10 Stylish Ways to Hide Your Beer Belly

Image via Complex Original

Artist Ai Weiwei rocks all-black-everything like his name was Jay-Z, and that's a good thing. Darker colors like navy, black, gray, and charcoal have been keeping heavier dudes looking great for years. They have a much more slimming effects than light colors because it's much harder to discern small differences in fabric like wrinkles, pulling, and they're so subtle that they don't draw too much visual attention to the areas you're trying to hide.

Find a tailor. Keep him close. Trust him with your clothes the same way you do a good mechanic with your car. Plenty of guys buy suits that are way too big, especially self-conscious ones pushing a bit of extra weight. Don't hide it under extra fabric, just get your tailor to give you some more room in "problem areas" while slimming down everything else. Take a look at Andre Leon Talley's double-breasted suit. It fits impeccably while still having some room to maneuver in the midsection.

The scarf and fedora are a bit much, but at least Homer Simpson's pants are on point. A perfectly tailored pair of chinos or trousers does wonders for a guy with a gut. If you nail the bottom half of your body with something flattering, it'll help the rest of your body look good too.

Most guys make the mistake of either buying their shirts so tight that they can't breathe or so loose that they don't fit. Achieve a happy medium between what feels comfortable and what looks right. Rick Ross nails it with this short-sleeve buttondown. The shoulders line up with his actual shoulder, and even when it's untucked it doesn't baloon out to the sides or look like a sack.

Tucking in your shirt cleans up your whole look, and if your buttondown suits your body, it won't look like your stomach is about to hulk out of it. Jay Leno may not be a style icon, but he looks good in this denim-on-denim look because of the way his shirt is tucked into his jeans. It's not super tight, but not too baggy either.

Low-rise jeans stop before your stomach, which means they help hide your gut. We don't advise tucking in your baseball jersey like Jonah Hill here, it'd look much better hanging out of his jeans. But as you can see, even dude with a bit of weight can pull off a slim-straight pair of jeans. They have a slimming effect on the rest of his body too.

T-shirts should be a bit loose without being a baggy tall tee. Avoid "slim fit" and go for a regular fit that has a bit of breathing room without the infamous boxiness certain cuts are known for. Kanye West gets it right here: A well-fitting tee should line up with your shoulders and fit a little close to the chest, but keep a straight line all the way down, allowing for a bit of looseness.

Throw some cognitive dissonance into the mix. People won't notice your gut when you're rocking slim pants with a longer T-shirt and slim hoodie. It creates the illusion of exaggerated proportions, so people won't know where your stomach starts or even see your spare tire poking through your shirt. Plus, it's a way to hop on the street goth trend without going full turbo.

A great jacket can draw attention away from your midsection, whether it's Biggie's red statement-making leather jacket, a lightweight M-65, or timely bomber jacket. Throw it on over a T-shirt or button down and you're good to go. Just make sure your pants balance out the look. Remember what we said about proportion?

Standing up straight does wonders. It'll make your belly a bit flatter, let your clothes hang better, and you'll look so much more confident. And really, isn't looking confident what good style is all about?