I've been doing a lot of clothes shopping on Amazon but I'm afraid to order anything because I'm not sure of the size.
My pants size is 33x34, medium shirts (US sizing) in men's but I wear my jeans loose and long. I'm 5'9" if that helps.
The clothing that I've been saving are mediums in pants, tops and dresses (every girl needs 1 black dress ;D) mostly from American Apparel.
Most of the clothing is lounge wear: yoga pants, leggings, stuff like that to wear around to the house and to bed.
Any advice?
Uuuuh, if you've -never- tried any women's pants on, it's going to be hard. It's hard to know to begin with, but if you don't even have a starting point... Sizes aren't the same at all, and it varies greatly. For example, my men's pants size is 30, maybe 28 or 32 depending on the brand. Doesn't vary much. However, in 5 pairs of women's jeans, I have sizes 6 (x2), 8, 9 and 11.
8: loosest; second worst fitting
9: second loosest; third best fitting
11: third loosest; second best fitting
6(1): best fitting
6(2): this one doesn't have enough butt space and is too tight on the thighs, so it keeps slipping down, is mostly uncomfortable and hurts my hips since HRT - it's actually my worst fitting despite being the same size as the only pair of jeans that really fits me
As you can see, how loose it is on me or how well it fits doesn't seem to have all that much to do with size. However, after trying things out a little, if I ordered online (which I'm actually planning to do this summer), I would probably go for size 6, since my bad fitting 6's are from a cheap store and are older. But even so, I wouldn't do it without fear of it not fitting. (By the way, all of those have been bought in stores, however my weight fluctuated during that time... and to be honest, for my worst pair, I just didn't check properly what happened if I walked or sit...)
That's why you should choose an online store to which you can conveniently return articles that don't fit without too much of a postage fee. Well, unless you buy super cheap clothes from doubtful sources, but that's another story.
And even in stores, it's not always easy. My sister took me to a store aimed mainly at teenage and young adult girls in which the very largest of everything fit either barely or not at all, whilst in other stores, I can choose among the smallest. Even with S / M / L sizes, it varies. I have loose Small pajama pants, and three barely fitting Large hoodies, one of which having actually ended up not fitting at all anymore because it shrunk in the laundry over time. It's not a torso - legs difference, since I tried Large pajama pants from another store, and I couldn't even pull them up.
So I really suggest that you at least do some fitting in a store to have somewhere to start from. Men's clothes sizes don't mean much if anything in this matter. If you're two embarrassed, do you by chance have a woman close to you (and whose clothes you can realistically at least fit in, living with you or not, who would be willing to shortly lend you a few articles of clothing to try on? It would at least give you -something- to work with. If you're living with them, you could, cough, sneak around a little, cough, if you're too shy or you think they wouldn't want to lend clothes. (Just make sure not to damage it, haha.)
Hmm, I wore 30x30 in men's (though they were tight around the hips) and I wear a 4-6 petite/short in women's. I wore XS men's tops and wear small or medium in women's. It depends a lot on the brand, honestly. Some are more into vanity sizing. You should go by your measurements, using the available size charts. And make sure to check if someone commented on the item saying how it fits. I've given up shopping on amazon though because their selection is kind of weird and I don't find many things I like there compared to other places. :)
You will need to note the inseam length though because 32" is the standard women's inseam.
American Apparel also offers some items in unisex sizing if that helps. (FYI I've bought leggings from them and the medium was a good fit for my aforementioned size)
Quote from: pretty on June 03, 2012, 11:00:15 PM
American Apparel also offers some items in unisex sizing if that helps. (FYI I've bought leggings from them and the medium was a good fit for my aforementioned size)
Thanks Pretty (and fabulous).
The pants that I am thinking about are all stretchy, spandex pants. I'm just worried of them cutting off circulation to my legs.
From what I get, it seems that I should be OK with medium...?
Going to a store is really out of the question for me right now. I'm not on HRT and could not pass at the moment.
I can always exchange the pants for a different size if it didn't fit, just trying to avoid is all...
If you are self-conscious about it, there is nothing wrong with selecting some womens-sized pants, and trying them on in the mens fitting room.
Quote from: Naturally Blonde on June 04, 2012, 12:59:55 PM
I'm really sorry but I'm amazed that some folks starting transition have no idea about female sizes. I knew about female sizes over 30 years ago when I first started buying girls clothes. Even before that I knew what sizes to buy. I guess I had a female rooting and persona from a very early age!
Thanks for that great advice...
Last time I was able to dress, I was raiding my sisters closet. I highly doubt that would work now, size wise or logistically as she's 3,000 miles away and 15 years ago.
When I worked in retail, I'd buy size 6 as "gifts". They were large on me then and I'm now 20lbs lighter.
The clothes I'm seeing are sized as small, medium, large. I'm not used to seeing women's clothes sized like that.
Quote from: Jamie D on June 04, 2012, 01:17:48 PM
If you are self-conscious about it, there is nothing wrong with selecting some womens-sized pants, and trying them on in the mens fitting room.
I'm too self conscious at the moment to even go into the women's section. It's something I'll get over in time I'm sure but right now, I'm happy to shopping on line.
Once I know my size and the fits I like, store shopping will be easier.
I wore mens 32waist 34 long, and my wife gave me some of her size 8 jeans and shorts and they are to loose on me (she is 6' tall btw) so I got some size 6 long cute women's jeans and they are just right, also wear medium tops and other things, Marybeth has been amazing in helping me with clothes and other accessories, she fixed me up very nicely with hair products, nail goodies and some of her jewelry!
Men's 33 and Medium, but women's 6, loose, all that with 20 more pounds? o.O Do we have the same clothing size system in Canada as the US? 'Cause I also wear women's 6 (well it's complicated as you see, but size 6 is what fit me best until now), but a pair of men's 33 pants would most likely fall to the ground, and men's Small are generally a little loose or long... Or maybe it's just -another- case of clothing sizes being weird.
And Michelle G too... Size 8 for someone so tall...
...I don't understand anything about sizes anymore!
Quote from: Ashley_C on June 04, 2012, 01:21:44 PM
I'm too self conscious at the moment to even go into the women's section. It's something I'll get over in time I'm sure but right now, I'm happy to shopping on line.
Once I know my size and the fits I like, store shopping will be easier.
At my local Target and K-mart (upscale, huh?) the men's and women's clothing sections are right next to one another, as are the fitting rooms. I often see women in the mens section, and men in the womens section, shopping for their significant others ... or themselves!
Yes, Ashley_C... It's often much less scary than it looks, especially in larger stores! And either way, all you need is an excuse, hehe.
Quote from: A on June 04, 2012, 01:29:29 PM
Men's 33 and Medium, but women's 6, loose, all that with 20 more pounds? o.O Do we have the same clothing size system in Canada as the US? 'Cause I also wear women's 6 (well it's complicated as you see, but size 6 is what fit me best until now), but a pair of men's 33 pants would most likely fall to the ground, and men's Small are generally a little loose or long... Or maybe it's just -another- case of clothing sizes being weird.
And Michelle G too... Size 8 for someone so tall...
...I don't understand anything about sizes anymore!
Ha. It was all guess work with the 6. Not in pants, just tops. Never ventured into pants or skirts. At my biggest I was 182lbs.
we have discovered that label sizes are all over the place anymore! two items with the same marked size can fit different and from brand to brand sizes very quite a bit.
A lot of Marybeths height is in her torso so her jeans are not quite as long as mine, her size 8 jeans were "almost" long enough but just a little loose in the waist for me...I would wear them around the house but not in public fitting that way ;) Her size 8 Capri pants are very loose, a 6 in those are perfect on me!
mother nature sure didnt feel like making us all the same did she, lol
Quote from: Michelle G on June 04, 2012, 01:27:17 PM
I wore mens 32waist 34 long, and my wife gave me some of her size 8 jeans and shorts and they are to loose on me (she is 6' tall btw) so I got some size 6 long cute women's jeans and they are just right, also wear medium tops and other things, Marybeth has been amazing in helping me with clothes and other accessories, she fixed me up very nicely with hair products, nail goodies and some of her jewelry!
This is good info - I think my size is somewhere in the same range as you, but my ladyfriend is almost a foot shorter than I am.
Sizing for men's and women's clothes sure is different.
I for the most part have the pants figured out, but I find the tops to be the tricky part, finding ones that flatter your figure and dont make your hips look more narrow.
I remember once a few years back I tried on a pair of size 0 women's pants. I just wanted to see if i could get them on and button/zip them up. I managed to do it but it was not an easy task! I was a size 4-6 then but they were a tiny bit loose and I was quite underweight at 121lbs.
Now I can fit a size 6 but the thighs are usually too snug, so I'm an 8 for the moment and they're slightly loose.
I've been trying on women's clothes today, a bunch of them and having fun doing it ;D
While I was trying to figure out my sizing I went to Target and picked up a few sizes of the same thing in the range that I thought I might fall into in the women's department and then because I was really self conscious at the time went into the men's section and picked out a few things as well and took it all into the dressing room with me. At the time it was what I felt ok with. Anyway once I had a general idea of what size I was I felt a whole lot more comfortable ordering online or I would go shopping for 'gifts for friends' and then try things on later outside of the store. Brand to brand I realized can often be a crap shoot, but over time you'll figure it out I guess.
As far my sizes; I was 6'0 and about 190 lbs when I first started buying women's clothing about a year and a half ago. I wore mostly Medium or Large shirts (I think my dress shirts were 16' 34/35 to give you a better idea) and pants I was a 32W/34L. Women's Mediums or 8s and 10s worked for me as far as tops went first starting, and jeans I mostly was a size 6Tall. Now I'm 160 lbs and up top in some brands I'm a 6 in some I'm an 8 and really between a small and a medium. With pants I'm noticing that at the waist I can easily fit in a 2 (but its a squeeze for my thighs and my rear :P) so I tend to pick up a 2 and a 4 and go for whichever fits best. Dresses I'm still at a total loss though since most of what I fit into at my chest (and sadly its because of muscle) is way too big at the waist and just makes me look even more like a block :(
Quote from: Jamie D on June 04, 2012, 01:17:48 PM
If you are self-conscious about it, there is nothing wrong with selecting some womens-sized pants, and trying them on in the mens fitting room.
I've done this for ages, even with girly-girl clothes. I usually grabbed a pair of mens giant sized pants to cover up as much as possible. Once you do it once or twice it gets easy. In the winter you can also easily wear a bra without being noticed.
You'll probably find that the retail stores, especially the sales items, blows the doors off most mail-order stores on price. Even if you don't use the fitting room all the time, if you know you're going to need a size 8 or 10, grab one of each, and easily return the one that doesn't fit with no hassle whatsoever.
Doesnt bother me a bit to shop alone in the womens/trendy girls departments at even Nordstom's or Macys, I pick out gifts for my adult daughters all the time, and since my oldest is almost the same size as me I just get the clerk in the dept to help me out with suggestions as I tell her she is sorta like me only busty and much younger lol...its all in the confidence :)
Quote from: JoanneB on June 04, 2012, 08:43:39 PM
You'll probably find that the retail stores, especially the sales items, blows the doors off most mail-order stores on price. Even if you don't use the fitting room all the time, if you know you're going to need a size 8 or 10, grab one of each, and easily return the one that doesn't fit with no hassle whatsoever.
I actually found that the retail store's websites had the best clearance. Instead of this store only having size X and the other store only having color 1. JC Penney's is a great site to hit up for clearance. I have some really nice work dress/jacket combos I got there long ago, that finally I can actually wear in public when I am going somewhere nicer.
For a long time I had the same fear responses while shopping in the women's section of clothing stores. But since for the last four years I wear nothing but women's clothing that fear and self consciousness has gone away and I feel awkward shopping in the men's section of the store. One time I was shopping carrying what is now my normal everyday clothing, I motioned to go into the men's fitting room and was directed into the women's section. Pretty everyone at home in my family seems to have accepted that I shop for women's clothing only for myself and I am becoming just another one of the girls trying on clothing. I look for all of the posturing of the fitting room guard that I am going in the wrong direction but never see any negative reactions. As far as women's clothing sizes I have just decided through trial and error that I am a plus size and shop for the women's size 23-24. Shoes are another matter because I wear men's size 13 which I can translate into a women's size 12 if the shoes are open toe. I am mostly in tennis shoes and sandals anyway because my feet hurt when I walk and I have type 2 diabetes but I can keep my blood sugar between 90 and 180 if I watch what I eat and take my meds. This is pretty reasonable. But we have no car, so we either walk or take public transportation so I am stuck pretty much with flat soled shoes in any case until I at least loose 50 lbs.
I guess if one is able to be female 24/7/365 which Social Security retirement has allowed me to do then shopping in the women's section of any store becomes natural and normal. Really I am 65 and really worried about what people would say especially because I now live in a southeastern state. But for the most part most people don't seem to care. But I have found out that the older I get the more of a ghost I become and the more I seem to fade away. I really mean this, I go and pick up my son, at the elementary school, and people for the most part don't seem to bat an eyelash. They may talk alot behind my back, but so what I was an elementary teach for over thirty years in small towns to medium size cities. Growing up in a small town, we all learned to tell enough about ourselves to satisfy others curiosity because the truth people make up is far worse than the real truth in most cases. Besides most of my truth is dead and gone or lives on the other side of the continent. Which is another advantage of being older.
Was talking about sizes with Marybeth tonight and she sez price has a factor as well, she will spend $250 to $300 for designer jeans, when she would wear a size 12 in cheaper jeans, the designer ones would be tagged size "8"! My thought on that is to feed the ego of the shopper with money?
With her medical career she can afford to buy her own clothes...but the bonus for me know is I am getting nice things that don't fit her anymore...yay me! :)
Quote from: Michelle G on June 05, 2012, 12:44:10 AM
Was talking about sizes with Marybeth tonight and she sez price has a factor as well, she will spend $250 to $300 for designer jeans, when she would wear a size 12 in cheaper jeans, the designer ones would be tagged size "8"! My thought on that is to feed the ego of the shopper with money?
With her medical career she can afford to buy her own clothes...but the bonus for me know is I am getting nice things that don't fit her anymore...yay me! :)
The retail chain I worked at was famous for having smaller sizes than normal. A size 4 woman wears a 2 in their clothes. I used to hear it all the time from the women who shopped there.
So safe to say after all this is...the proper size is the one that fits when you try it on, regardless of the number on the tag ;)
250 to 300 $ on one pair of jeans..? Oh my god. That's almost as much as my yearly spendings on clothes altogether.
Omg I know! She has very expensive taste but can afford it...I however can't so much, so I will gladly take her hand me downs with a big smile :)
We won't even talk about her $1000 coach purses lol.
*Mouth drops* How about donating some for my wardrobe? Hehe