Not content with reverse-engineering ‘How To Dress Rich’ and nail ‘Denim on Denim,’ TikTok’s newest collective fashion obsession is an old convention from the world of visual arts: the rule of thirds.
Succinctly described, by none other than Adobe, as a “composition guideline that places [one’s] subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open,” the rule of thirds has been practised in a wide range of visual artforms for centuries. At least.
Whether applied with respect to photography, painting or filmmaking, the general consensus amongst creatives is that this technique generally yields images that are more compelling and pleasing to viewers.
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Now, men’s fashion influencers (of both the professional and accidental variety) are getting in on the action: by using the rule of thirds to hack their daily styling routine. Even on Instagram, at the time of writing, more than 527,000 posts are sporting the ‘#ruleofthirds’ hashtag.
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, lifestyle editor Jessica Salter explains that how the technique is usually applied, with respect to clothing, is for “a man’s shirt or sweater [to] cover the upper third of his body,” whilst his trousers “fill out the lower two.”
The notion that content creators would lean on traditional compositional wisdom has some proven and consequential merit. In several design-driven disciplines, such as watchmaking and furniture, creatives have long drawn upon mathematical principles to produce pleasing proportions.
Looking at A. Lange & Söhne’s Lange 1 or a 1957 Eames Chair, consumers get the sense that there is a divine geometry at play — individual parts enmeshing to produce a seamless whole.
According to Salter, and the various influencers she interviewed, the results can be similar in a clothing-related context: provided you adhere to a few simple guidelines.
The most crucial of these holds that men should button their trousers just above their “natural waist point” as opposed to on the hip or lower abdomen; which can have the unfortunate side effect of making wearers appear wider than they are.
After figuring out the proverbial sweet spot at which to cinch your pants, the next step is to select a style that is straight-cut, and with a wider leg opening.
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For men with sartorial sensibilities, The Anthology’s pleated wide trousers in “predominantly cotton” canvas play well with most tailored separates. Orslow’s best-selling French work pant is a slightly hardier option — and one which looks great with mules or heavily platformed technical sneaker.
In either case, the heavier fabric and wider leg opening deliver optimum results: cleaning up the lower torso, and drawing an observer’s eye down the length of the body.
In case you still needed convincing: a number of men who are prominently in the public eye have used the rule of thirds to flattering effect.
From Donald Glover to Paul Mescal, there are several riffs one can add on top of the standard ‘how to dress taller’ approach. Wifepleasers, box-cut tees, slim Western belts — as in photography, constant experimentation is the name of the game.
