Esquire: How to Dress Like You’re Dwyane Wade

We’d like to take full credit for what Dwyane Wade wore for our styling new profile in the December issue (which you can pick up any day now), but the truth is, Wade was more than capable of helping himself. The man knows what he looks good in, and more than that, he actually cares about clothes. (Case in point: Gucci, which makes the camel-hair coat you see above, has Wade’s credit-card number on file.) Wade brought his own shoes to the shoot on the streets of Miami — two suitcases of ‘em, in fact, and not necessarily the ones you’d expect (he prefers monk straps and boots to sneakers). And unlike many men his size, Wade is also particularly conscious of how his clothes fit. He knows he has a somewhat unusual body shape (tiny waist, athletic legs), another reason most of his clothes are custom-made by his favorite houses, a service they’re happy to provide. Of course, not everyone is so lucky. Which is why, for the sake of men with tall statures but maybe slightly fewer zeros behind their bank balance, we thought we’d offer some tips on looking good in a longer fit:

If you can, stay away from the rack. Custom clothes will fit the proportions of your body better. If this means having fewer pieces that work better with your body, so be it.

Go for tall, not big. Many companies offer tall sizing now, including Banana Republic and J.Crew, but unfortunately it’s only through their catalogs. The fit might not be right the first time you try it, but trust us, it’s better than going the way of Big and Tall. Plus, they have generous return policies.

Stretch it a bit. There’s extra fabric in the hems of both the jackets and pants of most off-the-peg garments. If all you need is a little more length, a tailor can usually sort you out.

Avoid white shoes. They are tempting, we’ll agree, and even more so come spring, but they’ll also make you look bigger than you actually are. Instead, try a taupe or dove gray (also big next spring), and if you really insist on white, make it something with a low profile, like a crème deerskin driving moccasin, perhaps.