Growing up, we’re taught that women should have breasts, not men. Yet the reality of the situation is that both sexes are able to have breasts.

Wow, that was a pretty bold statement. Let me clarify.

Women are known to have biologically grown breasts, men are not. However, men can still grow breasts. These breasts are better known as man boobs, and they’re typically filled with fatty tissue. It’s not natural to have man boobs, but it is more common than one would think (additionally, it’s not something to be embarrassed about, as many men, both in shape and not in shape, can have them).

If you’re looking to get rid of your man boobs, consult with your doctor or personal trainer. They’ll guide you in the right direction.

If you’re not looking to get rid of your man boobs, you might want to learn how to hide them. And, if you’re in the process of getting rid of your man boobs, you also may want to learn how to hide them for the time being.

Let’s check out the ultimate guide to hiding your man boobs below.

Compress your chest.

That’s right, start wearing compression shirts. These nifty things pack your muscles/fatty breast tissue together and tight. While packing everything together nice and tight, the compression shirts conceal the areas of your chest that you don’t want to show; in this case, that would be your man boobs.

Go to your local athletic shop and pick up a few today. There are plenty of styles to choose from and there are plenty of comfort options to try on.

Wear small patterned designed shirts.

Believe it or not, wearing shirts with small patterns on them really helps. It sort of camouflages the area from being seen by the public eye.

One thing you have to keep in mind is that choosing your small patterns can be very difficult. You must be careful when picking out your desired pattern. Specifically speaking, you should probably go with a small pattern that doesn’t have a lot of colors in it. My suggestion would be to go with something along the lines of a dark plaid shirt.

You can always search around your local clothing stores for different patterns, just be sure to stick with shirts that have patterns with the same color frame.

Purchase some thick tops.

This suggestion will really stick with you if you live in areas like New England. Anyone who lives in cold climates can also make use of this suggestion.

Buy some thick tops. Thicker fabrics hide man boobs. If you don’t like the feeling of thick tops, you can always go with excessive tops. In other words, layer your clothing to conceal those man boobs.

If you have a high body temperature, or if you live in a warmer climate, you can always go with shirts that are rigid and tough looking. These will flow loosely on your body and will have a texture that is thick enough to hide the boob but thin enough to not make you sweat profusely.

Don’t go for anything that’s super thin or feathery-like, as these textures will practically outline the man boobs you have.

Make sure the clothing fits the right way.

Though I told you that you can get away with wearing loose shirts if they’re thicker, you cannot get away with wearing loose shirts if they’re made with regular material. Shirts that are made from regular material, such as those made from cotton, actually outline your man boobs if you get them in a larger size than normal. I know it may make no sense to you, but try a larger size on and tell me how it looks. I bet I’ll be right.

In addition, wearing clothes that are too tight for you can outline those man boobs.

Realistically, you should stick to shirts that fit you just right, not too loose and not too tight.

Avoid color contrast on shirts and pants.

Try, with all your might, to reduce the color contrast between what you wear on your upper body and what you wear on your lower body.

Want a little tip? If you wear a dark shirt and light pants, your body will look weird. Actually, doing this will make your upper body look wider, not slimmer.

Instead, stick to a dark shirt and dark pants. To flip the situation, if you’d like to wear light clothing, make sure both the bottom and top attire are along the light side. For example, khaki pants with a light blue shirt.

Stay away from white.

The color white is not your friend when you have man boobs. In fact, light colors in general aren’t the most flattering when it comes to man boobs. Don’t get me wrong, you can totally wear light colors, you’ll just be able to cover up your man boobs a hell of a lot easier if you wear dark colors. Neutral colors are encouraged, too.

Pinstripes work.

Most suits give you a naturally slim look because their uniform color typically creates a straight line from head to toe. In other words, your body looks skinnier overall. And, narrow pinstripes make the effect even more noticeable.

Though narrow pinstripes work, other designs on suits do not work. Specifically speaking, stay away from suits that have large patterns and designs on them, as these will make you look fatter (your man boobs might actually look like they went up a size). For example, avoid windowpane suits, as these may even make your upper body look boxy.

I hope you liked my man boob advice! Trust me when I say, it’ll help you in your future stylistic choices.

By Jenny Lyn