Susan's Place Transgender Resources

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I'm in a similar boat for my day to day dress (and I'm even almost exactly the same size- 5'7" and 125lbs). I love pushing my envelope when it comes to looking as feminine as possible without specifically trying to look female **for now!** I think you understand what I mean ;)

Right now I'm digging v neck tee shirts and wide neck women's tops. Horizontal stripes with grey and blue and black seem to be comprising most of everything for the women's tops. They are quite loose, hide my still slightly male-ish upper body and let me show off the pants and belt combo.

For shoes it's been vans but just the past couple of days I bought a few new pairs of boots, one black pair with a 3" heel and one grey pair with maybe a .5" heel. Gawd I love shoes. It didn't stop there, I got two other pairs of heels for special occasions :D one pair of Jeffrey cambpells and a pair of black sneaker heels that I am dying to wear!

Ok sorry to get off topic...

Have you tried tucking? It does wonders for women's pants and lets you fit into those really tight ones without ever worrying about what's going on downstairs.

I've been trying to shop at thrift stores because I do see a lot of the clothing I'm buying right now as temporary.

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Ok .... well there aren't any rules for dressing Andro and it mostly depends on your body type and overall presentation.

Darker jeans and sneakers that are not obviously masculine are the way to go, especially if you have large feet.

For shoes for more formal wear go for something with a bit of a heel and ones that are a bit more than ankle length.

For tops - anything that is not obviously masculine.

The main thing is do not go for anything obviously masculine and obviously girly.
So when buying stuff - just ask yourself if this is gonna look waaaay too manly or girly? Also would a guy normally wear that? If the answer is no - then you got something that's either girly or andro - Most guys would just avoid anything that questions their male identity - so do not go for things that have too much black unless they are balanced out with some other colour.

Always keep your body size and shape in mind while buying stuff.

For the hair simply tying it in a manly way would do... there are plenty of guys (who are very hot btw) with long hair. But make sure it's not tied in a feminine manner with hair clips and stuff.

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Ok ... after googling a few times to find something appropriate to what I was talking about:

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.igossip.com%2Fphotos_2012%2F79%2Ftomboy_ponytail_hairstyle.jpg&hash=d5c6d638d0c58881a56827ffda7edff6df840929)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F24.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_ma3w4ue1CQ1rg9mawo1_500.jpg&hash=8319c083e46b74707cfc927d34cba8e84a7b0477)

These would be something suitable for your longer hair - if are going to cut it though you would have a lot more options for an androgynous look -
But to get the look you want it would have to be something like shoulder or neck length.
The problem with that is - once you cut it off - your options would be limited to just the shorter hairstyle - although there are plenty of short hairstyles of various lengths that would make you look andro.

Forgot to mention you could try googling Andrej Pejic - some of his looks may suit your longer hair.

If you wanna go for one of his femme looks:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_m1bem9IGCd1qk510zo1_r1_500.png&hash=6dfdde47915f5ac9055f01bdada2de3a5cd4f7ae)

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You could also try looking around for styles that you would love and would suit your personality. There are plenty of celebs out there who love playing with their hair - just trying looking for a look in either a show or a movie or something that you might like.

That's what I am planning on doing.

The style that I love the most is the one used by Katherine Moennig as "Shane" from the L word or Ruta Gedmintas as "Frankie" from the Lip Service. I just hope either looks suit me.

I would recommend doing something similar - look around and find something you love.

I would recommend finding a good hair stylist that does both women's and men's hair. Ask for something that is "in between".

My hair stylist was one of the first 5 people I came out to, and I have been going to him for about 3 years. Granted I am located in LA, a magical place for transgendered individuals, but he immediately was on "the page" and gave me exactly what I wanted- an in between haircut that can either be read as male or female.

He added some layers and kept areas long that I will need when I go full time, even pointing them out as he went along with the cut. Similarly to you, I already had long hair before starting HRT.

I can already tell that the fact that my hairstylist knows of my situation will make sure I don't get shorn in a way that will hinder me down the line. I highly highly recommend finding a great stylist, ask for something in between male and female and if you have the confidence explain yourself. They will know what to do, especially if they are the "master" or "lead" stylist at the salon.

By the way, it seems to me that salon stylists LOVE "men" with long hair. Especially straight hair, it's like an open playing field for them. This is a chance for them to be creative AND helpful at the same time in the truest sense. Being honest with them about your situation will get you a really great, awesome cut ;)

The place where I go is called Salon Eleven in downtown Los Angeles, and I've been going to their lead stylist Jared for years. Apparently... he IS trans friendly, so I am happy to recommend him here :D

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Ok well then a stylist that does women and men is your best bet. Most salon stylists here in the US do both women's and men's cuts. The only men's only place I know of is a barbershop.

You don't have to divulge anything about being trans (I just felt comfortable enough with my stylist to tell him- he was not specifically trans friendly), but asking for an androgynous-esque haircut seems like something they should be able to handle.

Just let them know how much length you want to keep, and that you are open to it looking slightly feminine, but at all costs that you don't want a MANs haircut.

On the other hand if you are not feeling comfortable asking for those details, you could try cutting your own hair... maybe adding a few layers at a time to see how you like it. Tons of how-to videos on youtube...

Layers Tutorials (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+cut+layers+in+long+hair)

I am a very arts & crafts type of girl, but I still wouldn't want to cut the main part of my hair. Especially the backside part of it. I don't want to mess it up! I trim my bangs from time to time, but that's about it.

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