Male bodies come in a diverse range of shapes and sizes. As straightforward a statement as this may seem, though, it isn’t immediately apparent from the images fed to us by the fashion industry, which tends to portray men as uniformly tall, slim and athletic, and with barely an ounce of subcutaneous adipose tissue (otherwise known as body fat) in sight.

There’s a perfectly rational explanation for this. Put clothes on stereotypically good-looking models and there’s every chance that the clothes will look good, too. But sweeping aside body diversity in the pursuit of some aesthetic ideal risks leaving anyone who doesn’t fit the industry mould, and larger men in particular, feeling excluded.

And, to be clear, that’s the majority of us. While fashion designers chase their fantasy vision of what a man should look like, back in the real world, the data tells a different story. In the UK, the average waist measurement is around 38 inches, while the average chest measurement is around 42 inches. Despite this, medium sizing is still, in most cases, defined as a 32-to-34-inch waist and a 38-to-40-inch chest.

What this all means is that while bigger guys might feel like outsiders when it comes to clothes, in the Western world, at least, they’re the new normal. With that in mind, we’ve decided to put together a few easy outfits to flatter the man with a fuller figure.

Constructing an outfit from multiple layers is a great styling tip regardless of body type. It is something that you’ll want to take with a pinch of salt, though, if you happen to be on the larger side, as too many layers can leave you looking like you are related to the Michelin Man. One answer to this conundrum is the chore jacket, a piece of classic blue-collar workwear with the visual features of a jacket – buttons, pockets and so on – but without quite so much added bulk. That’s particularly true of this example, from Universal Works, which is completely unstructured and cut from a breezy cotton seersucker fabric. We’ve kept the workwear theme going throughout the rest of this outfit with tonal navy chinos, a fisherman’s sweater from Folk (like Universal Works, an English brand with a store on Lamb’s Conduit Street, a cult London menswear destination) and a pair of sturdy suede Chelsea boots from R.M. Williams.

Style advice for larger men all too often highlights the need to distract attention away from the body, as if it’s something shameful that ought to remain hidden. This outfit – a celebration of massiveness that uses your relative girth as a canvas for bold, eye-catching pattern – preaches the exact opposite. Dunhill’s cashmere-blend overcoat has a flattering cut, too, with just enough structure in the shoulder to add sharpness to your silhouette and a calf-grazing length that serves to balance out any top-heaviness. We’ve paired it here with a cashmere sweater from the super-luxe brand The Row. Don’t be put off by the words “slim fit” when choosing a sweater, by the way. As long as you buy it in the right size, that hint of stretch will serve to smooth out your figure. These Berluti jeans have a little stretch to them, too, but they’re still cut generously. (If there’s one unshakeable piece of advice that we could offer to larger guys, though, it’s to avoid skinny-fit denim at all costs.)

The tailors of Savile Row have spent the past, oh, century and a half or so figuring out how to flatter and accentuate the male form, so it should hardly come as a surprise that a traditional suit remains one of the very best investments that a man can make. TOM FORD’s suits may not be cut on Savile Row but they share many of the hallmarks of English sartorial convention, including a sharply defined shoulder, a suppressed waist and a long jacket that covers the backside – all characteristics that serve to add structure to the silhouette. When choosing a formal shirt to wear with your suit, remember that a sharp, narrow collar will look out of proportion against a broader neck. Opt for one with a spread or cutaway collar instead. The same goes for your tie, too: choose one between eight and nine centimetres in width.