Men of Modest Height: Actor and Writer Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill, 5’7″, is an Academy Award nominated actor/writer/comedian who has been dominating Hollywood since 2007. He exploded onto the scene in the hit comedy Superbad before landing a string of funny-guy roles. Then he surprised everyone (maybe just me?) with his dramatic performance in Brad Pitt’s Moneyball.

Like any celebrity, Hill is photographed relentlessly, especially at awards shows like the Oscars and Golden Globes. In terms of style, he doesn’t always get it right. But when he does, he looks darn sharp, which makes for a great case study, as there are plenty example of how small details can make or break your look.

For example, in these two photos Jonah show us how a little tailoring can go a long way. Take a look at these two formal outfits side by side:

Besides the shirt color and lapel style, there are two crucial differences that make the tuxedo on the right better than the one on the left:

1. The pants are hemmed to a proper length
2. The jacket sleeves are shortened enough to show a little cuff

Notice how something as simple and easy as getting your pants hemmed makes a huge difference in your overall appearance. Even if Jonah wore the same shirt and kept his shawl lapels, these simple alterations (which cost less than $50) change everything.

Well done, Mr. Hill. Well done, indeed.

These two outfits below are basically the same – boots, jeans, button up shirt (tucked in) and a light jacket. Everything fits well. So why is the one on the right so much better?

It’s all about contrast.

In the outfit on the left, Jonah is wearing a belt that strongly contrasts with his jeans and shirt. This cuts him in half, visually, which is bad for shorter men. The jacket also contrasts with the jeans, adding to the sharp contrast between his top and bottom halves.

This outfit would be much better if Jonah swapped out the brown belt for a black one and wore a darker jacket. Heck, he could probably even keep the jacket if he just changed the belt.

On the other hand, the outfit on the right looks great because the jacket matches the jeans and the belt matches the boots. Everything is working together to create a nice streamlined figure.

Conclusion

We’ve seen how simple alterations can take a formal outfit to the next level, and how leaving a tux unaltered can be devastating for shorter gents. We’ve also seen that color choices, even just for simple accessories, make a huge difference in your overall appearance.

I thank Jonah Hill for allowing us to use him as a case study (not that he had a choice…). He’s a great actor and a very funny man. His height obviously hasn’t held him back from achieving great things, and I look forward to his future work.

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What do you think about Jonah’s outfits? Leave a comment below!