Shoulders come first, everything else can flex — how to actually suit up a muscular build.
A lot of people think that finding suits for muscular men is easy. After all, being muscular has to come with certain advantages, right?
Well, only until you actually go shopping for a men’s suit as a muscular guy. The thing is, most brands only make suits for average build and fat guys, because they are the most common and usually get the top spots on the sales charts.
But worry not if you’re a muscular man, because Flex Suits has some valuable insight to help you choose the right suit for you, while also offering many suit options on our own website too.
Shoulders first, everything else after. Modern fit, a proportionate (not narrow) lapel, and quality fabric that can handle movement without pulling at the seams.
$170
$170.00
Shoulders are the King!
Whatever you do, make sure you don’t get the fit wrong for your shoulders. A fit and muscular man in a suit is often defined by his shoulders, and it’s probably the most distinguishing feature among the average man suits and muscular guy suits.
So when looking for the right suit, the first area to focus on in terms of the size has to be the shoulders. But make sure you only get as much room for the shoulders as you really need.
As a muscular guy, your shoulders tend to be bigger. If you try to get a suit that has a lot of extra room around your shoulders, it will make you look abnormally bulky.
One aspect that can be added in relation to the shoulders is the width of the lapels as well. Narrow lapels paired with a wide chest will seem small compared to the shoulders, and it will appear funny. It would be best to make them wide enough.
Be Willing to Compromise
If you have been working out for years with very well-built muscles all round, then you only have two options. First, you get a tailored suit made specifically for you.
Of course, that’s going to be expensive and time-consuming. If that doesn’t sound like something you want to do, then you have the second option.
Shoulders, chest, arms, neck. There’s at least one area that you will have to compromise on to some extent. And that’s if you choose the right brand or are shopping for a slim fit suit at FlexSuits, because we do make suits for such body type.
However, with the average budget suit, you might have to compromise even more. While the shoulder area is non-negotiable as we mentioned above, you can let the fit be a little off around one of the other three areas as long as it makes you feel comfortable.
It’s usually a subjective decision, but if you have to ask us, we will lean more towards the neck area. It’s typically a bit more flexible and easier to adjust than the rest of the areas.
Don't Overlook the Jacket Vent
An additional point to consider in the construction of the jacket prior to moving into a discussion on fit: The design of the vents in the back of the jacket. Two vents in the back allow the jacket to move with the wearer as he/she sits, reaches and turns, rather than pulling tightly across the back, which is precisely what the broad upper body requires. A jacket with no vents is the least desirable.
Modern Fit is Your Best Bet
Muscular men tend to be sharper, leaner around their waist. As we noted in the beginning of this post, most men’s suits are designed for the “average” man.
The modern fit suits, however, kind of stand out in this aspect. They tend to be more accommodating with the waist area, and you wouldn’t leave too much of a loose room that doesn’t get along well with the fit around the rest of the areas.
A slim fit suit can, to your surprise, be a good option too, but only if you’re actually lean enough to not have to squeeze into it. The bulkier muscular men will definitely struggle to move around in a slim fit, and that will most definitely show on the outside too.
However, the leaner muscular men can actually ace a slim fit suit with the right accessories and if they get everything else right with respect to the fit.
In case you have an issue with the waist being tight despite the current fit, it is advisable to choose pants with elastic waists. This is a subtle point, but it ensures that you get extra space in the thigh and glute areas without having to increase the entire trouser size, which only ends up with loose waist and legs.
Quality Is Even More Important
You didn’t really expect us to tell you that the quality is important when choosing a suit, did you? But the thing is, it’s even more important when choosing a suit as a muscular man.
Quality suits can withstand some level of tailoring. So you always have the option of spending a small part of what you would spend on a tailored suit made from scratch, and still get the perfect fit.
This is especially a good option for men who struggle to find a suit that fits well around their shoulders, as then there’s not much you can do about it.
Another factor to consider here is that muscular men often tend to undergo further changes in their body’s shape and style as they stick to their workout regime in the longer run. Instead of having to get another suit every couple years that you might not even wear too many times, you can just get the existing one tailored with slight changes.
But again, that’s only possible if you took the quality seriously when purchasing a readymade suit for the first time.
Worth noting for those who are competing is that if you have to do significant cutting for a competition and you carry more weight in the off-season, it’s possible that no suit will fit you perfectly, since it was made to fit your body at a certain point in time. Some bodybuilders actually use two different suits because of this problem.
Ready to Go?
Now that you’re equipped with some world-class expert knowledge on how to go about choosing the best suits for muscular men, it’s time you check out our modern fit suit collection.
We design suits for all types of men and we are sure you’re going to have quite a few options to choose from. A great problem to have for muscular men looking to purchase a readymade suit!
Frequently Asked Questions
What jacket vent is best for muscular men?
Two Back Vents. These allow the jacket to move freely while sitting, stretching or turning without restricting the back area. The jacket with no vents would be the last choice for a large-muscled body as there would be nothing left to give way to.
Should muscular men look for trousers with a stretch or expandable waistband?
Yes, but only when there is a snug fit. The expandable waist helps give more room for thighs and the glutes without increasing the size of the entire trouser because that would make the waist and openings too loose.
Should lapels be wide or narrow on a muscular man's suit?
Big, or, at the very least, in proportion to the chest size. A thin lapel on a big chest would look small and could be even funny.
Do competitive bodybuilders need more than one suit?
Often times, yes. There will be someone who is cutting drastically to compete and has more mass during the offseason that will actually require having two suits; one for each period.
What fabric weight works best for a muscular build?
Light and medium fabrics tend to be more suited than thick wool and tweed fabrics because these might add bulk to your body shape.
Is it better to buy a quality suit or a cheap one for a muscular build?
However, it is even more important in this case than it would be for an ordinary outfit. A good quality suit can be tailored to fit when your shoulders, chest or waist changes size, but an inferior quality suit cannot handle such alterations.
