While it was a fun time for all, I was a bit concerned when I saw what JT's band was wearing. Justin looked great, as usual, and we will get to that later, but the band, while immensely talented and adorable, had taken a few missteps in the proportions department. This is an easy mistake to make and we are all guilty of this from time to time. Proportions are difficult to get right. I want to say from the onset that proportions are not about the size or shape of your body, but the way clothing and accessories fit, which no matter the shape of your beautiful bod, can be spot on to make you look your best. I have a lot of issues with proportions myself, being nearly 5'11", it is something I have to be constantly mindful of. Ready to wear clothes are often too short, or too wide, and things can become a hot mess for me real quickly. Luckily, with a little attention to detail and some know how, proportion missteps can be easily corrected! I am going to use JT and the band as an instructional of where things can go right and wrong when it comes to proportions. I chose a still from the performance, but if you want to take a closer look at the images, you can head on over to The Tonight Show website to view the full performance.
Okay, let's start with the gentleman to the far left. As you can see he is neatly dressed and has made the decision to leave his shirt un-tucked. Hooray I say, he has a job to do as a musician and if an un-tuck makes it easier, then go for it. My concern is the length of the tie. This is a question I get a lot from my bespoke customers. How long should a tie be? It depends on many factors and future posts will cover these in depth, but for now, I think we can agree that even just a few inches in length would help pull this look together. That might mean just tying the knot differently to leave more length in the front, or if you are tall with a long torso, it may mean having a custom tie created in a longer length. Either way, a few inches can really sure up your proportions and keep you looking sharp.
Next is the lovely back up singer. For the record, I love this look of the vest, matching pant and white dress shirt with the rolled up sleeves. Understated but on pointe, which exactly fits the job description. Unfortunately the proportions on the vest are a little off and this really effects the clean lines of a vest and matching pant combo. The vest should be a few inches longer to fully cover the top of the pant, especially when not wearing a belt. This would play up the fluidity and elongation of the mathcing vest and pant combo, which is why it is a good choice to begin with.
Let's leave JT for last, (I only have good things to say) and let's take a look at the back up singer on the right. Again, great choice with the suit and bow tie. Love this look. But, the bow tie is a bit too big for this gentleman's frame. The perfect bow tie is not only about a great knot, but proportions. The bow itself should not over power and be wider than the neck, or be too small. I will devote an entire post to just finding the perfect bow tie fit, as I get asked this question a lot. For now, we can agree that a little tinkering with the length of the bow tie, or perhaps choosing one with smaller overall proportions would take this dapper look to the next level.
I've got good news for JT, as usual he nailed it in the proportions department. Let's start with his collar. To wear a shirt buttoned up to the top without neckwear means the proportions have to be spot on. You can see here that the collar fits him perfectly. Snug, but not too tight, his neck has room to breath a little and the collar is sitting flat as it should be. My favorite part of his look is that some consideration went into the practicality of it. Knowing he was going to be playing guitar, a decision was made to wear a jacket with real cuff buttons, a lot are faux believe it or not, even on lux brands. Wearing the real deal he was able to roll up his sleeves and get down to business. Another win for JT is the length of his jacket. It's perfect. Sits nicely and gives him enough length to move without it looking too short. Well proportioned all around!
They say football is a game of inches and proportions are no different. Don't be afraid to tinker around. Sometimes finding the perfect look just means tying your tie differently. Please comment below with your thoughts, and feedback. What are your thoughts on proportions? How do you find the perfect fit? And as always, I'm here to help, for good measure.
xoxo
Lisa
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