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Home / Blog / Clothing and Style

Can Short Men Wear Double-Breasted Suits?

Published on March 8, 2016 by Brock McGoff · Clothing and Style May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Shorter men often wonder if they can pull off wearing a double-breasted suit or sport coat. There’s so much conflicting and inaccurate info around the web, so I want to clear this issue up once and for all.

Double breasted suits

Most “style gurus” tell shorter men to stay away from DB suits, lest you end up looking shorter and fatter than you really are.

There is some truth to this. If you wear a double-breasted suit that doesn’t fit well, it’s going to make you look really bad.

But the thing is, any suit that doesn’t fit well is going to look bad, even if it’s a plain old single-breasted suit.

Short men can rock DB suits like the best of them, but they have to follow three guidelines:

  1. Your suit has to fit impeccably well
  2. Keep the jacket cropped extra short
  3. Go with four buttons (not six buttons)

I explain each of these guidelines in more detail in this video:

Here’s the thing: double-breasted suits aren’t as versatile or common as single-breasted suits, so you should only buy one if you already have your basic suit collection in place.

If you’ve got the staples (one navy and one grey single-breasted suit, at a minimum), feel free to expand your collection by adding a DB suit to the mix.

And if you need some inspiration, here are a few stylish modest men achieving baller status in their DB suits:

Matt Fan DB Suits
Source
Adam Lampell DB suit
Source: Articles of Style
DirtySox cream DB suit
Source
Brock wearing DB suit
TMM Instagram

Of course, I had to include a picture of yours truly rocking a DB suit. This is the same suit I’m wearing in the above video, and I’m wearing it here for a summer wedding (hence no tie).

I hope this guide gives you the knowledge and courage to try on a double-breasted suit or jacket.

As always, share your thoughts or questions in the comments below!

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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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Comments

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

  1. Masada says

    May 24, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    Hi Brock 👋 great article , well I think short men can wear DS besides people like Charlie chaplin and Kelvin Hart and they look good on it, the point is the DS should be more fitted

    Reply
  2. Brandon Ford says

    September 5, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    Double, or single venting?

    Reply
  3. None Ya says

    April 27, 2019 at 11:02 am

    This is such BS advice. I’m 5’7 and rock DB suits…

    Reply
    • Brock says

      April 27, 2019 at 12:03 pm

      Did you even read the article? Might have missed this line: “Short men can rock DB suits like the best of them”

      Reply
  4. V Giovanni says

    November 27, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    What are the width of your lapels?

    Reply
  5. Mike says

    January 14, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    how big are the cuffs on your pants?

    Reply
  6. SP says

    August 10, 2016 at 10:27 am

    It’s not that short men “shouldn’t” wear double breasted suits, it’s more that they don’t look AS good as single breasted on them. Even a perfectly fitting double tends to overwhelm smaller frames with 4 buttons and extra fabric when compared with a single’s streamlined appearance. So why wear a double when a single is simply better looking?

    Reply
  7. Beau says

    June 25, 2016 at 4:57 pm

    What you said makes sense Brock, but you left out a very important point. Your advice flies out the window when dealing with guys who are short but broad. At 5’8″ I’m hardly tall, but I need a 48″ jacket. Wearing a double breasted just makes me look like a wall with buttons on it.

    Reply
  8. Dave Misir says

    May 16, 2016 at 9:44 am

    Hey Brock, great article as always. I was wondering if you could tell me where you picked up this suit, or where you had it made?

    I’ve been looking everywhere for a 4-button double-breasted suit and it’s so tricky to find one. Any recommendations?

    Best,
    -Dave

    Reply
    • Brock says

      May 16, 2016 at 10:51 am

      It’s from a company called Knot Standard, but any custom suit maker should be able to do it.

      Reply
      • Dave Misir says

        May 16, 2016 at 11:30 am

        Ah, gotchya. Thanks for the reply.

        Reply
  9. Tim says

    March 22, 2016 at 11:14 am

    Does it matter if I’m have a long torso and short legs? That is why I’ve avoided the DBs in the past. Felt like a huge walking box with tiny legs hanging out.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      March 22, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      You would need to wear higher rise trousers and keep the jacket length extra short. If you do that, you can completely change the way your proportions are perceived.

      More on that here:

      http://www.primermagazine.com/2013/spend/pants-rise-explained-and-why-low-rise-isnt-always-your-best-choice

      Reply
  10. RORRO says

    March 15, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    Perfect fit on those last 2 pics.

    Reply
  11. diskartes says

    March 12, 2016 at 10:25 am

    Hi Brock, in my opinion..when the suit is fit, everything gonna be okay..
    And yes,, too much buttons will harm the appearances..

    Reply
  12. Rob says

    March 10, 2016 at 7:36 pm

    Hey Brock, what’s the bracelet your wearing in the video?

    Reply
    • Brock says

      March 13, 2016 at 6:12 pm

      It’s from a shop on a Navajo reservation in Arizona (was a gift). Pretty sweet, huh?

      Reply
  13. Rollo says

    March 8, 2016 at 5:07 pm

    This is one of those times I do in fact lean toward the tighter fit to balance out the impression of extra width. I just can’t stand having to keep it buttoned up all the time.

    Reply
  14. Tom Walker says

    March 8, 2016 at 11:28 am

    A good article Brock, and food for thought. I had even hesitated before buying a peacoat for the same concerns you mention above. I finally puchased a well fitting coat from Gloverall and I can indeed wear double breasted and look good.

    Reply

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