I haven't started transitioning yet, so I don't have any female clothes. I am going to start transitioning though once I move tomorrow. I wanted to know how some of you have shopped early on in your transition to avoid some of the shame of shopping for women's clothing in full men's attire.
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Stores are pretty accepting and are only concerned about the color of your money. If it helps, think you are making purchase for a friend who is the same size you are. Mostly I shop online because I hate shopping as I am 6'2" and it's difficult to find anything my size in the stores. There was a Phoenix tall shop I used to use but sadly it has closed so now I am pretty well restricted to online.
Some members love the second hand stores because clothing is cheep and if it doesn't fit, they donate it back to the store for another round. It a good place to experiment with your style and once you know what you like, you can make store purchases targeting what works for you.
Early on, I shopped Target, Kohls and Old Navy frequently. Kohls is easy, just peruse the womens sections then drop it in the black bag, go into the mens changing room and have at it, no one (except maybe the burly dude monitoring the security cameras, whom I imagine with a box of goopy donuts next to him). Old Navy, kind of the same thing. Target, I never wandered into the changing room but have found the fit pretty consistent, so once you know your size, you can somewhat reliably pick through jeans, t-shirts, etc.
I tried the whole amazon thing but always ended up disappointed because the fit was all over the map and I'd end up with multiple exchanges for size, which is always a let down.
I was never really embarrassed or shameful shopping in the women's department, mostly because I do it all the time anyways for my girlfriend/wife/etc. So what's the difference if it's for me or someone else? only what's going through my mind. My money is still green, so no one really cares anyways.
Yea, I went to old navy with a friend (who is not moving with me sadface), but just had a really big problem because of my chest (I have to pick either razor bumps or stubble) and the necklines were all too low.
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Quote from: Pupa4Clownfish on August 30, 2017, 10:27:06 PM
Yea, I went to old navy with a friend (who is not moving with me sadface), but just had a really big problem because of my chest (I have to pick either razor bumps or stubble) and the necklines were all too low.
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Shaving the chest is a pain, I also have the same issue. Ingrown hairs/bumps or visible hair. Multiple layers is your friend - try a shirt underneath that covers your chest.
I am one of those that started with thrift stores. Once I knew what size fit right, I could shop anywhere.
The problem with buying clothes online, is that some sellers either send the wrong sizes in haste, or a size 12 might actually be a size 4, or 18.
I started with the large chain stores. Target, Kmart, Rivers, ect
I didn't have any trouble taking women's items into men's change rooms to try on. Once I had got a few outfits I felt I could go out in I just started changing in the women's change rooms and that was much less awkward.
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In my area, Target has gender neutral changing rooms. Both men and women use individual changing rooms. Also at first, when I still looked male I tried on androgynous clothing that really could be worn by either males or females.
One day, I went to Walmart in the very early morning hours when hardly anybody was in the store, and I quickly picked out a bra and corset. I went to the cashier and she did not even look twice. She just rung up my purchases, took my money and said "Thank you for shopping at Walmart". I was on my way. :-*
QuoteI didn't have any trouble taking women's items into men's change rooms to try on
In all the years I've been shopping, I don't recall ever seeing a gender based change room. Some may in a department where one gender or the other is likely to be shopping, but nothing more than that. However, one thing I do recall is the change rooms in the women's apparel area sometimes had someone checking the items coming and going, to make sure some didn't disappear. Never saw that in the men's area.
I learned that thrift stores are the greatest. You get to do a lot of experimentation with styles and colors at low risk, $$$$, that is. Plus the try-on room is usually single occupancy and you just wait for an opening.
There is a method I used with great success in male mode in department stores, provided that there isn't an attendant counting items. Of course there is the obvious just balzing it out with the female items. I met the challenge half way, an arm load of fem clothes covered over by a pair of Very Large slacks
At first I used the "it's for my girlfriend/sister" excuse. Except when I bought my first jeans. I had no idea about women's sizes, so I spent like an hour walking around the store building up enough courage to talk to the seller. "yes, I'm a man and I want to buy women's pants for me". After a few months on hormones I looked androgynous enough to pass as a woman, so buying female clothes wasn't a problem anymore.