Dec. 26, 2012 —
In the spirit of the season of giving, I am sharing information on how a chubby man might look a bit slimmer without dieting.
First, you must be willing to buy new clothes occasionally and also be comfortable with some wardrobe deception.
Most men face the prospect of steadily increasing waistlines. In addition to pants, that expansion also affects shirt and coat sizes and the length of neckties.
That last item may surprise you but it is vital that the tip of the necktie always reach your beltline.
If not, that tie hanging halfway down your shirt looks like a pointer to your pot belly.
Wearing extra long ties should solve the problem nicely. A regular tie can be worn long by attaching the short end securely to the long end.
Your beltline should be as close to the navel as possible, the way many of us learned to wear our uniforms while in the military.
Those who routinely let their belt slip under their belly, otherwise known as “dunlop disease,” may want to stop reading if they’re not willing to pull up their pants.
By the way, “dunlop” gets its name from the obvious fact that the belly “done lopped over the belt.”
Letting pants ride low on your hips – although fashionable in many places – emphasizes girth and might expose that vertical cleavage behind you.
And, as the waistline grows, make sure you get longer belts. Each should be at least 1.5 inches wide so they won’t roll under your waistband.
New belts always should be the same style and color so that no one notices you’re wearing a bigger one.
Shirts, too, must grow as your waistline does. Front buttons straining to hold the shirt together are a sure sign of extra weight.
And that’s really obvious if your collar is too tight. Big guys shouldn’t buy shirts with button-down collars if they wear ties. They will roll, instead of spreading flat like a pointed or straight collar.
Another mistake is to use a collar extender that allows you to wear a too-small shirt. That flexibility might feel good but your collars won’t lay right and you might pop some buttons.
As for pants, buy bigger ones as your waist grows, maintaining the same style and color so it’s not obvious that the others are too small. The same goes for suits and sport coats.
My wife says a better title for this piece might have been “what to do when your hunk becomes a chunk.”
Wednesday's Post
The sartorial secrets of a fat man
- Wednesday's Post
-
-
‘Where never lark or ever eagle flew’
The poem “High Flight” was written by a young American pilot, John Magee, flying for the Royal Canadian Air Force before the U.S. entered World War II.
-
A night to remember…my first pie supper
She was the prettiest girl I had ever known. We were freshmen in high school and she asked me to be her boyfriend.
-
Have you updated your bucket list?
This is the third time I’ve written about a personal “bucket list” and this time I’m suggesting that we review our lists annually.
-
The ‘Greatest Generation’ earned the name
Men who shouldered a rifle now carry a cane. Men who drove trucks, landing craft and tanks now steer a two-wheeled walker.
-
Vain as a peacock, cool as a cucumber
He was a bright, witty and dapper man who did his best to look as young as he could for as long as he could. His sense of humor and competitive spirit left indelible impressions on me.
-
Flashbacks revive memories of a tragedy
I remember the day like it was yesterday – Dec. 15, 1967, a few minutes before 5 p.m. in Ironton, Ohio. As the local reporter for the morning newspaper in nearby Huntington, W.Va., I was making a routine check at the sheriff’s office of calls and complaints.
-
The greatest singer sang the greatest song
Within 10 minutes, four of my children called, e-mailed or texted me that morning to express condolences on what they knew would be a personal loss.
-
‘42’ more about fairness than baseball
One of the first major league baseball games I saw in person as a young boy was when my beloved Cincinnati Reds hosted the Brooklyn Dodgers at Crosley Field.
-
Real sounds or not, ole Waite was the best
I was listening to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game on radio while driving home when I had a flashback to the 1950’s.
-
Great food way ahead of its time
The first time I saw one it reminded me of a deflated football or a toy boat by its shape but seeing it was not nearly as memorable as eating one.
- More Wednesday's Post Headlines
-
‘Where never lark or ever eagle flew’
