#themodestman

In a world of tailored clothing, one size does not ever fit all. Men have different body shapes just like women, and that makes it hard for some guys to find clothes that work. Enter Brock McGoff of The Modest Man. Brock helps short guys find clothes that complement their body type, rather than swallowing them whole.

Name and Occupation

Brock McGoff, Digital Marketing

WTW: Favorite Book

MM: Shantaram (fiction), 4 Hour Work Week (non-fiction)

WTW: Favorite Warm Weather Activity

MM: Just chilling. Spending a whole day in the backyard – preferably one with a pool – grilling, talking with friends, making drinks, listening to music, playing Bocce ball and smoking cigars.

WTW: Was there one moment that pushed you to start the blog; a moment where you decided that you needed to share what you knew, and what you were learning about clothes with other short guys?

MM: Yeah, I had switched jobs and started working in a more formal environment than I was used to. I needed new clothes and couldn’t find anything that fit my 5’6” frame. You can find advice about almost anything on the internet, but there was barely anything on clothing and style for shorter men. Just the same old “wear vertical stripes” nonsense from the GQ’s and AskMen’s of the world.

I figured there were probably millions of other men just like me, so I started The Modest Man. Its growing popularity validates the fact that men under 5’8” have really been ignored. Short shifted, if you will (I got “short” puns for days).

WTW: What is the most costly alteration needed for guys who are on the shorter side?

MM: If we’re talking single alterations, probably shortening the sleeves on jackets with functioning buttons. But what really gets pricey is when one item needs several fixes. Like if trousers need to be hemmed, tapered and taken in at the waist – it adds up quickly.

WTW: Can you share a DIY tailor hack that guys, regardless of their height can use to get a better fit?

MM: I use this one easy trick pretty regularly, especially for chinos. If you don’t want to get a pair of pants hemmed, or maybe you prefer to roll them up, get some no-sew glue or fusion tape to hold the cuff/roll in place. That way, you can get a nice tight roll that stays put, and you don’t have to mess with it every time you put the pants on. Plus you leave yourself the option to get them hemmed later on.

WTW: Favorite brands to shop where you need little, to no alterations?

MM: There are a couple of brands who focus exclusively on short men, which is awesome. My favorite is Peter Manning NYC. I have a couple of shirts from them that fit better than any other off-the-rack button ups I’ve worn. For dress shirts and suits, I pretty much only buy custom or made-to-measure these days. It ends up being about the same price after you factor in the “tailor tax”.

I shop at all of the normal places – J. Crew, Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Express, Zara – but it takes some work to figure out which items fit from each brand. I usually can’t buy shirts and pants from the same store. Plus, you have to wait for sales since everything needs at one basic alteration (pants hemmed, for example).

But there are so many cool menswear start ups that look really promising for those of us who don’t fit in standard sizes. This company Threadmason just sent me a t-shirt that fits perfectly. They have a proprietary sizing system for t-shirts. How cool is that? After all, even casual clothes should fit properly.

WTW: You wrote an ebook, or e-guide, that helps men achieve a better fit, how was that experience? Is it something you’ll ever do again?

MM: Writing the guide was a great experience. It’s like the blog, in that it’s all about understanding how clothes should fit, but it’s more thorough and organized. I still get excited when I get an email from PayPal saying someone bought the book. Even better is when customer reach out to say how much it has helped them. I definitely plan on writing more ebooks and even Kindle books in the future. Blogging is great, but I think many people prefer the structure and depth of a book.