Yes I am still completely presenting as female, but I think that's about to change soon. I was thinking about going to buy some guys clothes this weekend! ;D I had it in my head that if I go around Christmas time I can use that excuse that I'm buying the clothes for a gift for somebody else. I want some jeans, a shirt and a cool jacket. I am completely clueless about sizes though. My... ugh... my female body is pretty small. Advice? Aagh just thinking about it makes me want to dash down to the mall this instant! ;D
Just buy whatever fits. Guy's sizes are fairly straightforward usually (s, m, l). I don't think anyone at the store will care what you are doing, so you don't even need an excuse. Besides, if you're confident and look like you know what you're doing, storeclerks are less likely to come over and try to 'help' you find something (I find it annoying, personally).
There are plenty of guys who are slim or short. Try shopping around the boy's section to see if they have anything that fits better.
Also, you don't have to call your body your 'female body' if you don't want to. :P It's not like transition is getting a body-transplant, right? You'll still have the same one, just with different characteristics.
Quote from: Anon on December 04, 2011, 03:09:54 PM
Just buy whatever fits. Guy's sizes are fairly straightforward usually (s, m, l). I don't think anyone at the store will care what you are doing, so you don't even need an excuse. Besides, if you're confident and look like you know what you're doing, storeclerks are less likely to come over and try to 'help' you find something (I find it annoying, personally).
There are plenty of guys who are slim or short. Try shopping around the boy's section to see if they have anything that fits better.
Also, you don't have to call your body your 'female body' if you don't want to. :P It's not like transition is getting a body-transplant, right? You'll still have the same one, just with different characteristics.
True :) I just didn't know what to call my body specifically for this thread :P Yea I know! I hate it when they come over to you!! I'll see what I can find. Thanks man :)
You should def measure yourself first if you're going to go into a store. That way you can feel a little more like you know what you're doing. I can't claim to have much clue what I'm doing re men's stuff, but my daughter grows like a weed and I frequently have to tell other people her sizes.
Here's a men's version of something I found useful:http://reviews.ebay.com/Getting-the-right-fit-4-men-How-2s-Measure-amp-Size-Chart?ugid=10000000001410637 (http://reviews.ebay.com/Getting-the-right-fit-4-men-How-2s-Measure-amp-Size-Chart?ugid=10000000001410637)
Definitely measure yourself first, especially if you're gonna be shopping for pants. Jeans are really hard for me to buy because I've got a curvy shape, but I found slim straight jeans fit best. :D If you're small enough you can probably shop in the boys section, I have a few friends that do that and pull it off. It's cheaper, too.
With jeans I really make sure the waist + hips fit and pay and less attention to the hemline -- you can always fold up and hem the pantlegs of jeans that are too long, it's the waist you have to worry about. :)
It's really just a lot of trying on different styles and sizes and figuring out what looks best on you. People usually don't care when I shop in the mens section -- I get some glances sometimes, but whatevs, I have more important things to worry about. ::)
I've been wearing and shopping for guy clothes for all of my life, practically. The one tip I can give you is: Try stuff on. Shirts, you can eyeball, but always try on the pants. Store's sizes might be a little different store to store. Generally, people won't look at you weird or anything for buying dude clothes.
Been wearing androgynous clothes my entire life, only wearing more feminine things when my parents told me to. Now, I always shop in the guys section and even wear shorts from there - which is a big deal for me, since I haven't worn shorts since I was ten or eleven. ;D
My advice is that for pants, when trying them on, don't pull them up to rest on your waist. As silly as it sounds - for me, anyway - you might need to wear your pants like most other teenage guys do and pull them down to about the middle of your butt, a little higher if you don't feel comfortable. This will give you a flatter appearance back there (if you need it) and the material won't cling to curves as much as girls' pants would. If the underwear showing bothers you, I'd get some longer t-shirts, but if pulling your pants down that far in general bothers you, then don't do it. Really, it's all about comfort and confidence; I'm only giving this advice because when I first tried on some guy pants, I was fairly disappointed at how feminine my legs and butt looked in them.
a general rule of thumb at least for me for pant sizes add 20 to the coresponding female size IE i wear a 14/16 in womens and a 36 in mens
I don't know if you knew this, but pants/jeans sizes go by width/length. the average size for jean is 30/30. Jeans that are 29/32 would be for a tall an skinny guy.
Personally, since my hips are so wide, I'm like a 36/29. hard to find. usually I get 36/30 or 34/30.
I concur with shopping in the boy's section if you are small. And Especially if you are short, in the case of say...button up shirts. I'm 4'11, and can't wear men's small button ups. They come down too long on my body- almost down to my knees. I wind up finding boy's M-L. They're the right length. It all depends on height for them, really.
Jeans, yes. Big diff between Women's and Men's. Men's pants are sized in larger numbers. Thankfully, if you are small enough, you may be able to fit into boys. They seem to run in between women's and men's sizes (12, 13, 14, etc). If you need men's, you'll probably have to hem them up a bit. I take 34/30 since 30 is the shortest it seems to go. 6 inches come off of mine. I, personally wear them on my hips. So keep in mind you may need a larger size if you want them to sit there instead of your waist. I don't recommend around your butt though....
Hope we all help you!
I'd tell you to look at some place like American Eagle, Rue 21, H&M, or Urban Outfitters since they tend to carry smaller sizes for men, but I dunno if you can really pick or choose where you go right now.
However, all of those stores also carry female clothing, so if you're still planning on being secretive about purchasing men's clothing, then those places would not be a bad place to start. However, if you are not binding yet, a nice baggy shirt could be a friend to you. However, if you are really thin around the stomach & waist area, you will have trouble finding men's pants that fit you in your regular ol' department store. I can get away with a 28 or 29 waist if I belt it, but sometimes stores won't carry anything lower than a 30. Even with a 28 or 29, I literally mean that I can get away with it - but it isn't desirable. I usually can wear a 26 waist without having to belt. Depending on your style, you'll probably be able to find jeans that will fit you at Hot Topic or American Eagle. Even though HT is awful nowadays, their jeans are usually labelled as more of a unisex item from my experience. There are nicer jeans out there, but I think you can find waists measurements as small as 24 there. I don't wear my pants that tight anymore, especially because of my packer and because it usually emphasizes your hips, but yeah. I still think it would be helpful if you told us where you are planning on going, because you may be disappointed at certain stores. If your midsection is build anywhere near like mine is, you may end up seeing a lot of shirts you like, but won't fit you (medium is sometimes the smallest size they carry in most of their shirts and or their both waist x inseam measurements of pants will end up making you wish you were taller). I dunno, you could always shop the boys department, but it's kind of questionable as to why you may be buying boys clothes "for a friend". Also, I've always found it to be awkward when I end up owning the same exact shirt same shirt as some who is potentially over ten years my minor. >_< I don't know if that would bother you, but you might want to take that into consideration.
As for Kyle_S, have you ever heard of www.topman.com (http://www.topman.com)?
They can be rather pricey at times, but the quality of the clothes is worth it. They also sell button up shirts for men (not boys) from XXS-XXL. I do own some men's small button ups, but I'm maybe 5'2" or something like that, so they can be a little long at times. I've always been more comfortable wearing an XS men's button up, but alas, there are only certain places you can find them. American Eagle, as I mentioned earlier, sells smaller men's clothing as well. They also carry XS button up shirts. Oh, and Urban Outfitters does sometimes as well.
:]
JasonRX,
I guess if I move to the bigger city in my province like I plan to, I'll have to check out A.E and the like. We don't have those stores here, but they're in both malls there. Thanks! :)
Quote from: Kyle_S on December 05, 2011, 01:29:50 AM
JasonRX,
I guess if I move to the bigger city in my province like I plan to, I'll have to check out A.E and the like. We don't have those stores here, but they're in both malls there. Thanks! :)
There's always the option of ordering online as well if nothing else comes to avail. I don't even know if Topman is anything else but entirely web-based so.
But no problem, just trying to help.
:]
Measure yourself, yes. And don't be afraid to try a bunch of stuff on. I doubt anyone will look at you funny for shopping in the men's. I see all sorts of people shop in the men's section.
Quote from: JohnAlex on December 04, 2011, 11:01:23 PM
I don't know if you knew this, but pants/jeans sizes go by width/length. the average size for jean is 30/30. Jeans that are 29/32 would be for a tall an skinny guy.
Personally, since my hips are so wide, I'm like a 36/29. hard to find. usually I get 36/30 or 34/30.
I didn't know this--the "average" size bit. Seems odd considering that most guys are above a 30 waist. Also, when I wore 36/29 they were some of the easiest pants to find. Finding a 29 inseam in smaller sizes is harder it seems.
Quote from: Kyle_S on December 04, 2011, 11:26:30 PM
I take 34/30 since 30 is the shortest it seems to go.
I'm not sure which brands or stores you like to shop at, but there are definitely shorter inseams. Probably not as short as a 24 or so, but I've seen a 28 before in store and a 27 online. Not all brands make short inseams though. I certainly wish they did though lol
Adio :
Yeah, I've seen as short as 25 for inseam, but even a 26 is too short for me. I'm usually fine with anything between s 27-30, which isn't that hard to find as long you know where to look. :3
Quote from: Adio on December 05, 2011, 01:45:05 AMI didn't know this--the "average" size bit. Seems odd considering that most guys are above a 30 waist. Also, when I wore 36/29 they were some of the easiest pants to find. Finding a 29 inseam in smaller sizes is harder it seems
Maybe we just shop at different stores then, lol. Personally, I shop at JCPenny for my jeans. And my average, I don't mean that that's the average size of men, i just mean that there's like a million pairs of pants in that size, in my experience, of shopping for jeans.
And I wouldn't really know about finding a 29 inseem with smaller sizes, because obviously I don't search for smaller sizes, lol.
I would LOVE to be able to find a 36/29, because I think that would be my perfect size, unfortunately, I haven't run into it yet.
Oh, also, a heads up for anyone who can shop at a JCPenny. They have great dressing rooms, in the one's I've been in. All the ones I've been in don't have anyone standing guard at the dressing room to ask you how many clothing items you have. So it's very easy for even someone who doesn't pass at all to use the men's dressing room. It doesn't even say "Men's dressing room." It's just assumed since it's in the men's section.
Quote from: JohnAlex
I'm not sure which brands or stores you like to shop at, but there are definitely shorter inseams. Probably not as short as a 24 or so, but I've seen a 28 before in store and a 27 online. Not all brands make short inseams though. I certainly wish they did though lol
we only 2 dept stores here (Wal-Mart and Bargain Giant) and 30 inseam is the shortest. And soon we will be down to just WM, cause BG is closing. I don't have a car so I can't go anywhere else. And I have no credit card to buy stuff online, or many other options of buying online, so I do the best I can with the crap all thats in my run-down dump of a town :/
I'm assuming you're in the US. Like other guys said, try stuff on. When I started buying male clothing properly, I'd never try it on (I've just always hated dressing rooms) and ended up looking like a kid rummaged through his dad's work drawer all the time. It also takes away the worry of is this small enough? But what if it's too small? What if I look curvy in it?
If the changing rooms are gender segregated, then I guess that can be intimidating. If you don't pass, then use the women's. No one actually looks at what you're trying on. If you feel more confident, use the men's. No one cares. When I lived in Russia and didn't pass much (before binding, even) I completely forgot that of course the changing rooms in the male part of the shop was for men, and strolled in without a second thought. Only coming out and seeing the long queue of people that had accumulated to use them did I remember, and guess what... no one gave a damn, or even noticed. They never do, so go try some clothes on fo' sho'!
Quote from: Kyle_S on December 05, 2011, 02:34:20 AM
we only 2 dept stores here (Wal-Mart and Bargain Giant) and 30 inseam is the shortest. And soon we will be down to just WM, cause BG is closing. I don't have a car so I can't go anywhere else. And I have no credit card to buy stuff online, or many other options of buying online, so I do the best I can with the crap all thats in my run-down dump of a town :/
hey, you made this quote from me, and it's not quoting me, it's quoting Adio, lol.
I'm pretty small as well and I sometimes buy button-up shirts in the boys section at JC Pennys or Target. You could try on a large or XL. If you're on a budget, those places are cheaper than someplace like American Eagle, and at big stores like that salespeople generally don't bother you. you can probably go in and out of the dressing room unnoticed.
I forgot to add--
With pants my advice would be to go for a slimmer fit rather than baggy or loose. If you're skinny, baggy pants just accentuate this, you can end up looking like you're drowning in them. Unless you're really super into baggy pants or something.
@JohnAlex: lol I actually shop at JCP for my pants. Jeans, not so much. My luck with jeans is rather bad. It may be our difference in location because I find mostly 36+ jeans with a ton in 32 length. If I still had my 36/29s, I would totally send all of them your way haha And the dressing rooms are great, I agree.
@Kyle: Ah I see. I've actually got 3 pair of 34/29s from Walmart. Two of them are Faded Glory and the other is Rustler or something. Once again, it may just be difference in location. You may be able to request them, but if you'll have to alter those as well, then it probably isn't worth it.
Quote from: JohnAlex on December 05, 2011, 10:26:51 AM
hey, you made this quote from me, and it's not quoting me, it's quoting Adio, lol.
hahaha, ooops.
Quote from: JohnAlex on December 05, 2011, 02:10:30 AM
Maybe we just shop at different stores then, lol. Personally, I shop at JCPenny for my jeans. And my average, I don't mean that that's the average size of men, i just mean that there's like a million pairs of pants in that size, in my experience, of shopping for jeans.
And I wouldn't really know about finding a 29 inseem with smaller sizes, because obviously I don't search for smaller sizes, lol.
I would LOVE to be able to find a 36/29, because I think that would be my perfect size, unfortunately, I haven't run into it yet.
I'm in the same boat man, I think we're built quite similarly. I'm like 5'5 but 30 inch inseams always look so long on me and drag the ground. I found a pair of Levi's in 36x29 that fit okay though. I used to wear Arizona jeans from JCPenny's and you're right, the shortest they go is 30. Just try to look at as many different stores when you have the opportunity. The good thing is that once you find one pair that fits right, you can buy others online in that size.
Quote from: JohnAlex on December 04, 2011, 11:01:23 PM
I don't know if you knew this, but pants/jeans sizes go by width/length. the average size for jean is 30/30. Jeans that are 29/32 would be for a tall an skinny guy.
Personally, since my hips are so wide, I'm like a 36/29. hard to find. usually I get 36/30 or 34/30.
I measured myself, and my waist is 32ish and my inseam is 28. What order do those numbers go in?
QuoteWhen I started buying male clothing properly, I'd never try it on (I've just always hated dressing rooms) and ended up looking like a kid rummaged through his dad's work drawer all the time.
Lol I still do this. I hate shopping.
Quote from: Felix on December 04, 2011, 04:59:45 PM
You should def measure yourself first if you're going to go into a store. That way you can feel a little more like you know what you're doing. I can't claim to have much clue what I'm doing re men's stuff, but my daughter grows like a weed and I frequently have to tell other people her sizes.
Here's a men's version of something I found useful:http://reviews.ebay.com/Getting-the-right-fit-4-men-How-2s-Measure-amp-Size-Chart?ugid=10000000001410637 (http://reviews.ebay.com/Getting-the-right-fit-4-men-How-2s-Measure-amp-Size-Chart?ugid=10000000001410637)
To be honest I tried referring from that and got confused man :-\ :P I think I'm just going to go for the slim jeans suggestion and hope I get a jacket that fits. I am really self conscious about trying the clothes on in the store though because I totally pass as female.
Quote from: Cody Jensen on December 06, 2011, 12:16:32 AM
To be honest I tried referring from that and got confused man :-\ :P I think I'm just going to go for the slim jeans suggestion and hope I get a jacket that fits. I am really self conscious about trying the clothes on in the store though because I totally pass as female.
When I was trying to be female, and btw not a lesbian or anything openly lgbt, I went for punk rock/ragamuffin/outlaw/whatever style enough that it didn't feel weird trying on whatever I felt like trying on. I didn't really notice what section I was shopping in. I don't know if that would have worked if I'd been consciously thinking about gender issues. I was incredibly oblivious and naive, and I didn't purchase clothing very often. Still. Maybe go in pretending to be some category of human that participates in a subculture that doesn't give a crap who clothes are supposed to be for?
The chart I linked may or not have been the same one I used, but I know when I was checking I was mostly looking to buy dress shirts and pants online. I'm not seeing much that fits me in thrift stores, and ebay's cheaper anyway. I did all the numbers for myself and correlated it to xs or s in men's dress shirts, but beyond that I'm a little confused myself. Sorry it wasn't helpful to you. :-\
Lol I find numbers soothing even when they fail me.
Lol Felix well thanks for trying man ;D agh.. now I hope I get something that fits me lol
QuoteI measured myself, and my waist is 32ish and my inseam is 28. What order do those numbers go in?
Waist/Inseam ...32/28
Even men's sizes can be weird. The best solution is probably just to go somewhere you can try things on, so you can figure out what size you tend to wear. 32's can fall off my 36" hips. Once you figure out your size, I recommend thrift stores. I've accumulated an inappropriately large collection of awesome thrift-store button-downs, including some really nice dress shirts.
Quote from: Julian on December 06, 2011, 09:59:33 PM
Even men's sizes can be weird. The best solution is probably just to go somewhere you can try things on, so you can figure out what size you tend to wear. 32's can fall off my 36" hips. Once you figure out your size, I recommend thrift stores. I've accumulated an inappropriately large collection of awesome thrift-store button-downs, including some really nice dress shirts.
Ya but I'm still super self conscious about trying the stuff on. Is there any chance I have of going in and getting the right size the first time? :P
Cody -
If you want to be as close as possible, measure your the width of your waist (but if you have huge hips consider those in too) and the length of your legs.
Quote from: JasonRX on December 07, 2011, 01:53:40 AM
Cody -
If you want to be as close as possible, measure your the width of your waist (but if you have huge hips consider those in too) and the length of your legs.
Okay, I'll try this :)
If you want to try on pants go to places like zumiez or pac sun. They generally have non-gendered dressing rooms.
Quote from: Cody Jensen on December 07, 2011, 01:08:49 AM
Ya but I'm still super self conscious about trying the stuff on. Is there any chance I have of going in and getting the right size the first time? :P
Hold them up to your waist to check? Maybe grab a size or two smaller and larger, then try them on at home and return the ones that don't fit. If you shop at thrift stores, you probably can't return things, but you'll only be out a few dollars.
Quote from: Julian on December 09, 2011, 08:24:27 PM
Hold them up to your waist to check? Maybe grab a size or two smaller and larger, then try them on at home and return the ones that don't fit. If you shop at thrift stores, you probably can't return things, but you'll only be out a few dollars.
A lot of thrift stores will let you return things for credit.
Quote from: Felix on December 11, 2011, 07:26:56 PM
A lot of thrift stores will let you return things for credit.
Thx Felix, I will keep this in mind
My advice to you is this,
If you are pretty small for a female,
You might not fit into small for men (I'm a medium in female sizes, and I wear small in men's)
However, if you don't fit into those, then you might have to think about Large in youth sizes.
Also, A lesson that I learned the hard way;
If you're tight on money (Like me)
Then it's a good idea to go to a thrift store for your first trip.
I got so excited that I ended up going broke and having to borrow money until my next paycheck xD
That way, you can buy tons, not spend a lot, and experiment with lots of different looks.
QuoteQuote from: Cody Jensen on December 07, 2011, 02:08:49 am
Ya but I'm still super self conscious about trying the stuff on. Is there any chance I have of going in and getting the right size the first time?
Hold them up to your waist to check?
When you hold them up, wrap them around you and see how close the seams are to the jeans you're wearing. If they line up or are just a little bit bigger, they should be about right, although it won't tell you how the seat will fit.
I'd just dive right in! No one seems to notice when I wear the boy's clothes...I always try to put them back on the men's hangers so they get put in the right section, but the fitting room lady always goes "no, you a girl, you put them on girl's hook." :| So the fact that the clothes were male didn't seem to even register with her.
Besides that, it's a lot more socially acceptable for 'girls' to wear men's clothes.
Quote from: Caseyy on December 12, 2011, 01:45:24 PM
I'd just dive right in! No one seems to notice when I wear the boy's clothes...I always try to put them back on the men's hangers so they get put in the right section, but the fitting room lady always goes "no, you a girl, you put them on girl's hook." :| So the fact that the clothes were male didn't seem to even register with her.
Besides that, it's a lot more socially acceptable for 'girls' to wear men's clothes.
hmmm. this :)
WTF are girl hangers? hahah
i would like to know too lmao
Like, the hangers for the girls' clothes so they can be hung in the girls' section. I tried to explain to her that they were men's clothes and wouldn't have a place in the girls', but that didn't seem to matter to her.
yeah I'm just saying I've never noticed or seen that each section has different hangers?
I don't think it was the actual hanger the clothes were attached to but a rack out side the dressing room. One for mens clothes and another rack for womens. You hang the clothes on the rack then an associate puts them back where they belong. If men and womens clothes have different hangers this is news to me.
lol ;D