Why short guys rule

Oct 24, 2011 5:00 AM by Jamie Beckman

Posted in Love & Sex / Marriage & Relationships / Dating

Try Dating Shorter Men

Hunting for Mr. Right? Look high and low — but especially low. Celebrity fashion stylist Alan Au, client relations manager at the clothing boutique Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under in Beverly Hills, has dressed short-but-sweet stars from Mark Wahlberg to Michael J. Fox. In a revealing Q&A, he told us why a pint-sized guy might just be your ideal boyfriend.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise height difference

Why shouldn't women overlook shorter guys as future partners?

"Considering lifelong companionship, shorter guys may be the better choice. If it holds true that shorter men don't have as many dating opportunities, if nothing else, I think shorter men would try harder to be funny, caring, empathetic, honest, hardworking — and just be a gentleman. In that case, the rationale might be that they are more loyal. A taller man might see himself as being able to get a girl whenever he wants and may be more likely to stray. Short, average and tall women seem to mostly prefer taller men, but one must consider what type of intimacy is important to the individual woman. Perhaps she enjoys cuddling and nuzzling, and height would play a role in that."

"Plus, a healthy 160-pound, 5-foot-5 man is going to be a stronger protector than a healthy 160-pound, 5-foot-11 man. It's been well documented, pound for pound, shorter men have greater endurance, stronger muscles, faster reaction times, faster body movement and are less likely to break bones. Shorter men live longer. Shorter men have lower incidences of cardiovascular disease when comparing taller men with the same health conditions."

If you're out on a date with a shorter man, do you have to wear flats so you won't tower over him?

"Towering may be an issue if she were already taller than him, but I don't think you should judge, especially on a first date, that it might even be an issue. I know all too well that heels do make women taller, but more importantly I know it makes your legs shapelier. We love beautiful legs as much as the next guy. I don't believe that would be an issue for a shorter man. I've always dated taller women, and I've never had an issue with my dates wearing heels. I think women should dress like they normally would for a date. I think if after dating a while they notice it may be an issue, perhaps as a token of consideration they could wear flats."

Any other dos and don'ts for going out with a shorter guy?

"I think the issue with dating a shorter man has more to do with other taller men. When a shorter man appears with a taller date, some taller men somehow tend to think she's open for stealing away. I've seen taller men rudely strike up a conversation with someone's date just because he was shorter. It would be respectful to ignore such jerks."

If a gal has a short boyfriend or husband and is trying to make over his style, what key wardrobe pieces would you suggest she pick out for him?

"The key isn't about the pieces but about the style and fit of those pieces. Most short men wear their clothes too big, though [that's] partially not their fault because of the lack of options. The most important key is choosing styles that are proportioned well and flatter a shorter proportion. Some styles were never meant for shorter men, for example: baggy jeans, boxy suits, large pockets, tall collars, wide ties, etc. Every season there are multiple fashion trends. Steer clear of those that aren't flattering to him."

"Second, if something is a little off, go to a good tailor and have lengths and fullness corrected to fit his body. Third, choose patterns that flatter his height and girth. Stripes tend to give the illusion of height. The wider you are, the wider the stripe. Plaids and checks need to be small or subdued so as not to overpower your entire body. Whether monochromatic or contrasting, try to keep lighter and brighter colors up to keep the attention near his face rather than toward his feet."

"Lastly, if you are going to make over his style, make sure he likes it enough to own it. Confidence can make anything look better."

For more information on Jimmy Au's, check out the store's website here.

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Photo credit: Daniel Deme / WENN.com

Tags: dating tips relationship tips

Comments

Comments on "Why short guys rule"

I cant believe some of these women that say that they wouldnt date a short guy because.... Short guys arent all the same we do have different personalities.There may be a few that go round with a chip on their shoulder.I am 45 now and i have always been short i got used to it when i was 10.I always stood out in my class i was the shortest boy and on a par with alot of girls.At high school it was quite a bad time for me i was always picked on and called names the taller boys were always sticking my coat and bag on the door frame.Knowing i couldnt reach it and people laughing.My adult height when i left school was 4'10.I found some decent jobs and in the end ended up with my own business.In fact 2 men from my class actually work for me and we are all friends now

Tom Cruise is better than those tall jerks. Short guys rule!

I'm a 5'10 woman, and I'm completely attracted to short guys. Height has never been an issue for me. Most of the guys I've liked were shorter than me. I think that may be my preference. Height's only a problem if you make it a problem.

I dont think that height should be a problem for people.I have made the most of my lack of height and made up for it in different ways.Okay it took me longer to find the right person but it is no problem now.I have been married for 25 years now and i appreciate my height i may only be 5'0 and my wife is 5'4.I have never let her not wear the shoes she prefers so when we go out it is her call.She has some that are high so she can end up between 5'6 and 5'8.I wear shoes that have a slight heel maybe 2 inches.We have a son who is only 5'3 and a daughter who is my height.It evens itself out in the end when you are laying down so dont worry.

This was a good article. A few of my close friends are in relationships with shorter men. I don't see anything wrong with this. If you love someone, you see past their "flaws" - if you want to call it that. Ya, you may wish he was taller...but don't we all "wish" there was something different about our man?

I dont think it really matter how tall people are someone would still try to find something else to pick on people.With height it is easy to spot when people are different.Has short like to say we get the brunt of the torment.The name calling teasing and jokes.I think the for a man it is 10 times worse when they are short only because women can handle it better.I remember my first date with a woman she was 5'4 and i was 5'2.I didnt think there was that much different in our height till she turned up wearing 4 inch heels.It was then an issue and at the end of the night i was politely told it wont work out.Then another time there was a women 4'10 she wore heels and she was bang on my height.The same there she said she was after someone taller.I found a woman who accepted my lack of height she is 5'7 and she never wears heels.At the beginning Janice took a while to get used to it.Only because of others pointing out how short i was.She said she felt quite sorry for me and that she thought i needed mothering.It was annoying from the start off she was all with the cute names and now completely different.So it has worked out okay for me.

I dont know what the problem is with women not wanting to date a short man.I have been married for 30 years now and my husband is 5'2 and i am 5'7.We have never had a problem i just dont wear heels when i am with him and we are out.Our 2 sons both take after me and they are 5'9 and 5'8.Our 2 daughters take after their dad and they are 5'3 and 5'2.Our daughters dont mind being short has it's never bothered them.I have noticed that since the last 10 years he doesnt seem has tall has he was.I know because when barefooted i knew exactly where he came to when we were close.So by chance i got him to measure his height and with us being 50 he has now lost an inch.Georgina is abit taller than her dad now.We are all good together though

I think it is the same for all short guys we dont really stand much of a chance in dating sometimes.When i am out with my friends now we are all 25 years old and our heights range from 5'0 to 6'2.With me being the shortest one there.The nearest to my height is 5'6 so when we are all talking and standing up alot of the time it just goes over my head.If we are in a bar i would rather sit down for a while has talking to Tom is a nightmare he is the tallest.I have tried the shoes with lifts in them they are too incomfortable to wear.I also took alot of stick when out with them.So my shoes usually just have about 2 inches on them.If i am talking to a woman at the bar it is okay till i stand up.I made a big mistake talking to a woman and i asked her for a dance she said okay.I got off the stool and i came up to her chest.My friends were laughing their heads off.She still managed the dance but i didnt see her after that.I would have thought that being short we might stand a chance with a short women no it doesnt work that way.I met a women at work and we were dating for a year she was 5'7.Which to me didnt bother me.To her friends and family it bothered them more.So it didnt last.I am with a woman at this time and she is 5'3.So far everything is good and working out okay

I wish more women would read this, it's soo true in my case anyway

This 5'6 guy loves tall women! They are amazing with their long legs and long strides! It's just too bad that lots of them hate short guys just as much as the short ladies do. Most of the time, they all compete for the tall guys' attention. I have no problems dating or being in a relationships with a tall lady who's well over 6'0 feet. On the rarest of occasions I've been lucky to meet lovely tall women who prefer dating shorter guys to taller guys. I know it sounds odd, but they do exist. In very small numbers that is. One thing I've learned over the years in dating, if a tall woman's got problems with my height or she feels like a giant standing next to me, she's not worth pursuing.

The thing i found was that a short woman would never go out with a short guying from a short family i didnt expect to be really tall but i wouldnt have minded being taller than my 4 sisters.I am the oldest and the women in our family are between 5'2 and 5'5.Whereas all the guys are between 4'10 and 5'2.I am the same height has my dad he used to be 5'0 but he has a spine problem and lost some height.If my dad didnt have this problem i would be the shortest out of all of us.When i tried dating women i was forever looking for a short women so i wouldnt feel too bad about my height.I was turned down all the time,eventually i found the ideal women she was 3 years older than me and she stood tall at 5'6.We have 2 children and they have both taken after their mother with being quite tall.They are 16 and 13 and both are so far 5'4 and 5'7.I feel good that they didnt get my height and should do well.

Campbell is just some ignorant woman who has probably never dated a short guy. Newsflash sweetheart--- most short guys are NOT like that. Just the ones YOU HAVE SEEN. Guess what? Short guys are not Tom Cruise, Napolean, Danny DaVito, or any of the other actors you are trying to compare them to. They are real men with real emotions, goals, desires---that don't have things handed to them on like the people I just listed. Grow up and get over yourself. I'm going to stereotype you, now. In my experience seeing taller women with short men---the women that have serious emotional issues,(severely jealous, clingy, makes accusations constantly that aren't true) are the ones that make these statements about short guys, when it is actually you that is the problem. Realize that not all guys are jerks, that you're too clingy and men need their space---maybe you'll find someone decent. However, if you keep up with your bigoted attitude, be prepared for a long, lonely life.

I think being short is much harder for a guy than a woman.I remember taking alot of stick for my height.It was a nightmare.I am married to a wonderful women who stands tall at 5'6 compared to me i am 5'0 in shoes.The height different didnt seem to bother her.Previous dates were a disaster.It wasnt too much the woman BUT their families pointed out that they thought the guy should be taller.I tend to wear what i want and try not to make myself look too young when out.That is the only good part about being short is looking younger than what you are.I was the youngest out of 4 children and i just put it down to the rest grabbing the height gene.That wasnt the case though has i took after my mother who was 5'3.The rest took after our dad who was 5'11.The only problems i have to put up with is not reaching things in the kitchen if they are too high my wife comes in handy for that.Then there is the pics at family gatherings and always being shoved to the front to be seen.I can handle that.

We currently live in a society that stresses tolerance and acceptance. If you dare be againat same marriage, you are a labeled a homophobe and branded a bigot. Yet, these same people (the pro-tolerant) will feel absolutely justified in engaging in short men bashing! So much for tolerance!

I am a 5'9 woman, and own many pairs of 3 and 4-inch heels...always have. One of my best relationships (which ended for reasons other than height) was with a man who was 5'3. You can only picture the comments we got when we went out, I was sometimes a good 7 inches taller. One random dude even asked, "man, do you know she's taller than you?!" My then-boyfriend said it made him feel like one of those guys escorting a model down a red carpet. Plus, once you're sitting or lying down, height doesn't matter ;)

Gotta love people like the poster above who stereotypes people based on characteristics they have no control over. I'm 5'11 so have no dog in this fight, but love how women attribute positive traits to taller men (even if they are jerks), and assume all men below 5'9 are unmanly, not worthy of dating, even if the guy is a great guy. Like the woman in the 20/20 interview said. "It doesn't matter if he's a millionaire, a champion skier, could be a great husband or has a nice body...... he's too short".

I couldn't date a short guy because they have to be the boss. I have found them to be bossy to make up for being short. Watch them..... look at Tom Cruise he has to have control over Katie Holmes. Plus he keeps trying to convince everyone that Suri is his daughter, We all know that isn't so. The picture above of the couple looks so silly his head is too big for his body. On camera one can't tell.