Freaks of nature aside (we’re looking at you, Elordi), Hollywood has an earned reputation for being a veritable paradise for the vertically challenged. Tom Cruise does his own stunts in a size small. Zac Efron clocks in at a cool 5’8”. Downey Jr., Pacino, Hart. The short list runs long.
Of all the actors dominating big and small screens alike, perhaps no one has embraced the sartorial responsibilities that come with Hollywood status more than Tom Holland. The latest heartthrob to take up the Spider-Man mantle has quietly blossomed into one of the best dressed Brits on the red-carpet circuit, due in no small part to help from stylist Crystalle Cox.
Rather than a zany aesthetic or runway-forward wardrobe, Holland has found success relying on two specific techniques: a sensible-meets-casual lineup of well-fitting staples from a roster of designers and labels — think monotone Prada, for example, or minimalist layering from French brand AMI Paris — and, equally as important, a mastery of silhouette.
Despite his relatively squat stature at 5’8″, Holland and Cox clearly understand that intentionality with garment length and size is one of the main counters to the common short-guy pitfalls of being swallowed by relaxed clothing or overpowered by long-hem shirting. (As reported to GQ last year, Tom isn’t afraid of a cropped tee.) The actor seemingly makes it a point to look proportional, frequently pairing high-waisted trousers with tucked-in tees or cropped button-up, the go-to move for men trying to lengthen their look. Showing of the guns help, too, a tactic similarly employed by fellow shorty beefcake Jeremy Allen White.
Take, for example, Holland’s recent drop-in at a Cinespia screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While the actor’s AMI look — a mustardy, full-button cardigan paired with a striped button-up shirt and walnut-hued, wide-leg pleated trouser — is excellent enough on its own, it’s the SPI (shirt-pant-interaction) that’s really off the charts. Cropped is perhaps an overstatement, but the slightly shortened length of the tops and the exaggerated form of the pants not only look killer together, but make Holland’s stature nearly unclockable.
Anyone with a Hinge height below 6’0″ (see: guys under 5’9″) should be taking notes. Or, you could just keep scrolling for some Tom Holland-inspired outfit inspo. Either way, remember — if it’s a good enough look to pull Zendaya, it’ll almost certainly work for you.
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