(...even though politically I'm a far-left liberal Democrat.)
Rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly, MTF ladies have been stigmatized as not knowing how to dress well. I feel I need to prove this assumption wrong. The stereotype says we overdo the miniskirts and makeup, we don't dress appropriately because we wear the male impression of how women dress, not how women actually dress in real life. This criticism is leveled more at crossdressers than transsexuals, but many of us TS ladies have come in for similar snipes as we work on refining our wardrobes. I think it contributes a lot to the discomfort many TS women feel for male-identified CDs and the wish to distance ourselves from them.
The most frequent result I've seen is TS women preferring to dress down and avoid femininity. I wish I had a nickel for every TS woman who's told me it's better to wear jeans/sweats/sneakers and no makeup or heels. On the theory, I guess, that ordinary everyday women don't wear dresses to the Safeway or K-Mart. So if we imitate their example, we'll just blend into the crowd and be safe from misidentification as crossdressers.
That isn't good enough for me, because I love to be feminine and pretty-- as in fact many genetic women do. But while I don't want to be boring and frumpy, I need to look genuine, not CD. So what works for me is to dress in an elegant and tasteful feminine style. It helps that I dress age-appropriately. For office work I wear very conservative knee-length skirt suits a lot, as well as slightly trendy and figure-flattering but understated dresses. I also favor long skirts a lot, especially with simple long-sleeved microfiber tees, it's a slimming look. Modesty is to my advantage. Being a woman doesn't mean you have to show skin. I can glide very gracefully in 3-inch heels but have never gone higher than that. I avoid exaggeration of any kind.
I like to wear miniskirts, but rarely do, because minis have just become too stereotyped as worn by balding overweight thick-legged hairy-bodied masculine-featured CDs with beard stubble who are hopelessly clueless about style. Since my body is tall and broad-shouldered, I go for soft understated styles that feminize me the best and emphasize my good features. I wish I felt able to wear miniskirts more, but I just don't think it's advisable usually. Instead, I capitalize on tasteful elegance. Good for the ol' self-esteem. I always get compliments from other women on my style.
If your tall with long legs, mid thigh A line skirts are the most flattering.
In my case, I've got very long legs and that's 10 inch above the knee,
yet not at all in mini territory. Got tons a very flattering comments
at that length.
My beef is that even when dressing feminine, most TS dress like
their mothers. Very old with long skirts and long dresses like
they're afraid of showing their legs or something.
I wear body hugging clothes classic tops on the upper body
and A lines knee and above or classic cut trousers on the lower body.
The word is classic, stylish.
Dressing down for me is so blah. Even with jeans, I wear nice ones
with but cuts, with nice feminine tops, tight at waist with a flarup at hips.
Agreed I feel the need to change that stereo type of us....
That's pretty fair reasoning, HYpatia. Makes perfect sense to me that you would feel a need to 'cover for the rest of us' !!! :laugh:
N~
My beef is that even when dressing feminine, most TS dress like their mothers.
Or the Queen Mum, what's with the floral print stuff anyway? There is a tendency to dress too old, or way too young like Junior High it seems. I try to dress plain, simple and expensive when I do, only because most of the time we are all (boys and girls both) in Carharts and Columbia outdoor work clothes type stuff, which is functional, but never fashionable.
We just have to acknowledge that we see skirt lengths differently, Keira. I find that ankle-length skirts look gorgeous on me as long as I avoid frumpy styles and go for elegance. And I feel nothing is more elegant and lovely than the sweep of a long full skirt made of the right sort of fabric that moves and swirls with my body, amplifying my feminine walk. I appreciate that you have legs which go on forever and it works great for you to play them up, but then honey very few humans are built like you. I like how you're rockin your best assets. In my case I've found what works best for me. For another thing, covering my legs in a long slinky skirt helps to highlight my best asset: my sexy ass. Especially in heels.
Lol, I guess I dress conservatively, I'm a teenage girl... what can ya expect?
Usually I'll wear skinny jeans (the really tight ones you see girls [and sometimes boys] wearing at the mall), slipon shoes or flats, for a shirt I usually wear a crew neck shirt sometimes fox gear sometimes roxy it just depends on what I'm in the mood for I'll also wear a tank top if I can't decide on anything, and last but not least a hoody.
When I loose some of the pudge that I have on me and get in shape a little more I'll more then likey wear more frivilous things but for now I like what I'm wearing. ;)
Yeah I mostly wear jeans, tennis shoes, or ballet flats, and a cute top. I like to wear dresses, and I have some really cute ones, but there's just not an occasion for it often. I get more use out of a nice skirt. But I don't wear skirts in the winter, because I get cold really easily. I'm usually wearing a hoody or cardigan indoors these months.
Posted on: February 13, 2008, 10:12:39 PM
The fact of the matter is, the fashion these days is more oriented around jeans than probably ever before. I personally think a cute pair of jeans looks way better than a skirt most days. It's all about accessories, make up, and the top you wear. And also shoes.
When I was college age, I wore nothing but jeans every day, year in, year out. It would not have occurred to me to wear anything else. If I had transitioned back then, no doubt I still would have been in jeans every day. I remember among all my college classmates 30 years ago there was exactly one young woman who dressed fashionably, and we all thought she was weird for doing so.
But now I'm 48 and I don't feel I'm required to wear jeans all the time, at this age no one thinks I'm weird for wearing dresses or skirt suits, I blend in with other women just fine and I get a lot of compliments. Frankly, I don't like jeans any more, I find them uncomfortable. The best fashion advice I've ever gotten is to wear what is comfortable and what you feel good in. That's why I wear skirts. In winter, all I need is microfiber tights under my skirts to keep warm. In fact, long skirts are warmer in winter than pants, because they enclose a bigger area of warm air next to the legs. They're also cooler in summer, because they allow air to circulate up-under there. Skirts are a neat low-tech year-round climate modulation system. From my perspective, skirts have everything going for them: Looks, comfort, and they don't wear out like pants do or need laundering as often.
I had another thought, Keira. If anything these days, long skirts are more characteristic of young women. All the old ladies I see are wearing knee-length.
I wear long mid calf dresses, but rarely long or skirts.
I'll try posting a picture you'll see what I mean.
I agree that most knee lengths makes you look kinda old.
I think its as much the style than anything. That length
can look young if the style is right. But, since they're
targeting older, you rarely see a "young" style.
I've got a pencil denim skirt which finishes just above the knee,
with a slit in the front that goes to
mid thigh. So its just above the knee, but shows much more leg
when you walk. That's a young style yet long at the same time.
Even my mother said to me that mid thigh looks better on me!!
than around the knee. In fact, everyone says it so I suppose they
must be right :-).
In dresses through, longer, at the knee or mid calf works really well
on me. Its the overall style that makes it work.
Personaly I just try to dress in the same age range as my peers... For work its teeshirts and jeans with sneakers...<stuff I dont mind destroying by running through the desert> But for going out I range from semi conservitive shown in the link below... to the almost slutty... Little black mini and red corset LoL, It all depends on your mood I should think, and your age... For professional things, like interviews a nice button up blouse and slacks and so on... Ive never gotten the dressing like your mother thing... but then again Im a girly girl and my mom is the ultimate tomboy...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y146/Lynn_E_R/014.jpg
Quote from: Keira on February 14, 2008, 10:18:47 AMSo its just above the knee, but shows much more leg
when you walk. That's a young style yet long at the same time.
Just above the knee=long? LOL
Girlfriend, you somethin else. That's the shortest length I wear.
I don't know anyone my own age who wears skirts that often. One of my friends occasionaly wears a day dress in the summer. But that's about it. Everyone I've seen who wears skirts a lot is at least 5-10 years older than me. So I don't know that I agree with skirts as being charecteristically a young thing. I have girl friends I've known for 15 or more years that I've NEVER seen wear a skirt. The occasional nice dress for a date, yes. Skirt? Not so much.
Plus I don't care what any of you say. Even when I wear tights with a skirt I freeze in the winter. I sometimes wear tights under my jeans or pants just because I get so cold.
i love to go shopping in the mall in a dress stockings and 2-3inch heels. when you visit higher end stores, i think it is very appropriate. i notice that the sales ladies love to see a woman looking like a woman.
ronda