Finding a decent fitting suit when you’re particularly tall and slim is extremely challenging. Despite the fact that suits come in many sizes, tall slim guys like myself (I’m 6′7″ tall and 215 lbs) are very much neglected. And more so than for other clothing, a poorly fitting suit can look unprofessional and untidy. The solution is a custom tailored suit, which may seem overly luxurious to some. But for tall skinny guys, it’s actually a very sensible option, particularly when companies like Hockerty are driving the prices down by operating strictly online. I went through their process and they gave me a suit. In this post, I’ll tell you about the experience and some tips on suits for tall slim men.
Getting Sized Online for a Custom Tailored Suit for Tall Slim Men
Traditional tailors of course work directly in person with you. And while this is still the ideal, it can be quite costly. Hockerty’s online system is an excellent alternative. First there were some basic questions about my weight, height, and build. Then they asked me to take a series of measurements (8 in total) which were guided by videos (I had help, though it could be done on your own). I also sent them a picture of myself to help them get a better sense of my build.
The suit they sent me had a couple issues, which is to be expected when measurements aren’t done by a trained tailor. But this is exactly why their policy is to guarantee to get you an excellent fit. I sent them a picture of myself wearing the suit and the second time around they nailed it. It is without a doubt the best fitting suit I’ve ever owned. As long as you’re willing to work with them, you’ll get an excellent fit.
Picking the Material and Color of a Suit for Tall Slim Men
Though color and material don’t have much to do with height, I’ll mention the logic behind my choices here as I bet a lot of other tall skinny guys are in the same boat.
While I already have a couple different suits, neither of them fit properly. So I figured I’d think of this as pretty much my first suit. And the general advice out there is that a first suit should not be black as that’s too formal for many common occasions. Rather, navy blue or charcoal are the way to go (I chose navy). Similarly, other aspects of the suit should be fairly standard. As such, I went with 100% wool (Upperside Marino Wool). Another reason why tall men might go with a standard looking suit is that we already stand out enough in the first place!
Custom Tailored Suit Jackets for Tall Slim Men
I tried to make my decisions based on what would look good for my tall slim build. In general, it tends to be the exact opposite as for short men. For instance, conventional wisdom says that short men should not go with three buttons as the suit starts to look crammed. So I figured that only two buttons might look sparse for tall slim men. But given I was getting a vest too, I decided two buttons would be best. In general though, a tall slim guy like myself can look more proportional by having more features along the length and less along the width.
And there are a ton of different features and variations you can choose from. Some people will love this while others might find it a tad daunting. Regardless, it gets easier the second time through (I previously got a custom tailored tall men’s dress shirt from them). This time around, I went with the standard features as I was going for a standard suit as I explained above.
Custom Tailored Dress Pants for Tall Slim Men
Though not quite as many options as for suit jackets, there were still numerous for the pants. The one deviation from standard that I went with was to add pant leg cuffs. This was going along with the idea that more features along the length creates a more proportional looking suit for tall skinny guys. Plus, cuffs take extra fabric to make and it’s a luxury for us tall guys to have extra material at the end of the day!
Custom Tailored Vests for Tall Slim Men
I decided to add a vest to make it a three piece suit. If you’re only going to have one decent fitting suit, then best to go all out! The nice thing about a vest for tall skinny guys is that it adds a bit of extra bulk.
Final Thoughts on Custom Tailored Suits For Tall Slim Men
Through Hockerty’s system, I’ve acquired the best fitting suit I’ve ever owned. And their prices are more affordable than working with a classic tailor. The only down side perhaps is that it does require significant effort to measure yourself, pick out all the different features, and then go through the process of adjustments if necessary. But some might actually find it to be a really fascinating experience. For others, be reassured that it is way easier the second time you purchase from them.
I’m sure that some of the niche tall specific brands out there will eventually tackle tall slim men’s suits. In the meantime though, custom tailored suits are the best bet, and Hockerty’s system does a fine job.
Have you found a suit that works for a tall slim build? If so, please tell in the comments below.