How to Look Taller Part 1 – How to Appear Taller

I feel the need to start this post with a brief disclaimer:  I am NOT a fashion genius.  In fact, I’m pretty much quite the contrary.  On any given day, you’d be hard-pressed to find me wearing anything fancier than a pair of my favorite jeans and a comfortable T-shirt.

However, I have found over the years that there are times that “clothes make the man” (or woman).  By that, I don’t mean that one has to be a hopeless slave to fashion or trends, but that by taking an extra bit of care in selecting the clothes that they wear every day – from formal wear to casual – you can make an immense impact on the way that others see you.  And even the way that you see yourself; especially if you learn how to look taller.

When you saw the title of this post, you may have gotten a bit hesitant – you may have thought that this was going to be all about awkward platform shoes and shoe lifts when you saw that it was all about how to appear taller.  Well, those things are exactly what this post is NOT about.  In fact, I barely cover those things (and when I do cover them, it’s not in the most pleasant light).

You may have asked yourself, “Why is there an entire section of the Howtogrowtaller.com on the subject of how to look taller?  This website is supposed to be all about learning how to grow taller!  Not faking it by learning how to appear taller!”

And you’d be exactly right.  The Grow Taller Blog IS all about growing taller and not faking it.  And that is exactly the reason that I had to include this section on clothes.

Did you ever stop to realize that some of your current clothes may not even fit the same way as they used to anymore after you grow taller?  It’s entirely possible.  Your jeans may be a bit shorter and your shirt hem won’t fall the same place that it used to.  It’s a gradual process, of course, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be noticeable.

Simply put, you may have to buy new clothes.

But even if you didn’t have to get some new threads, it’s still absolutely necessary to learn how to select clothes that accentuate your height and not work to diminish it.  Believe it or not, this is entirely possible.

The clothes that we wear say a lot about us.  You can’t neglect the way that you dress.  Clothing is a direct and shockingly accurate reflection of your personality.

You don’t have to worry if you’re “not the kind of person” to dress up every day.  I’m certainly not either.  But I do recognize the benefits of being able to “scrub up well.” People like us are the ones that appreciate the most the fact that dressing in a harmonious, sober, and intelligent manner doesn’t mean that you have to be a dapper dandy with a monogrammed handkerchief.

The overall goal is to make your body appear longer and – particularly if you are carrying a few pounds – leaner.  This will be accomplished, for the most part, by selecting clothing that gives you a more streamlined silhouette.

There are a couple of things to note before we get into the lesson:

If you’re overweight: The overall goal of the How To Grow Taller Blog is to not only allow you to gain height, but also to make you overall physically fitter.

When you carry around excess weight, you are allowing that weight to place excess downward force onto your spine, hampering your efforts to gain height and also wreaking havoc on your posture.  But did you also consider that the extra weight is also making you appear shorter than you already are?  Protruding belly fat draws people’s eyes down to your center and away from the vertical motion that makes them unconsciously “sense” height.  Your excess weight is guiding them to think “side-to-side” and not “up-and-down.”  Staying trim and fit has its own merits and no one can dispute that, but now you have yet another reason to keep in shape.

But that doesn’t mean to say that I’m advocating that you overdo it.  What do I mean by that?  Men that take fitness to extreme levels (mainly bodybuilders) also have a very wide appearance.  While I’m certainly not disputing that they are extremely physically fit, you can’t deny that their extremely large physiques force the eye to focus side-to-side, not unlike what happens when you see someone overweight.

The ideal physique for you to have as a goal in mind is in that very large expanse of between these two extremes.  Staying lean and having some muscle (particularly built, defined shoulders) will add height to your overall frame and make people see you as more fit and taller.

Your Posture: As if we haven’t talked about posture enough already?  No matter how tall you are or become, you should always pay attention to your posture.  Slouching really does make you not only appear shorter than you are, but actually makes you shorter than you are.  Of particular note are benefits you will get physically and psychologically from standing up straight and being proud of being tall.  The exercises in the How To Grow Taller Blog are specifically designed to strengthen the upper back and neck muscles, which will work to help correct any posture problems that you may have.  But there are many more advantages.  Something as simple as standing up straight will make you appear more open and thus, better well received by others.  It will give you more confidence and others will have more confidence in you.  You will be a man or woman of stern convictions and beliefs, as well as a great deal more confident.  Conversely, a slouched stance will always make you appear not only shorter, but more insecure as well.

As long as you follow the exercise, stretching, and nutritional guidelines in the How To Grow Taller Blog, you will be on your way to becoming a leaner, fitter, more confident, and taller person.  The course is designed for a full-body makeover because no matter what, you can’t become taller without addressing the other areas.  It’s just not possible.