size. I didn’t even know they existed. Actually trying it on and feeling how it fit me was an a-ha moment.”

High-end suit shops and specialty stores will carry extended sizes, as will certain chains like Bonobos. If you’re not finding what you need in stores, perusing thrift shops can be a good starting point. The goal is to wear and move in the clothes to see what is working for you, rather than just gambling with the size you think you should be wearing and leaving the rest to chance.  

“Once you’ve gotten yourself in a jacket and a pair of pants that really does fit,” Lane explained, “you can take them to your alterations tailor. For maybe, on the high end, you’d pay about fifty bucks for a jacket and the pair of pants to be tailored right.”

Consider Made-to-Measure

One reason Lane looks so great in his suits is that they’re often bespoke. He’s also found a silhouette that works great with his frame: high-waisted trousers to add visual length to his legs and coats that button comfortably, both cut without being too slim or too oversized. Having your clothes made custom for you is obviously going to make for a better fit, but the flattering proportions are only possible because Lane really knows his measurements. 

“If I were to rewind and restart,” Lane says, “I would have gone right to the bespoke shirt, pants, and jacket. It would have given me a set of measurements to base my journey off, then I could backfill based on those numbers.”

Most of us aren’t going to drop the money on creating bespoke clothing, but for a lesser investment, you can find plenty of great made-to-measure options if you know your sizes. Places like Atelier Munro have pulled off custom looks for big and tall clients at a price point comparable to mid-range off-the-rack retailers. The better made-to-measure companies will also do your measurements and fitting for you, if you’re able to get to one of their stores. 

“Made-to-measure is how I got started,” Lane says. “I always wanted to wear what was available for everybody else. But because there's no size, finding a place that was willing to try and remake it was really helpful.”

Take Some Risks

When buying a new suit, you'll often be advised to stick to standard navy or gray. But investing in pieces that are fun to wear and feel great on is ultimately smarter than trying to build out some sort of perfect capsule wardrobe. For Lane, that meant going bold with his first purchase. 

“[For my first bespoke item] I bought a black corduroy suit, which talk about maybe the most useless thing to get,” Lane says. “But I've had more fun wearing that than almost anything else I have in my wardrobe. I wear the jacket out to dinner with black denim and black tassel loafers. Or I’ll do a charcoal turtleneck with the suit. And that shit looks great.” 

We’re not suggesting you immediately jump into an avant-garde Met Gala look, but developing your personal style—especially when starting out—shouldn’t mean limiting yourself to just the basics. Since Lane works as a teacher (with a side hustle making custom watch straps), his everyday wear needs to be practical, but it doesn't have to be boring. Finding a beyond-the-norm suit that makes you feel more like yourself can do wonders for your confidence.

“I wear this stuff because I love it,” Lane says. “I just enjoy clothes. They're things that can make you feel good about yourself—especially if you're not super happy with your build.”