FTM where to find clothes that fit??

[Jam]

I was wondering what you do for clothes? myself im 5ft 3, small framed with a large-ish chest.
I can fit into guys medium t-shirts but thats it. Long sleeved mens is too lengthy in the arms, hoodies are huge even in small and im yet to find 28" leg jeans. I don't think boys would fit because of my hips/chest...

Im not adverse to wearing womens because i can always wear it more masculine its just finding things without frills!

Anyways just looking for a little help really, any ideas would be great.

Cheers Tom

[kyril]

Try boys' large long-sleeve shirts - they can be roomier in the chest than men's smalls even. Only reason I don't wear them is the sleeves/torso are too short for me, which means they could be perfect for you.

If you have money to burn, Abercrombie is overpriced but all their styles are really designed for small guys.

Hoodies can and probably should be worn fairly oversized. Close-fitting hoodies are a women's style.

And wear 30" jeans even if they seem too long. First of all, they're supposed to be worn longer than women's (check out how guys' jeans kind of sag around their shoes, where women's break just over the shoe like men's slacks) so that they cover your socks/ankles when you sit down); secondly, unlike that flimsy stretch denim in women's jeans, men's shrink in the wash and stay shrunk, so they'll be shorter than they seem off the rack. And you can cuff them if you have to, lots of short guys do. Or get them altered.

[Miniar]

Sleeves and pant legs can be shortened.
If you have access to a sewing machine, you can fix the hem yourself quite easily too.

I have the opposite problem.
Now, a 6'2" bloke isn't terribly "Unusual", but I've got the build of the family where I'm mostly legs.
I'm not quite as disproportionate as some of my sisters, but none the less, mostly legs.
I need a 36 length in jeans, at least, preferably 38.
Most pants here end at 34 which is short enough to look way off.
And you can't really "lengthen" the legs of pants as easily as you can shorten them.

[Jam]

Thanks for the input, i think abercrombie is just a bit too much for me (£70 for a shirt?!?!?!) haha i wouldn't mind buying the odd one but its a lot of money to spend on something that might not fit. I'll try boys large then and see how i go.

Miniar -'And you can't really "lengthen" the legs of pants as easily as you can shorten them.'

Good point, 30" will do i shouldn't be so picky

Thanks guys

[kyril]

re: might not fit, you are trying them on before buying, right? Nobody (besides my damn husband, who is Abercrombie model sized from head to toe) buys a $70 shirt right off the rack. Unless you're ordering online, in which case returning is pretty easy.

If you are trying things on, the only other thing to be aware of fit-wise is that heavy pure cotton things like men's jeans and a lot of good quality button-up shirts will shrink, so it's ok to buy them just a bit big.

[Jam]

I'd be buying them online. I don't feel comfy buying guys clothes...my friend just happily walks around but im always aware people are staring  I'll be a lot more confident with these kinds of things when i get my hair cut, buy a binder etc.

[Miniar]

I just grab a 3 pack of black T's over at "Rúmfatalagerinn" (this low-price store that has "home goods").. in Medium.

[LordKAT]

Sort of what I do, K mart, shopko, wal mart, dollar general, what ever is cheap.

[kyril]

Nobody's staring. If you have long hair and no binder, you're basically presenting as 100% female in androgynous/masculine clothes. So people think you're a girl who likes to wear guys' clothes. Or maybe that you're shopping for your boyfriend. Either way, nobody really thinks twice about it. If you don't pass, use the women's dressing rooms. Like I said, butches and tomboys do it all the time. It's actually a bit more awkward when you do pass enough to be ambiguous, but choosing a dressing room is a pretty emphatic statement "I am X."

I bought jeans this week. Men's jeans. I went to the Levi's store, where the men's is on a whole different floor from the women's. I presented as male, was read as male, tried on my jeans in the men's dressing room. And then I paid for them, using my credit card in my birth name, with my ID with a long-haired smiling girly pic. Clerk didn't even bat an eyelash. This was the same store where, a few months ago, I'd bought men's jeans while presenting as female and trying them on downstairs in the women's dressing room. And they didn't care that time either.

[Miniar]

Another approach is to just let 'em stare. Let it roll off your back and go about your business like you have absolutely no reason to worry.
If you act like you are where you are supposed to and you know what you're doing, people generally don't question you.

[Nero]

One thing I've found about buying online is that I can't trust the arm, chest, or neck measurement charts for casual shirts. My arm measurement had me in a small or medium but I actually wear XXL. My chest measurement had me in a XL. I don't know if it's due to having odd dimensions from being ftm or just the fact my gut is huge or what. So you just have to know your size.

[Greg]

topman have some clothes in ridiculously small sizes. they do 28 inch leg lengths but only for 26inch waist size. I tried on a jacket in topman recently in large (I'm medium/large in most shops) and it looked like I was wearing the jacket of a small child, mostly because the arms were so short.

[Parker Lane]

Thanks for the input, i think abercrombie is just a bit too much for me (£70 for a shirt?!?!?!) haha i wouldn't mind buying the odd one but its a lot of money to spend on something that might not fit. I'll try boys large then and see how i go.

Miniar -'And you can't really "lengthen" the legs of pants as easily as you can shorten them.'

Good point, 30" will do i shouldn't be so picky

Thanks guys

Okay so I don't know if you like American Eagle at all..
but if you do, they actually have an XS in Men's clothing.

I'm super skinny, and the XS always fits right,
especially the polos.

Good luck!

[Jam]

Ok thanks, i'll have a look into topman and american eagle, short arms would defo be a bonus for me haha. Im getting my hair cut wednesday anyways so hopefully if i wear my bigish coat i should be able to sorta pass when i go in the stores. Depends if the hairdresser actually does  a boyish cut BOYISH. I think she will, my old one managed to make short on top and cut round the ears amazingly girly =/

[Doveglion]

Have you tried Old Navy or Gap? I was recently looking at their clothing because I have serious issues with finding pants that aren't too long as well I'm only 5"2. They're still kind of out of my price range, but definitely something worth saving up for.

There's also thrift stores if you don't mind used clothes and are looking to save as much money as possible. I've found all sorts of cool stuff at the one around here.

[Jam]

nope but i'll have a look at them thanks. Think we have some Gap stores close by so cheers again