Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi all - I am new to these forums but have really enjoyed the support and friendliness I see from everyone. That being said, I hope you can excuse me for asking an age-old question.

How do I know my size in women's clothes? I've always been into dressing up and doing drag, but I've never had to actually buy "every day" clothes on my own (I usually purchased some gaudy dress or hideously slutty attire from a tawdry sex shop for Halloween or something.)

I've done a lot of reading on not only this site but also other sites and am still drawing a blank as to how I'm supposed to know what size skirt, dress or shorts to buy. Any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

You will find alot of help available in the articles at this very site  :D Specifically in the Fashion and Sizing articles (https://www.susans.org/Articles/Fashion_,038_Sizing/).

When I first started buying my own clothes, I brought them from the Sears catalogue.  In there I followed their recomendations on how to measure myself and from that I ordered clothes in the size I thought was correct.  I started out with simple things like pants, blouses, and shirts, and ordered 3 sizes of each, one I thought should be right, one larger and one smaller.  The Sears return policy ensured that I would only pay for the items I kept, so if I was way off in the size I just returned the item(s) and reordered.  I liked this method because it was confidential and private and I felt safe not having to worry about face to face problems.  From this I developed confidence and now shop with the best of them, and according to my "other" half, I can shop a whole lot better.  I just keep running out of money... :angel:

When I first started buying my own feminine clothing I also used the size chart in a JC Penney catalog, but I never bought anyting from the catalog itself.  I found that the easiest thing was to get an approximate size and then shop in person at a store that has a reasonable return policy, i.e.  if it doesn't fit, they let you return it.

To size a skirt, waist size is most crucial for the male figure--if it fits in the waist it will fit in the hips.  Bust size is the best guide for tops.  Women's sizes and styles are so variable that you can never be sure that a garment fits until you try it on.  But that is where the fun begins. :)

Quote from: Louise on May 27, 2005, 05:03:16 PM
... sizes and styles are so variable that you can never be sure that a garment fits until you try it on. ...

Boy isn't that the truth!

I have a pair of generic 30x32 pants made in USA, which fit fine. I also have a pair of name brand 30x32 pants made in Cambodia that are too large to wear.

Even when you know your size it's a shot in the dark!  Ah well, adds to the excitement to life I guess. ;)