Where do you buy your clothes?

[Amber Kitty]

I have a pair of leggings (Which i reluctantly stole from my mum during a clean out), a pair of underwear and one of my exes shirts. I REALLY want to buy some more clothes and look prettier, I went to the store today and when I walked into the girls clothes section after browsing for around 3 minutes I could feel people staring at me and I felt like I was about to break down.

I'm a big person therefore I really need to see clothes before I buy them, a lot of stuff I've ordered online before never fits (male clothing). And I have absolutely no idea with female clothes since every brand seems to have a different sizing guide, and even those seem to be off. I've looked for one size fits all kind of things but a lot of them say "up to: xx" with none ever seeming to have a size.

Any advice is appreciated,
Much love - Amber

Edit: and to add, I don't want to spend too much on clothes.. I've found some things that might fit but are like £40-50. I'm losing weight currently as I want to become more attractive for myself.

[jasellebelle]

I went to Forever21 

[TheBatWolf]

I'd recommend department stores. I'm assuming you don't live in the US so I can't recommend any. They usually have good deals especially with bigger sizes that don't get sold ending up in the clearance sections.

[Balerie]

I have a pair of leggings (Which i reluctantly stole from my mum during a clean out), a pair of underwear and one of my exes shirts. I REALLY want to buy some more clothes and look prettier, I went to the store today and when I walked into the girls clothes section after browsing for around 3 minutes I could feel people staring at me and I felt like I was about to break down.

I'm a big person therefore I really need to see clothes before I buy them, a lot of stuff I've ordered online before never fits (male clothing). And I have absolutely no idea with female clothes since every brand seems to have a different sizing guide, and even those seem to be off. I've looked for one size fits all kind of things but a lot of them say "up to: xx" with none ever seeming to have a size.

Any advice is appreciated,
Much love - Amber

Edit: and to add, I don't want to spend too much on clothes.. I've found some things that might fit but are like £40-50. I'm losing weight currently as I want to become more attractive for myself.

Amber, this is the best time of the year to go get girl's clothes because its the holidays and people give gifts so it would be perfectly normal for a guy to walk into a store and browse the women's clothing section if they're going to buy their wife or partner something from that store. So don't feel like people are staring at you and act as if you belong there and you're buying for somebody else.

Just remember women's clothing sizes vary greatly. Your best bet is to go to the website for the clothes that you are thinking of buying and checking the sizing area for the measurements for the different sizes. Buy a tape measure measure yourself just like it shows in the diagrams as if you were female use those measurements and then you will have a semi good idea of what sizes will fit you. Just an example a few days ago I went to Walmart and I pretty much had scoped out what I wanted to buy and what size I needed so I went to the ladies section and bought a pair of jeans and it was my first time doing that by myself without my wife. I will say I did my homework well because but I got home and I tried the jeans on they fit like a glove they fit perfectly. So just be wary of that and know that there are websites for the different brands and usually they have a sizing guide so you know what sizes are available, which a carry bigger sizes, or have special sizes and I'm sure it will make it a lot easier to go shopping once you have a better idea of what size you are what you're looking for I hope this helps.

By the way I'm a big girl too and I'm trying to shed the pounds so I can look more feminine and feel better as well. So I know full well how hard it is sometimes to find clothing that looks good and fits well. Just know that there is closing out there you just have to search online or in the stores. Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Ahrianna]

I have to agree with the above post, I've bought so many cloths in the last few days, the most people say at the checkouts is "oh that's nice, who is it for?" Normally shop in supermarkets as they have good quality cloths and are usually a good fit. I buy from Tesco F&F quite a lot, if you look online there dress models are like 5ft 7-9 so there cloths fit me perfectly

My more expensive cloths I get from Very online as they have good reviews and can get a really good dress for ~£50

As far as shoes go, I only wear please USA shoes, they are really good quality and can hold my weight and height very well and they are so comfortable I can wear them all night out. I'm a size 11uk so I cant just go buy at a department store...

[Natalie]

If you are just starting out your body will change. I've had to buy whole new wardrobes because of those changes (packing 50 pound of fat in my flabby thighs and ass). In the beginning just experiment. Currently,  I buy from a variety of places:

• Forever 21
• Macy's
• Vanity
• Wet Seal
• Burberry Stores
• Coach Stores
• Chanel Stores
• Nordstrom
• Roxy
• La Perla

My three favorite stores (and brands) are (1) Vanity; (2) Burberry; and (3) Coach. However, there are still a lot of others that I like. For example, I really like Stella McCartneys and Victoria Beckhams flare jeans; they just seem to fit me perfectly. For business attire my favorite is Nine West which can be purchased at a lot of different stores including Macy's. Nothing beats the tailored suit though. Purses are exclusively Burberry and Coach period. I love the signature coach designs and absolutely LOVE the Haymarket Burberry design more than any others. Chanel has some nice things but I cannot justify the price on some of the stuff. Besides their heels, I am not a big fan of Chanel at all. Makeup is again Burberry for the vast majority (except masquera. Rimmel has the best masquera subjectively) and my favorite perfume is Daisy (Available at Macy's) - I love the smell so much I put it on everyday even if I am not going anywhere and lounging around in my fuzzy pajamas all day. I am not a fan of dresses, but I do have some nice Alice + Olivia evening dresses for the right occasion. I am not a big fan of formal clothing so I try to avoid formal social events or gatherings as much as possible.

Skirts are the same as dresses and I don't like them per se, but I own a lot for summer weather and they usually run no more than 30 bucks and can be found all over the place in malls and like Ross, etc. All the socks I typically like are always found either at Ross or Fred Meyers (a Western Washington store). My favorite bras are La Perla, but sadly there are only a handful of stores in the United States, but once you find the right fit you can order them online with relative ease. The best tights (i.e. nylons, pantyhose, etc.) are Fiore and I have a whole drawer full of them. My favorite stretchy V-Neck shirts I usually find for around $5.00 in Kern County, CA so I pick up a bunch when I am in the area.

Shoes, well I like flats mostly and all of them are either Burberry, Coach, Gucci, Prada or Rocketdog. Snow boots are exclusively Sketchers and heels are usually either Chanel or Jimmy Choo...they just have the coolest heels period and if I am going to buy heels I might as well get what I like. I only wear those for formal events. The point in my post is that you find what you like anywhere and in a variety of places.  It's trial and error, but once someone finds what they like they tend to stick with it for the long haul so experiment and don't be so afraid to indulge yourself and spend some extra money for something you really like.

[GeekGurl2014]

If you don't want to spend too much money on clothes, might I suggest purchasing items from a thrift store.  I have done that in the past especially when I was trying to figure out my size but was afraid to try something on.  It is cheep and if you buy something that does not fit you did not waste a ton of money and don't have to initiate the process of doing a return / exchange.  After doing that a few times you should have a better idea and can shop online with a bit more success.

Also the holidays are a great time to shop in person at department stores.  When they see a man looking through the women's section the perception is that they are getting a gift for a woman in their life (and technically you are).  Plus most department stores don't have attended dressing rooms so you can take your items over to the men's section and try them on without worry.

The best advice I can give is just to be confident and don't be ashamed of what a stranger thinks about you shopping in the women's section.  Odd are this is the first and last time you will ever come across this person.

[big kim]

Miss Fat Bitch for the lady with the fuller figure!

[judithlynn]

Hi Amber kitty;
I am size 22 or I was until recently - now heading to size 20. I buy a lot of my clothes from a fantastic Australian store that alsao sells about 80% of their clothes on line. Its call Dream Diva. See www.dreamdiva.com.au

They do international sales too. All their clothes look great and are not frumpy or dowdy. For instance despite being size 20, their miniskirts are really pretty. They have really nice dresses, coats pants, legions etc.

Do try something. They are also not outrageous in price.

Best of luck
JudithLynn

[big kim]

Seriously I get a lot from Long Tall Sally being over 6'.They do mail order and have a store in most cities in the UK.Nice clothes which last,I have a 23 year old overcoat,22 year old T shirt and other stuff which is still perfectly OK to wear

[Kacie Lynne]

I used to be very secretive when buying clothes and would find places open 24 hrs
like a walmart or something and go at around 2 or 3 am when nobody was around
but lately as i have been letting a select few in my life know i am MTF trans i don't
pay any attention to what others think, they can kiss my a**, it's my business what
im buying not theirs, and with that attitude it makes it soo much easier to buy clothes
because i will be looking at clothes and hold them up to me to see how they will look
and don't even care if anyone sees me, as far as where i shop, i live in the USA and
i shop at

Macy's
target
Express--- i love this place
Ann Taylor

and if i want to just get something for cheaper price then theres always

walmart
meijers--- kinda like walmart in michigan and surrounding states

[barbie]

At first, you may think it is embarrassing to try and purchase the clothes you really want to wear, but that kind of fear will fade away after you start it in any store. A merit of on-line shopping is far more diverse items available.

barbie~~

[awilliams1701]

I've purchased most of what I have from amazon. Its a lot easier because I can filter to my size.

[DaniChan]

Like many here, when I started buying my own clothes, I only bought via internet.
I was quite scared someone I know would see me in a store or what would other people think.
Now I mostly buy in stores and usually try it on. It has become a trill actually doing so.
I'm still a bit scared to be seen by some one known, but thats part of the fun now

[Patricia2]

When I was younger, there was not internet, so buying clothes online was not an option.  I always felt the same, that after walking into the women's section, people were staring at me, and even that they were glaring at me with the "evil eye." I used to always try to go shopping during off hours (mid day, during the week) and get in and out as quickly as I could when it came to buying women's clothes.  Then one day (many years later) I walked into Victoria's Secret and the sales lady approached asking if I needed help and, somehow I had the curage to tell her I wanted to buy something for myself.  I don't know why I told her, but after I did, I fellt much more comfortable.  The sales lady acted shocked at first (I think only because she thought that was the reaction I was looking for), but she was very helpful and friendly the whole time.  After that, I was feeling very confident and proceeded over to JC Penny and picked out a nice dress, and the sales lady there was really friendly and helpful.  She gave me care tips, instructed me how to carry it gently since this is a precious dress (I was trying to wad it up in the semi transparent bag so no one else could tell what I had just purchased).  This was actually a very enjoyable experience.  My conclusion, the key to buying women's clothing is confidence and attitude.  As I walked out of the mall carrying my Victoria's Secret bag, I realize that no one even looked at me twice.  I wish I would have done that 20 years ago.

[awilliams1701]

I have bought clothes locally a couple of times, but its a pain in the ass to find the right size. That's what I like about amazon.

[barbie]

I wish I would have done that 20 years ago.

Yes. It is far easier than I feared.

barbie~~

[ImagineKate]

I buy from wal mart, target, kohl's, Macy's, burlington, Costco etc. For places that have fitting rooms I try the clothes on sometimes. Otherwise I buy, try and return stuff that doesn't fit. I can usually guess my size at various stores though.

Buying online I do as well but sometimes I get stuff that looks good on the website then looks awful when I get it.

[XxHotTopicGirlRileyxX]

Spencer's and hot Topic most of the time with Sears once in a blue moon.

[mac1]

..........
I'm a big person therefore I really need to see clothes before I buy them, a lot of stuff I've ordered online before never fits (male clothing). And I have absolutely no idea with female clothes since every brand seems to have a different sizing guide, and even those seem to be off. I've looked for one size fits all kind of things but a lot of them say "up to: xx" with none ever seeming to have a size.

Any advice is appreciated,
Much love - Amber

..........

Shop in department stores that have both women's and men's departments with fitting rooms. Pick out your clothes in the women's area and go to the men's (or unisex if available) fitting room and try them on for size and fit. The men's fitting room is rarely monitored like the women's fitting room.

My wife and I frequently go into the men's fitting room together as it is more convenient for trying on clothes and nobody takes issue with her being in there. It is different with the women's fitting room as it is usually monitored and even if it isn't the women are more likely to object.