Men’s bodies are not so different from women’s, except that they have fewer bits! However, many are ridiculed for what they wear usually by women who know things … like larger bodies shouldn’t wear horizontal stripes. Yet, how do women come to posses this fountain of all knowledge when it comes to what suits body types? Guys we are not born with this knowledge – it comes from years of reading magazines until the contents are thoroughly imprinted upon our brains!

As many men have the same basic shapes as women such as - large tummies, tall, skinny and short, there is one factor which is true of all these shapes. Rather than wear clothes that are skin-tight choose, a slim-fit to enhance and fit your overall shape.

The much misconstrued idea is that wearing tight clothes will hold in your wobbly bits but in fact it does the complete opposite and shows them up more! Loose clothes will not hide your undesired shape either, but will drown you and makes a shorter body appear smaller and a slim frame appear even skinnier!

A few handy tips for those of you with a bit of a beer belly, as well as the beers, stay away from lighter shades and horizontal stripes as these will elongate you in the wrong direction. Instead go for thin vertical stripes which will give you height. A good idea if you want to conceal your tummy is to wear darker shades on both your top and bottom to create a ‘column’ of colour, then team this with a lighter shaded, fitted shirt over the top. From the front, this will make it look like you have no belly at all!

Tall and skinny men should not wear vertical stripes as they will make you appear thinner. Instead wear thick, vertical stripes – one large one across the chest will make your shoulders seem broader. Do not wear dark shades on your top and bottom halves at the same time as this will create the ‘column’ effect and make you look even thinner, instead opt for pale shades which give the illusion of weight. One tip is to buy slim fit or fitted tops as these will help maintain your masculine shape instead of drowning it. Try layering a slim fit t-shirt with a fitted shirt or wearing two different coloured t-shirts together to add extra ‘bulk’ to your body.

For the vertically challenged males out there, all is not lost. Avoid bulky shoes as they take up more of your height. To enable you to appear taller, buy shoes that have a slight heel, don’t be afraid that you will look girly – most men’s shoes now come with a thick sole which makes the heel part look bigger. Wear with slightly longer trousers to add to the heightening effect. Try wearing pinstripes or trousers with a crease down the front of each leg which will heighten the length of your legs. Shorter people, male and female, benefit from trousers that are slightly bootcut at the bottom and that have a low rise at the top. This is the area from the waistband to the crotch area and helps lengthen the top part of your body.

To stop your partner banging her head against a brick wall next time you’re out shopping, make sure you take the time to try things on to make sure they fit right. You’ll soon find you will be rewarded in more ways than one! Ladies, watch out.