People come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you have a small frame or are particularly “big-boned”, fashion embraces all kinds of men but some big guys akin wearing clothes to an act of concealment where they would cover up certain parts of their body while highlighting other attractive features of the body to make up for their large size.
The thing is, all big guys can look great regardless of their size, but most men come to a screeching halt when it comes to deciding the size of tie that they should wear. See, the size of your tie has the power to change your entire look. You can go from looking sharp to looking ridiculous with just the type of tie you wear.
If you are into skinny ties then, boy, do we have news for you. Let’s dive into the question directly. Can big guys wear skinny ties? Big guys should not wear skinny ties. Wearing a skinny tie on a big guy might bring a lot of unwanted attention towards the chest and stomach, but you might also be able to get away with it on a narrow lapel.
There is no easy answer to this but there are some extremely useful guidelines that you can adapt to get the most out of your body’s build, especially when it comes to trying on skinny ties. Everyone will have their own opinion when it comes to trying out ties but it will eventually boil down to the “pre-requisites” that we will list down later in this article.
Read on more to find out how a big person can fashionably dominate the floor when it comes to wearing skinny or any type of tie:
How Knot to Wear Ties on Big Guys
We can all agree, and it certainly goes without saying that ties are an absolute necessity on a gentleman. No formal suit is complete without a neck accessory, whether its ties or bows. You cannot just simply go out at a formal event without wearing a proper tie.
For most people wearing a tie is a very easy task to complete, some men don’t even have to invest that much time in deciding the type of tie that they want to wear. The struggle is, however, very real for big guys. See, big guys don’t get to enjoy the benefits that most people have when it comes to wardrobe choices.
Of course, we aren’t saying that all big guys are at a disadvantage because of their body frame. In fact, one can go as far as to say that you can find just as many accessories and styles for large people as you would for a medium or small-framed sized person. The real problem arises when you want to try a fashionable item which simply does not fit your body size. There are different workarounds for this but let’s start with the basics first.
There are three types of big guys out there:
1) The super buff people who have perfected their body to the point that they are now a heap of walking muscles.
2) People who are born with broad shoulders, towering height and a generally large body frame with prominent features.
3) People who are just plain fat.
If you fall into either one of these categories, then congratulations, because knowing your body type is the first step in knowing what works and what does not work on you and since we are discussing ties, we will focus solely on what you should wear around your neck that does not make you look ridiculous.
First, embrace your body type, man. You are awesome in your own way no matter what you might think of yourself. People tend to be very hard on themselves, which makes them skip out on a lot of wardrobe experimentation and styling options.
Look, even if someone tells you that you would look great in a style of clothing, chances are that you might not end up measuring up to their expectations because YOU don’t feel comfortable in your own skin. Believe it or not, this is a true phenomenon. You put out what you feel inside. If you feel insecure about wearing something, then your insecurities will surely show on the outside and people will not perceive you to be dapper.
But if you embrace your body shape then you can wear whatever you want, and people will always see you like a stylish gentleman. But this type of thinking only goes so far. You will still need to be very wary of what you wear. For example, let’s talk about the types of ties that exist and what would look great on you.
Ties come in different widths. Some “pencil” ties are narrow with only a one to two-inch width, while others might be wide enough to adequately fill out the lapel of your jacket. The latter of these types of ties can be seen on bankers and other professionals.
Pencil or “skinny” ties, like this ZENXUS Casual Skinny Neckties for Men (Amazon), are great for parties and other informal occasions. They are historically worn by the young and aged alike, especially by people with a skinny body frame. You will hardly find any big guy sporting a skinny tie without looking ridiculous but that is because they aren’t doing it right.
The thing is, skinny people wear skinny ties because normal width or large width ties fill out too much of their chest and stomach and they end up looking “fenced”, meaning that their lapel and tie form a fence-like shape around their chest and stomach. You can imagine how silly that would look.
Similarly, wearing a skinny tie on a big guy can look just as goofy. But wait, there are ways that you can make it work! We are talking about secret and ingenious methods that you can employ to mask your disproportionate tie size and look amazing!
The Ways of the Tie
It’s true that most big guys could end up becoming a laughingstock because of the choice of tie they wear, but as we discussed, there are other ways you can make it work.
Before we begin, though, let’s first discuss why people think that skinny ties won’t go well on big guys.
The width of your tie is determined by the lapel of your jacket. Wider lapels call for a wider tie and a narrow lapel allows for narrower ties. Simple right? It makes sense because the lapel of your jacket is what provides a “background” for the tie. Think of it in terms of space, a wider lapel means that you have much more of your stomach and chest showing, which means that you can use a wider tie with ease and cover yourself from the neck down adequately.
A narrow lapel means that you don’t have that much of “body-real-estate” to work with, so to speak. Meaning that there is only so much of your stomach and chest showing to use a wide tie. So, for a narrow lapel, you will naturally go with a skinny tie. Most big guys who even dare to try the skinny tie look understandably and meticulously plan their outfit beforehand. From the jacket size, type, and style to the lapel size. Everything is constructed in a way that allows for skinny ties to be worn.
If you have the right pre-requisites: a narrow lapel, a 3-inch-wide tie, and a stylish jacket. Then you too can wear a skinny tie and get away with it. The best way would be to talk to your tailor. We can’t stress this simple fact: if you want a good jacket then get a tailored jacket instead of a ready-made.
There is no ready-made jacket in the world that can fit you perfectly. Even if it does, chances are that it will have an inherent flaw. If you are a big guy and you want to try on skinny ties, then your best bet is with a tailored jacket.
Let’s bring back the categories of men that we discussed above back into view. If you are a muscular guy, then forget about going for the readymade jackets, you are better off with a tailor. The tailor will tell you exactly how you can achieve any look you want as, of course, only he possesses the ability to “magically” contour your suit in a way that allows for a skinny tie.
For people who are born with broad shoulders and consider themselves to be “big-boned”; you too should consult with a tailor before purchasing any jacket. Basically, we would suggest that you go for a bespoke suit rather than a cheap-looking jacket which does nothing for your personality.
Fat people have the option for choosing large jackets but can also mess around with the lapel size by talking with their tailor and expressing their fashion interests. Generally, most large men will go for a large one-size jacket.
While there is nothing wrong with going with these jackets as one might argue that it is much more convenient than having someone make a proper suit for you. You should at least keep an open mind when it comes to the type of styles that you want to try with your suit.
For big guys, you don’t have to worry at all about wearing a wider tie size because believe it or not, you are blessed to have this body type as there are very few pieces of clothing that won’t go on you. Your body is otherwise a blank canvas for most fashions.
Also, if you really think about it, big guys have all the good things. They can rock a normal 3.5-inch tie and make it appear “smaller” due to their larger size, hence achieving the look of a skinny tie and can also easily pull off the 4 to 4.5-inch traditional bankers tie on almost any suit of their choice.
Wider vs Narrow – it’s a Tie!
A skinny guy can naturally make skinny ties work and a big guy can easily make a wider tie work. It’s a tradeoff, a compromise for both body types. What most big guys need to understand is that, while you can make a skinny tie work, you can’t just let it hold you back from trying other awesome fashions.
Skinny ties look great, but the key is to not force the fashion onto yourself. Let it come naturally. We have already discussed how you can make your suit in a way that allows you to rock skinny ties. But there is a lesson here that is to be learned, which is to be comfortable in your own body and with the fashion choices you have.
We won’t be the ones to tell you that you can’t work a skinny tie on a large frame. It’s 2019, you can do whatever you want so long as it is beneficial for you and helps you further your own social personality. If you want to try skinny ties then go for it, talk with your tailor and express all your concerns and hear what they have to say. Their opinion will give you the validation for whatever you choose to wear.
Remember, if you really are a big guy then a stylish 3.5 to 4-inch tie can also mimic the appearance of a skinny tie on your chest as your body will make the tie look proportional and at the end, it will always come down to proportion.
For example, try out this Handmade Plaid Ties for Men (Click to view current pricing on Amazon) which is specially designed to cater to a wide variety of men and sizes! In conclusion, whether you experiment with your lapel size or try on different tie widths. If you keep everything in proportion, there is no style you cannot dominate!
