I have a pair of leggings (Which i reluctantly stole from my mum during a clean out), a pair of underwear and one of my exes shirts. I REALLY want to buy some more clothes and look prettier, I went to the store today and when I walked into the girls clothes section after browsing for around 3 minutes I could feel people staring at me and I felt like I was about to break down.
I'm a big person therefore I really need to see clothes before I buy them, a lot of stuff I've ordered online before never fits (male clothing). And I have absolutely no idea with female clothes since every brand seems to have a different sizing guide, and even those seem to be off. I've looked for one size fits all kind of things but a lot of them say "up to: xx" with none ever seeming to have a size.
Any advice is appreciated,
Much love - Amber :)
Edit: and to add, I don't want to spend too much on clothes.. I've found some things that might fit but are like £40-50. I'm losing weight currently as I want to become more attractive for myself.
I went to Forever21 :)
I'd recommend department stores. I'm assuming you don't live in the US so I can't recommend any. They usually have good deals especially with bigger sizes that don't get sold ending up in the clearance sections.
Quote from: Amber Kitty on December 05, 2014, 08:56:34 PM
I have a pair of leggings (Which i reluctantly stole from my mum during a clean out), a pair of underwear and one of my exes shirts. I REALLY want to buy some more clothes and look prettier, I went to the store today and when I walked into the girls clothes section after browsing for around 3 minutes I could feel people staring at me and I felt like I was about to break down.
I'm a big person therefore I really need to see clothes before I buy them, a lot of stuff I've ordered online before never fits (male clothing). And I have absolutely no idea with female clothes since every brand seems to have a different sizing guide, and even those seem to be off. I've looked for one size fits all kind of things but a lot of them say "up to: xx" with none ever seeming to have a size.
Any advice is appreciated,
Much love - Amber :)
Edit: and to add, I don't want to spend too much on clothes.. I've found some things that might fit but are like £40-50. I'm losing weight currently as I want to become more attractive for myself.
Amber, this is the best time of the year to go get girl's clothes because its the holidays and people give gifts so it would be perfectly normal for a guy to walk into a store and browse the women's clothing section if they're going to buy their wife or partner something from that store. So don't feel like people are staring at you and act as if you belong there and you're buying for somebody else.
Just remember women's clothing sizes vary greatly. Your best bet is to go to the website for the clothes that you are thinking of buying and checking the sizing area for the measurements for the different sizes. Buy a tape measure measure yourself just like it shows in the diagrams as if you were female use those measurements and then you will have a semi good idea of what sizes will fit you. Just an example a few days ago I went to Walmart and I pretty much had scoped out what I wanted to buy and what size I needed so I went to the ladies section and bought a pair of jeans and it was my first time doing that by myself without my wife. I will say I did my homework well because but I got home and I tried the jeans on they fit like a glove they fit perfectly. So just be wary of that and know that there are websites for the different brands and usually they have a sizing guide so you know what sizes are available, which a carry bigger sizes, or have special sizes and I'm sure it will make it a lot easier to go shopping once you have a better idea of what size you are what you're looking for I hope this helps.
By the way I'm a big girl too and I'm trying to shed the pounds so I can look more feminine and feel better as well. So I know full well how hard it is sometimes to find clothing that looks good and fits well. Just know that there is closing out there you just have to search online or in the stores. Good luck.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
I have to agree with the above post, I've bought so many cloths in the last few days, the most people say at the checkouts is "oh that's nice, who is it for?" Normally shop in supermarkets as they have good quality cloths and are usually a good fit. I buy from Tesco F&F quite a lot, if you look online there dress models are like 5ft 7-9 so there cloths fit me perfectly :)
My more expensive cloths I get from Very online as they have good reviews and can get a really good dress for ~£50
As far as shoes go, I only wear please USA shoes, they are really good quality and can hold my weight and height very well and they are so comfortable I can wear them all night out. I'm a size 11uk so I cant just go buy at a department store...
If you are just starting out your body will change. I've had to buy whole new wardrobes because of those changes (packing 50 pound of fat in my flabby thighs and ass). In the beginning just experiment. Currently, I buy from a variety of places:
- Forever 21
- Macy's
- Vanity
- Wet Seal
- Burberry Stores
- Coach Stores
- Chanel Stores
- Nordstrom
- Roxy
- La Perla
My three favorite stores (and brands) are (1) Vanity; (2) Burberry; and (3) Coach. However, there are still a lot of others that I like. For example, I really like Stella McCartneys and Victoria Beckhams flare jeans; they just seem to fit me perfectly. For business attire my favorite is Nine West which can be purchased at a lot of different stores including Macy's. Nothing beats the tailored suit though. Purses are exclusively Burberry and Coach period. I love the signature coach designs and absolutely
LOVE the Haymarket Burberry design more than any others. Chanel has some nice things but I cannot justify the price on some of the stuff. Besides their heels, I am not a big fan of Chanel at all. Makeup is again Burberry for the vast majority (
except masquera. Rimmel has the best masquera subjectively) and my favorite perfume is Daisy (Available at Macy's) - I love the smell so much I put it on everyday even if I am not going anywhere and lounging around in my fuzzy pajamas all day. I am not a fan of dresses, but I do have some nice Alice + Olivia evening dresses for the right occasion. I am not a big fan of formal clothing so I try to avoid formal social events or gatherings as much as possible.
Skirts are the same as dresses and I don't like them per se, but I own a lot for summer weather and they usually run no more than 30 bucks and can be found all over the place in malls and like Ross, etc. All the socks I typically like are always found either at Ross or Fred Meyers (a Western Washington store). My favorite bras are La Perla, but sadly there are only a handful of stores in the United States, but once you find the right fit you can order them online with relative ease. The best tights (i.e. nylons, pantyhose, etc.) are Fiore and I have a whole drawer full of them. My favorite stretchy V-Neck shirts I usually find for around $5.00 in Kern County, CA so I pick up a bunch when I am in the area.
Shoes, well I like flats mostly and all of them are either Burberry, Coach, Gucci, Prada or Rocketdog. Snow boots are exclusively Sketchers and heels are usually either Chanel or Jimmy Choo...they just have the coolest heels period and if I am going to buy heels I might as well get what I like. I only wear those for formal events. The point in my post is that you find what you like anywhere and in a variety of places. It's trial and error, but once someone finds what they like they tend to stick with it for the long haul so experiment and don't be so afraid to indulge yourself and spend some extra money for something you really like.
If you don't want to spend too much money on clothes, might I suggest purchasing items from a thrift store. I have done that in the past especially when I was trying to figure out my size but was afraid to try something on. It is cheep and if you buy something that does not fit you did not waste a ton of money and don't have to initiate the process of doing a return / exchange. After doing that a few times you should have a better idea and can shop online with a bit more success.
Also the holidays are a great time to shop in person at department stores. When they see a man looking through the women's section the perception is that they are getting a gift for a woman in their life (and technically you are). Plus most department stores don't have attended dressing rooms so you can take your items over to the men's section and try them on without worry.
The best advice I can give is just to be confident and don't be ashamed of what a stranger thinks about you shopping in the women's section. Odd are this is the first and last time you will ever come across this person.
Miss Fat Bitch for the lady with the fuller figure!
Hi Amber kitty;
I am size 22 or I was until recently - now heading to size 20. I buy a lot of my clothes from a fantastic Australian store that alsao sells about 80% of their clothes on line. Its call Dream Diva. See www.dreamdiva.com.au
They do international sales too. All their clothes look great and are not frumpy or dowdy. For instance despite being size 20, their miniskirts are really pretty. They have really nice dresses, coats pants, legions etc.
Do try something. They are also not outrageous in price.
Best of luck
JudithLynn
Seriously I get a lot from Long Tall Sally being over 6'.They do mail order and have a store in most cities in the UK.Nice clothes which last,I have a 23 year old overcoat,22 year old T shirt and other stuff which is still perfectly OK to wear
I used to be very secretive when buying clothes and would find places open 24 hrs
like a walmart or something and go at around 2 or 3 am when nobody was around
but lately as i have been letting a select few in my life know i am MTF trans i don't
pay any attention to what others think, they can kiss my a**, it's my business what
im buying not theirs, and with that attitude it makes it soo much easier to buy clothes
because i will be looking at clothes and hold them up to me to see how they will look
and don't even care if anyone sees me, as far as where i shop, i live in the USA and
i shop at
Macy's
target
Express--- i love this place
Ann Taylor
and if i want to just get something for cheaper price then theres always
walmart
meijers--- kinda like walmart in michigan and surrounding states
At first, you may think it is embarrassing to try and purchase the clothes you really want to wear, but that kind of fear will fade away after you start it in any store. A merit of on-line shopping is far more diverse items available.
barbie~~
I've purchased most of what I have from amazon. Its a lot easier because I can filter to my size.
Like many here, when I started buying my own clothes, I only bought via internet.
I was quite scared someone I know would see me in a store or what would other people think.
Now I mostly buy in stores and usually try it on. It has become a trill actually doing so.
I'm still a bit scared to be seen by some one known, but thats part of the fun now :)
When I was younger, there was not internet, so buying clothes online was not an option. I always felt the same, that after walking into the women's section, people were staring at me, and even that they were glaring at me with the "evil eye." I used to always try to go shopping during off hours (mid day, during the week) and get in and out as quickly as I could when it came to buying women's clothes. Then one day (many years later) I walked into Victoria's Secret and the sales lady approached asking if I needed help and, somehow I had the curage to tell her I wanted to buy something for myself. I don't know why I told her, but after I did, I fellt much more comfortable. The sales lady acted shocked at first (I think only because she thought that was the reaction I was looking for), but she was very helpful and friendly the whole time. After that, I was feeling very confident and proceeded over to JC Penny and picked out a nice dress, and the sales lady there was really friendly and helpful. She gave me care tips, instructed me how to carry it gently since this is a precious dress (I was trying to wad it up in the semi transparent bag so no one else could tell what I had just purchased). This was actually a very enjoyable experience. My conclusion, the key to buying women's clothing is confidence and attitude. As I walked out of the mall carrying my Victoria's Secret bag, I realize that no one even looked at me twice. I wish I would have done that 20 years ago.
I have bought clothes locally a couple of times, but its a pain in the ass to find the right size. That's what I like about amazon.
Quote from: Patricia2 on December 24, 2014, 10:05:54 AM
I wish I would have done that 20 years ago.
Yes. It is far easier than I feared.
barbie~~
I buy from wal mart, target, kohl's, Macy's, burlington, Costco etc. For places that have fitting rooms I try the clothes on sometimes. Otherwise I buy, try and return stuff that doesn't fit. I can usually guess my size at various stores though.
Buying online I do as well but sometimes I get stuff that looks good on the website then looks awful when I get it.
Spencer's and hot Topic most of the time with Sears once in a blue moon.
Quote from: Amber Kitty on December 05, 2014, 08:56:34 PM
..........
I'm a big person therefore I really need to see clothes before I buy them, a lot of stuff I've ordered online before never fits (male clothing). And I have absolutely no idea with female clothes since every brand seems to have a different sizing guide, and even those seem to be off. I've looked for one size fits all kind of things but a lot of them say "up to: xx" with none ever seeming to have a size.
Any advice is appreciated,
Much love - Amber :)
..........
Shop in department stores that have both women's and men's departments with fitting rooms. Pick out your clothes in the women's area and go to the men's (or unisex if available) fitting room and try them on for size and fit. The men's fitting room is rarely monitored like the women's fitting room.
My wife and I frequently go into the men's fitting room together as it is more convenient for trying on clothes and nobody takes issue with her being in there. It is different with the women's fitting room as it is usually monitored and even if it isn't the women are more likely to object.
I was in the market for a LBD (Little Black Dress). I was in full male mode at the time. The first store I walked into didn't have one... So, my next store was a Dressbarn. There I meet Theresa, and she was fabulous. She sized me up right away and got me a selection of LBD's to try on, wow I was in Fem heaven. I thought that typical male I'd be on the plus side, but I'm shopping the Misses side now thanks to Theresa. I love shopping DB. Last weekend I even stopped in just to say hi, as Theresa had been out during my prior two visits. She was there and we had a nice talk even thought I didn't purchase anything.
I also love to shop Target, specifically for my panty/bra/hosiery but also have a sweater-dress from them as well.
Then there's the Red Liz Clairborn dress that I picked up from JcPenny's along with a black cardigan sweater. I know that most department stores I'm not the first TG person in there. Depending on location, (some people just can't leave their narrow views to themselves) I've been in the regular female dressing rooms. Funny, they look pretty much like the Men's dressing room (actually pretty much the same with the women's room too: once you've seen one cubicle, you've seen them all).
So, I recommend you go to a department store during slow hours, maybe just after the lunch hour 2-4pm on a week day would be a prime time, they can peg your size to a couple of options, and you can try them and find the sizes that work for you. While there are some variations between the different manufacturers, if you're a 20 it'll typically be between an 18 or a 22. So, getting sized and trying a few on will get you an idea of what works and what doesn't.
Happy shopping. I hope you find lot of items you love to wear.
-Alana
Hi Amber,
I would recommend Forever 21 if you are in the process of changing or losing more weight. It's relatively cheap and the styles are up to date.
Do you have any CIS Female friends that can come with you? During my first few visits, I always have a friend with me to get opinions and talk about styles and which bottom or top would go better with it.
Pic below were all bought from Forever 21 :)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fiq4Qo0q.jpg&hash=c386795a374e89a8f00f31bc1bd169a96455c919)
Yesterday a TV news report says that "crossover" shopping or 'showrooming' becomes popular here in my country, which means that you can try the cloth offline and purchase online.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2392441
barbie~~
I am a pretty simple girl and shop at places like Wal-Mart and Target since those are the only places in the immediate area. I also buy clothes on Amazon as well. I love buying my panties at Wal-Mart, you would be surprised by some of the sexy lingerie that they have.
I used to buy only online, but it was hard to get the sizing right and I wasted a lot of money. Then I tried thrift stores, I was too scared to try stuff on so I would just find something that looked close to my size that I liked and would buy that. If it didn't fit, it wasn't a waste of money. I have built up enough confidence now to go to department stores like Macys and Ross and actually try stuff on, and WOW what a difference! It is such a good feeling to purchase something you know will fit and that you like! I would definitely recommend this approach if you can be confident enough and not worry about what other people think. I am still working on building confidence to try on shoes, boy will that be a game changer!
I buy everything online. Favorite clothing site is OneStopPlus.com - Jessica London makes good quality clothing and the prices are unbeatable. There are often 25-30% discounts and I have rarely paid more than $30 or so for a dress. Like most online stores they have a pretty generous return policy so if the size isn't right you can always try another one - I found I got the hang of it reasonably quickly. (Figuring out sizes for some other items can take a little longer :). Also like Asos - some really nice work-type dresses but they're a little pricier and delivery takes longer. I've bought shoes through ShoeBuy. Get lots of accessories and other supplies through Amazon. I don't know how far I would get if I had to purchase everything in person.
Grace
So far I've only bought from Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe which are places that my cis female friends typically buy from and I also tend to think has cute clothes. Maybe I'll branch out in time but for now I like buying online the most.
I have ordered on line from Amazon, Forever 21, Kohl's and Long Tall Sally. I have Amazon Prime and so I get things very quickly from them, sometimes the next day, and they have a great return policy. I have shopped for things in store at Target, Wal-Mart and Kohl's. I hope to do more in store shopping in the future as I get further into my transition.