9 style mistakes short guys should never make

YOU DON’T HAVE to be 6’3″ to walk into a room looking like a total badass.

Tom Cruise? He’s 5’7″. Scott Caan? 5’5″.

So what do they know that you don’t? Simply that there are just a few key errors many shorter guys make when getting dressed, and that if you learn to avoid them, you’ll forever change your look.

Here, the style mistakes you really want to steer clear of:

1. You don’t use a tailor

Why you should avoid it: If you tend to wear your clothes straight from the store without alterations, there’s a good chance a lot of the stuff in your closet could fit you way better. “Being on the shorter side means off-the-rack won’t always apply to you,” says Dwight Fenton, chief creative officer at BONOBOS.

Do this instead: At least for the good stuff—your jeans, pants, blazers, and suits—“let a trusted tailor finish the job,” he says.

2. Your jacket is too big

Why you should avoid it: We get it: Sometimes you’d rather buy the large instead of the medium, or the medium instead of the small. But wearing a size that’s too big only makes you look smaller.

Do this instead: The secret to the perfect fit is making sure the shoulders sit correctly: “Get as close as you can to having the shoulders in the right place,” suggests Fenton. When the shoulders aren’t sticking up or out, and the jacket feels like a comfy second skin, you’ve found the size and style for you. And remember: Not all jackets are meant to be worn closed, so don’t dismiss a bomber or blazer that fits like a glove when it’s open, just because it’s a bit tight when it’s closed (as long as you can, you know, move your arms).