I’ve long been a fan of the blog A Suitable Wardrobe, a meditation on timeless men’s fashion written by Will in San Francisco. He’s a wealth of information on classic approaches to menswear. And he presents it all in an unfussy and inspired way — just like a true sartorialist. Recently, he fielded this query about odd jackets from a short reader:

Both Anton and Flusser write that odd jackets and trousers cut short guys in half. I am 5′ 7″ and assume that in addition to the contrast in materials and colors, the busy details and patterns of odd jackets would harm my look. Does this mean I should never wear odd jackets?

So, what is an “odd jacket?” some of you might be wondering. I’ve had plenty of odd jackets and I regretted them all. Well, think sock without a mate (as opposed to something “strange”). Basically, the odd jacket is a sports jacket that doesn’t have matching trousers. Great article on its evolution in Flusser’s book.

The good news, according to Will, is that short gents can still don the odd jacket or two. He cites a photo of David Niven, the old-school British actor,\

He’s able to wear that odd jacket successfully because there’s not as much contrast between jacket and trousers as the writers you mention usually recommend. Niven of course was fairly thin. You should also consider casual suits instead of odd jackets to help accentuate the vertical. For example, a cotton poplin or a seersucker suit can can go to the same functions as a blazer and the vertical lines of the seersucker in particular will give you a taller look.

So whether your look is urban (designer jeans and silk sportscoat) or pastoral (All Creatures Great & Small-style tweeds), dial down the contrast.