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Home / Blog / Clothing and Style

Dress Tall Rule #4: Color Combinations

Published on January 8, 2015 by Brock McGoff · Clothing and Style May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Do you know what color clothes to wear? Do you know which color combinations work best for men under 5’8″? Read on to become a color matching pro.

Johnny Depp Jerry Bruckheimer Tom Cruise on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Photo by s_bukley / Depositphotos.com

The Most A Very Important Aspect of Style

One of the easiest ways to upgrade your style is to make sure your clothes fit. If your clothes don’t fit, nothing else really matters. The best color combination in the world won’t make ill-fitting clothes look good.

But that doesn’t mean color isn’t important. In fact, it’s one of the most important aspects of style (after fit). The color combinations you choose will make or break your entire look.

Colors are especially important for shorter men. The right color combinations will make you look taller, while the wrong ones will make you look shorter.

I used to be clueless when it came to the color of my clothes. I used to wonder:

Should I wear light or dark colors?

Which colors go together best?

Are dark colors better than light ones?

But, through lots of trial and error and tons of mistakes, I learned which colors work best for the shorter body type.

Here’s what you need to know about color…

Color Schemes

There two great color schemes for shorter men:

  • Monochromatic (different shades of the same color)
  • Analogous (closely related colors)

I’m not going to get into the details about what these terms mean. I’m no artist, and it’s not that important anyway.

Just know that you should stick to these two schemes whenever possible. Here’s why:

Monochromatic and analogous color schemes reduce contrast.

Analogous colors, especially, are naturally pleasing to the eye. Think about landscapes or any natural scenery, like a forest or shoreline. There are many different colors present, but they’re similar (i.e. neighbors on the color wheel).

For a real life example, let’s look at Mark Wahlberg (5’7″) wearing jeans and a t-shirt:

Rhea Durham and Mark Wahlberg
Photo by s_bukley / Depositphotos.com

The above outfit creates a stark contrast between the upper and lower halves of Mark’s body. This produces a jarring effect that cuts him in half visually.

Your eye stops at the line between the white shirt and black pants, making Mark’s legs look extra short.

On the other hand, look at Wahlberg in a grey shirt and light jeans:

Mark Wahlberg at the premiere
Photo by s_bukley / Depositphotos.com

There’s very little contrast between his shirt and pants. Your eye moves up and down his figure easily  since there’s no reason to stop.

This creates a streamlined look that stretches his figure vertically and hides any imperfections (like short legs or  a shirt that’s too long).

Learn From the Pros

You know who has mastered color combinations for short men? Josh Hutcherson (a.k.a. Peeta from Hunger Games):

Josh Hutcherson Net Worth
Photo by PopularImages / Depositphotos.com
Josh Hutcherson Style
Photo by s_bukley / Depositphotos.com
Josh Hutcherson Casual Style
Photo by kobbydagan / Depositphotos.com
Josh Hutcherson Red Carpet
Photo by PopularImages / Depositphotos.com

In fact, it’s hard to find a photo of Josh not adhering to this guideline. So if you ever need some inspiration or ideas, check out our article on Josh Hutcherson’s height and style.

Bottom Line

When it comes to choosing the right color combinations for shorter men, try to streamline your figure by avoiding contrast.

The easiest way to do this is to stick with analogous and monochromatic color schemes.

What’s your favorite color combination? Leave a comment below!

More ‘Dress Tall’ Rules:

  • Dress Tall Rule #1: Don’t Wear Baggy Clothing
  • Dress Tall Rule #2: Get Your Clothes Tailored
  • Dress Tall Rule #3: Wear Dark Colors

Clothing and Style color, colors, dress tall

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. lakshmi srinivas says

    February 19, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    I’m 5.7 foot tall with fair colour with brown eyes and black hair . suggest me the best combination of clothing for my college fest

    Reply
  2. Eranda says

    April 14, 2016 at 11:42 pm

    This is very useful Brock.
    Thanks anyway..I would like if you can make a post on office wear for a short man also..It will be very useful for us..

    Thanks

    Reply
  3. Reereenz says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    I loved looking at your pinterest. Please add more!

    Reply
  4. bloggs7 says

    February 20, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    I thought you were against horizontal lines…(Josh Hutcherson 2nd pic)?

    Reply
    • Brock says

      February 21, 2015 at 10:49 am

      Nothing inherently wrong with horizontal lines. But, as with any pattern, keep it small scale. Thick horizontal lines won’t look good. That shirt Josh is wearing looks good because the lines are thin and close together.

      Reply
  5. Bill Ballard says

    January 14, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    In spite of the great advise in this article, and the wonderful advice in the post from Annie Kip, there are still some things to be aware of when it comes to choosing colors. As a photographer, I can tell you that interactions between color tones and skin tones warrant some consideration. In my days shooting fashion, I’ve had models virtually wash out when tonal ranges in wardrobe and skin have been too close. The term ‘monochromatic’ means different things to different folks, but remember that a little bit of contrast can go along way in getting good color choices to become habits.

    Reply
    • rollo says

      January 14, 2015 at 10:57 pm

      I think I get what you are saying. I am blondish haired, blue eyed, light skinned and am often told by experts that i should wear light, low contrast clothing. I have never agreed with that and found that such colors wash me out. Medium to dark colors often work well for me, with some light colors thrown in. Now for a short black person, I imagine wearing dark colors might cause the visual problems you are speaking of.

      Reply
  6. Malaquias says

    January 12, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I usually stick to monochromatic colors because I went through a blue phase and that’s mostly what I have. Great article! You should do an article on men who are incredibly short and can wear children’s clothing.

    Reply
  7. Bren (@brenbat) says

    January 10, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    If you’re height challenged and have a high contrast complexion, this rule has to be tweaked a bit.

    A contrast should be focused above the shoulders like a contrast collar and away from the midsection.

    BD Wong in the upcoming film, Focus, is purposely dressed this way in the trailer.

    Reply
  8. Diamondflame says

    January 10, 2015 at 5:35 am

    Dressing well is more than just dressing ‘tall’. It’s a matter of proportions and certain color combinations are more pleasing than the limited monochromatic look. Trying to look taller than you actually are underlines a sense of insecurity or inferiority that is not particularly attractive. Why don’t we just embrace our lack of height and be more confident in our sense of style?

    Reply
    • rollo says

      January 13, 2015 at 10:49 pm

      DIAMONDFLAME, I largely agree which is why i said I usually ignore this rule. On the other hand, the style strategy for anyone is to bring yourself into balance. This goes for tall men, wide, skinny, what have you.

      I see these rules as tools. Tools we can use or ignore as the situation demands.

      The insecurity thing is right on. I have never had bad feelings about my height and in fact never dreamed i was at a “disadvantage” until late in high school when i read something by a psychologist explaining the whole height issue. I thought it was an April Fools joke article. Still, bringing yourself into balance should be the goal, without being insecure (and definitely without those awful elevator shoes!).

      Reply
  9. Annie Kip says

    January 9, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Great post, Brock! I just want to add that a navy suit is the perfect way for the “un-tall” man to dress taller – the lines of a well-fitted, dark suit can make any guy look a foot taller. Navy is a great go-to color that can take a man most of the places he needs to go (from weddings to funerals) – and the navy blazer and dark jeans does the same job for casual occasions, easily giving men the “I didn’t mean to look this awesome” vibe.

    You are right – paying attention to fit and color combinations is so important. Keep up the good work, Brock!

    Best,
    Annie Kip
    Style Consultant, J. Hilburn Men’s Custom Clothiers
    Boston, MA

    Reply
  10. Alan Au says

    January 9, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    One of the rules we like to stick to is having your lighter/lightest color on top to bring the eyes up. This goes for monochromatic, analogous AND contrast. Especially if you must do contrast. Lighter color on top.

    Very honored to have guys we’ve dressed mentioned here.

    Regards,

    Alan Au

    Jimmy Au’s For Men 5’8″ and Under
    9408 Brighton Way
    Beverly Hills, CA 90210
    310-888-8708

    Reply
  11. Harry says

    January 9, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Good info. But i do love yellow trousers and blue top !

    Reply
  12. rollo says

    January 9, 2015 at 11:04 am

    This is one of the rules I usually ignore. If i like a contrasting outfit, I go with it. Honestly, I get the theory but I don’t notice much difference in those pictures of the celeb guy you posted ( don’t know who he is). He looked fine in both.

    I am more concerned with fit, avoiding color clashes, and wearing the right clothes for the season, situation or mood. You can’t always worry about height.

    Good information though. Thanks.

    Reply
  13. Brock says

    January 9, 2015 at 10:59 am

    Nice… yeah as long as you know how to make length/color work to your advantage, you can pretty much correct any imperfections. Pretty cool!

    Reply
  14. Matt says

    January 9, 2015 at 9:15 am

    Thanks for this Brock! Makes sense!

    Reply
  15. thekentuckygent says

    January 9, 2015 at 12:13 am

    I have the opposite problem on this spectrum, haha. I’ve learned to not buy shirts that hit me right at my waist line as I’m 6’4 and pretty much all leg. Thank god for creating the illusion of a longer torso with an oversized shirt.

    Reply

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