There are a ton of little tricks, hacks and DIY solutions that you can use to make your clothes fit better, but BY FAR the most important one is this:

Get your pants hemmed.

It’s quick, easy and cheap, and there is no excuse not to do it. In fact, EVERY guy should be getting their pants hemmed. No matter how tall you are, it is rarely the case that clothes fit perfectly off the rack.

But we’re not talking about every guy…we’re talking about those of us on the shorter side. The problem we have is one of proportion. For example, say you are 5’6” and have a relatively athletic build. Not skinny, but definitely not fat. Not a bodybuilder, but fit. You might need a pair of pants with a 29” waist and a 28.5” inseam.

Good luck finding these at Banana Republic!

Instead, you will most likely have to settle on some 30×30 trousers, or maybe you will get lucky and snag a pair of 29×30 (although some brands do make shorter inseam jeans).

Now, it’s not a big deal if the waist is an inch or so too big. Just wear a belt. But if the legs are too long, it will ruin your entire getup. When short men wear oversized clothes (like pants that are too long), it accentuates their shortness, which is obviously not what we want.

Just look at Jonah Hill’s red carpet photo above. He looks amazing in that black-on-black suit with a bow tie, but the pants are too long! I don’t know who overlooked this detail, but it ruins the whole outfit. It’s distracting and takes away from the overall look.

On the flip side, when your pants are hemmed to stop right past the top of your shoes, they actually compliment your figure and produce a heightening effect.

If you’re not yet convinced that you should have every pair of pants you own hemmed, pay attention next you go out in public. Look at random guys (try not to be creepy). Pay close attention to the length of their pants.