Shopping for Women’s Clothing

Women’s clothing  for crossdressers is not as simple as it may seem there is much to consider depending what your goals are. Are you trying to pass as a woman in public or just blend in without attracting attention? Either way what you should wear depends where you intend to wear it. Summer in Las Vegas or winter in Seattle will be very different in addition to day or evening, casual or formal. Once you have all that sorted out now comes the difficult part which is what looks good on you.

Who Cares

Another school of thought is I don’t care how it looks I just want to wear it. Those in this category buy what they want, wearing it where ever they want, when ever they want. Maybe they are fetish or exhibitionist crossdressers so it is the article of women’s clothing that is important not passing. From my experience it takes them about a half hour to get ready to go out. If I see them coming I cross to the other side of the street and look the other way.

Daytime

My goal is to look good passable or not and want to achieve it every time I present in public. Most women wear toned down makeup for daytime along with lower heels or flats. Jewelry is minimal and not flashy. Pants are preferred with tank tops weather permitting over dresses and  skirts. A long sleeve blouse or light jacket over the top of the tank. Everything in the casual range like most everyone else. The fabrics and colors should be subtle and fit properly. For daywear looking good depends on your choices.

I gave up passing a long time ago and concentrate on blending in to some degree . Maybe trying not standing out so much would be a better choice of words. I am under six feet but over 200 lbs. so I try to look thinner dressing in layers and dark colors. Light blue jeans  and white blouse with a dark open jacket is very slimming. The viewers eye will focus on the what blouse and the vertical lines created by the jacket.  I have switched to shorter hair teased high on the top making me a little taller but thinner too.

A long coat or sweater with jeans and heels gives a similar illusion. Daytime is pretty easy compared to night time.

Evenings

When crossdressed I am always in skirts and sometimes dresses with hose and heels. The skirt is usually a lighter color than the top or jacket. The top is usually solid black with a vertical zipper unzipped to the breast.  If I wear a blazer normally it is a one button so the deep Vee accentuates the vertical slenderizing lines.

Dark colors on the upper body make it appear slimmer while lighter colors on the lower body are only for contrast. Crossdressers typically are slender below even after adding hip pads. I always wear heels at night. Normally 3 1/2 inch heels and rarely 4 inch depending on the occasion.

Necklines

Some crossdressers have broad shoulders (ME) so dark colors on top will make them seem narrower. Horizontal stripes will make my shoulders seem wider so I keep the stripes below the waist. Square neck lines or off the shoulder looks create the same horizontal line problem  again. Scoop or Vee neck tops work great along with scarves, anything that creates a vertical line.

Fitted  or Tight 

I am guilty as charged your honor! Most everything I buy goes to the seamstress for alterations unless the designers size 16 W fits perfect. Most of the time it doesn’t so my seamstress pays her kids college tuition with my money. I buy my women’s clothes based on my shoulder width which is my widest point of my body. Everything else is altered based on that and my padding which, I explain on my FEMININE SHAPE FOR CROSSDRESSERS page.

Tight is different than fitted which contours the body leaving room where needed. Tight is absolutely form fitting which some call body con because it hugs every curve on the body. I can’t remember ever being able to get away with this look and am too old for it now anyway. If the crossdresser is built slender with little or no muscle definition many can get away even if they are older. Most men are muscular to some degree and if they are well defined this tight look will give you away. People will see muscles first and look closer to see if it is one of those body builder women. Most will see a muscular guy in women’s clothing. Fitted makes more sense unless attention is your goal.

Age Appropriate 

Designers of women’s clothing have a target market they expect to sell to so the colors, cut, patterns and over all style are geared to a certain group. The younger the woman the tighter the look and the more skin shows with the size range being  limited to smaller sizes. When the age increases less skin shows, the hemlines drop and the sizes increase along with the prices. I have heard it said that your age plus or minus a decade is a good rule of thumb and I think I follow it at least to some degree. I am over 60 so I might change my mind in a few years.

Impressions

When you are out in public dressed in women’s clothes people will form an impression of you based on what they observe. If you wish to influence that impression as I do then you will plan what you wear accordingly. In my case the goal is to have women be impressed by my sense of style in the clothing that I choose. To be appreciate my hair and makeup presentation knowing what it takes to get there. Finally to have an overall impression of class and elegance of me. Not saying I get there but that is what I work for none the less. Men notice too but are not interested in me or my presentation which is perfect because I have no interest in them either.

In contrast if I wore blue eyeshadow, bright red lipstick, a red and white tube top with horizontal stripes and a Kardashian style skin tight mini skirt. A pair of platform heels and fingernails that extend an inch beyond my normal nails. Topped off with a long platinum blonde wig cascading down over and beyond my shoulders. My target audience would most likely be repulsed and very likely angry thinking I was mocking them. Men might not be able to resist ridiculing me and feeling they had a license to do so based on my presentation.

I hope this is useful especially to those just venturing out for the first time and they find some women’s clothing they can feel good in.

Hold your head up, point your toes, be safe, and go enjoy yourself in the New Year.

Enjoy,

Micki Finn