Jimmy Au is passionate about giving shorter men the chance to wear clothing that both fits properly and is in the latest styles. He noticed that men under 5'5" were not given the option to wear great fashion and also have it fit right. Today's fashion seemingly caters only to taller men. A shorter man wearing most of today's styles would only make himself look shorter. Being only 5'2", Jimmy saw a need to develop a solution to this problem. His unique design philosophy was complex in its achievement but simple in its solution. What seemed like an easy task had proven to be difficult one; namely because before Mr. Au, it had yet to be done. His years of painstaking development and refinement have given men under 5'5" an option to choose a more fashionable garment without sacrificing any more of his height. Mr. Au's solution to the problem was simple. combine fit and fashion to function together and independently to flatter the shorter man.
Proportion and perception independently play a vital role in both the fit and the styles being designed. In regards to the fit, it must be functional. And for that to occur, it must be designed with the right proportions. Simply shortening sleeves and pant hems to fit shorter arms and legs aren't enough for a garment to be completely functional nor look proportional. Not taking into account fullness in the arms, legs, body and crotch make for a cumbersome garment that also isn't very flattering. Mr. Au solves this by redesigning his garments to fit proportionally in every respect; thereby allowing for increased comfort and mobility.
So the next question is how does height perception play a role in the fit? Would a regular sized chest pocket make sense on a shorter body? Would it not make you look shorter? Would regular sized pleats make sense on a pair of short rise pants? He lies the secret to Mr. Au's design... rescale design details to fit a shorter man; thereby increasing the perception of his height. Now Mr. Au's design is both functional AND flattering.
So how does style play a role? Choose only the fabrics, patterns and color combinations that flatter a shorter man. Not all elements of a current fashion trend flatter every body type. Fabrics needed to have supple weaves with good resilience and luxurious drape to flatter a shorter man. Dense and unforgiving fabrics are avoided. We choose only understated or subdued patterns with rich colors blended in subtle hues. The secret is choosing patterns that are of the right proportions so to flatter a shorter man. Although stripes are known to be height enhancing, only the right proportioned stripes that are not too bold will make a shorter man look taller. This would give a shorter man handsome detail that could be appreciated up close at a social distance without looking short or stocky from afar. In order to have an increased perception of height the pattern doesn't need to be stripes. As long as the pattern is in a smaller proportion and the dominant part of the pattern has vertical emphasis, it will help you look taller.
By testing various combinations of design details on the coat and pants and their relation to each other, Mr. Au was able to find a range of measurements that increased the visual perception of height. Add to that, using only fabrics and patterns with just the right amount of contrast and vertical detail, and you have a truly unique and desirable garment. With the fit and style working independently to increase the perception of your height, it stands to say that if they worked together it would be an even more flattering garment that every shorter man would want. Welcome to where fit and fashion work together to make you look taller. This is Jimmy Au's unique design philosophy.
Design and Development of the Fit and Sizing
The Jimmy Au Collection features items designed and developed by Jimmy Au. Items designed by Jimmy Au are garments that are made specifically to his measurements. Many are his interpretations of popular items and styles found in regular sizes but are not made in short or extra short sizes. While it is often assumed Mr. Au is inspired by Asian manufacturers or Asian clientele because he is Chinese; it is incorrect. Mr. Au's inspiration on design comes mostly from European designers. Mr. Au's philosphy on fit is uniquely his own and comes from over 45 years of collecting body measurement data from his current and past custom and ready-to-wear clients spanning multiple ethnicities from college graduates to retirees in a broad range of body types.
Items developed by Jimmy Au are existng items in regular sizes that have short size versions of them. Only those items that meet Mr. Au's approval in proportion and measurement are made and offered in our store. Often times these items may need minor modifications that manufacturers are willing to do for Mr. Au. Some items are readily available in Europe but are not offered in the United States because these same companies manufacture "U.S." sizes. These European sized items usually include short size models in their collections in addition to their regular sizes. We make special efforts to import these European short sizes.
True Sizing
We at Jimmy Au's believe you must wear what properly fits and not be a slave to numbers and sizes. Coming from a custom tailoring background, Mr. Au doesn't agree with vanity sizing and coddling during the fitting process. As we like to say, "Wear the fit, not the size." After notes are taken on the best sizes for you, we'll be happy to relabel everything "40 regular" if it makes you feel better. Generous cuttings and vanity sizing in the United States have left consumers confused on what their true sizes really are. It's usually best to be measured rather than just checking the size label in your clothes. Compared to what's in the marketplace, you'll find our collection true to size and therefore maybe needing to go up a size. For example, if you wear a 38 short suit in a typical American brand, you'll find in our collection you'll need to consider a 39 short or 40 short. You may find this damaging to your ego, but hopefully that attitude will soon change as soon as you see how much better and taller you look and the confidence and compliments that come with looking good.
