Susan's Place Transgender Resources

General Discussions => Beauty => Fashion => Topic started by: placeholdername on March 11, 2009, 06:41:26 PM

Title: some practical clothing questions
Post by: placeholdername on March 11, 2009, 06:41:26 PM
Just got some new stuff in the mail and I have a few random questions:

1) I got this neat cami which looks great and feels great.  There's just one odd thing: at the top of the side seam underneath the underarm there are these thin plastic loop things.  They're like what I imagine invisible straps would look like, except theyre in such an odd place, and they look kind of flimsy and cheap.  Has anyone else ever had a cami with things like that?

2) Got my first pair of girls shoes and they sort of almost fit -- length is perfect but my toes feel a bit scrunched.  For guy's shoes, this is always a big no no and means you need wider/longer etc.  Except these are girls shoes and so I'm wondering if some toe scrunching is just normal?  I'm planning on ordering some shoes that are a bit fancier so I want to make sure I get the sizes right.

3) Got 3 new skirts (actually my first skirts whatsoever).  They're all the same size (6) -- one fits great (and looks great), but the other two seem a little large  I mean they kind of hang on my barely existent hips and they're not going to fall off, they just seem a little loose or something.  I'm not really sure how they should fit...
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Jeatyn on March 11, 2009, 07:09:22 PM
I'm pretty sure the plastic strap things are for hanging purposes

shoes shouldn't smoosh your toes unless they are those super pointy toed ones, i cant see how they could possibly be comfortable ever :P

for the fit it just depends how you want to wear it, try a size lower and see how it feels/looks? (obviously keep the one that fits nicely)
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Osiris on March 11, 2009, 07:30:56 PM
Another thing about women's clothing, SIZES ARE TOTALLY MESSED UP!

Seriously, mens clothing is simple, a 34x30 pair of pants will be the same no matter what brand you go to. In womens if you wear a size 8 in one brand it's a size 6 for another or a size 10 petite in another. It makes no sense!
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: placeholdername on March 11, 2009, 07:54:02 PM
Yes, I realize women's sizes are fubared.  Have to look for the sizing chart on every website I check (and I check a lot of them :P).

As for the shoes -- the ones I got are size 11.  The length seems okay.  Should I try for 12 or try to find 11 wide?
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Osiris on March 11, 2009, 08:11:46 PM
11 wide should be perfect for you.

But remember with different kinds of shoes comes different sizes. Boots fit differently than dress shoes so sometimes you'll need another size.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: vanna on March 11, 2009, 08:17:22 PM
the inner loops are just for hanging your clothes nicely :)

yes the size difference can be annoying i bought u.k size 10 jeans last week and they are way big so i need to go back and change for an 8.
mens clothing was much simpler i agree

for shoes, find wider fitting makes or buy a half size bigger than your current confirmed size, again though shoe sizes are crazy difference sometimes
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: sd on March 11, 2009, 08:22:36 PM
Quote from: Osiris on March 11, 2009, 07:30:56 PM
Another thing about women's clothing, SIZES ARE TOTALLY MESSED UP!

Seriously, mens clothing is simple, a 34x30 pair of pants will be the same no matter what brand you go to. In womens if you wear a size 8 in one brand it's a size 6 for another or a size 10 petite in another. It makes no sense!
And that style in your size, will most likely be sold out.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Osiris on March 11, 2009, 08:36:26 PM
oh yeah there's another thing. Even in the same brand, if it's a different style it's probably a totally different size. lol
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Janet_Girl on March 12, 2009, 12:02:20 AM
Womens clothing are not standardized at all.  In Gloria Vanderbilt, I wear a size 6.  In Levies, size 8.
House brands, anything from a size 6 to a size 11.  Go figure.

Mens, size 28 x 30.  Period.

Shoes depends on the way it is cut.

Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: MarySue on March 12, 2009, 12:54:18 AM
Quote from: Vesper on March 11, 2009, 06:41:26 PM
3) Got 3 new skirts (actually my first skirts whatsoever).  They're all the same size (6) -- one fits great (and looks great), but the other two seem a little large  I mean they kind of hang on my barely existent hips and they're not going to fall off, they just seem a little loose or something.  I'm not really sure how they should fit...

As others have said, dress sizes aren't exactly standardized.

But skirts have an additional problem: namely whether the designer intended the skirt's waistband to be at your natural waist, or hang low on your hips.

Most women have hips that are 8-10" larger than their waist. I gather you don't. Surprise! Join the club! ;)

As a result, if the designer wants the skirt to ride low, he/she will make the waistband much larger than "standard" for that size. The difference could easily be several inches. That might explain why those two skirts seem to fall off your hips.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Cindy on March 12, 2009, 03:28:33 AM
One trick that may help if you are out shopping but don't want to try skirts on is to know the length of your best fitting skirt waist on your arw. Holw the skiot in your hand fingers just bent ove so the waist starts at for example your knuckles. Stretch the waist along your arm and determine where it ends. Either memorise that spot or put a piece of tape there. I'm lucky my waist is from 1/2 way along my fingers to the crease in my elbow.

That way you can pick up a skirt and measure the waist on you.

As thers have said female clothes sizing is a joke.

Cindy James
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: sd on March 12, 2009, 03:32:36 AM
Quote from: CindyJames on March 12, 2009, 03:28:33 AM
One trick that may help if you are out shopping but don't want to try skirts on is to know the length of your best fitting skirt waist on your arw. Holw the skiot in your hand fingers just bent ove so the waist starts at for example your knuckles. Stretch the waist along your arm and determine where it ends. Either memorise that spot or put a piece of tape there. I'm lucky my waist is from 1/2 way along my fingers to the crease in my elbow.

That way you can pick up a skirt and measure the waist on you.

That is a very neat trick.
Probably good to know waist and hips that way.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Cindy on March 12, 2009, 03:42:54 AM
Sorry about the spelling! I didn't review it and my keyboard is having a bad hair day :laugh:

CJ
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: sd on March 12, 2009, 05:55:06 AM
Quote from: CindyJames on March 12, 2009, 03:42:54 AM
Sorry about the spelling! I didn't review it and my keyboard is having a bad hair day :laugh:

CJ
It's okay, I have dyslexic fingers and I am fluent in typonese.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: placeholdername on March 12, 2009, 06:39:52 AM
Quote from: MarySue on March 12, 2009, 12:54:18 AM
Most women have hips that are 8-10" larger than their waist. I gather you don't. Surprise! Join the club! ;)

Actually, I sort of do.  I'm not 100% sure where the 'natural' waist is.  If i measure the thinnest part of my abdomen its 28 and my hips are 37.  My man-jeans fall somewhere below the 28 and I usually wear 30x30.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Constance on March 12, 2009, 09:45:04 AM
Quote from: Osiris on March 11, 2009, 07:30:56 PM
Another thing about women's clothing, SIZES ARE TOTALLY MESSED UP!

Seriously, mens clothing is simple, a 34x30 pair of pants will be the same no matter what brand you go to. In womens if you wear a size 8 in one brand it's a size 6 for another or a size 10 petite in another. It makes no sense!
I've found that men's sizes do differ, too. In Levi's/Dockers, I'm a size 38 waist. In most other brands, I'm a 36 waist. I'm a 35 or even 34 in some off-brands.

I have 1 pair of women's shoes so far. They're 11-wide, and my big toes seem a bit scrunched. Unfortunately, I was not able to find 11.5 at the store I was at, and the 12's were too big. The thickness of the socks/nylons seems to help. My men's socks make the shoes more uncomfortable, but women's sock seem to help.
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: MarySue on March 13, 2009, 06:53:28 PM
Quote from: CindyJames on March 12, 2009, 03:28:33 AM
One trick that may help if you are out shopping but don't want to try skirts on is to know the length of your best fitting skirt waist on your arm. Hold the skirt in your hand fingers just bent over so the waist starts at for example your knuckles. Stretch the waist along your arm and determine where it ends. Either memorize that spot or put a piece of tape there. I'm lucky my waist is from 1/2 way along my fingers to the crease in my elbow.

Cindy James

*Chuckle* Great minds think alike! I use the same trick.

But my mark is about an inch down from the inside of my elbow. Yours is halfway down your forearm? Great zot, Cindy! You must have an incredibly tiny waist.

Either that or you have arms like a gorilla!  ;D
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Cindy on March 14, 2009, 02:01:31 AM
Hi Mary Sue

I'm a 30" waist. So half way of the skirt waist is from my finger joint to my elbow crease. I'v just measured it as 15"! Validation.

Does that make me a gorilla or an orangutan  :D

LoL
Cindy James

Post Merge: March 14, 2009, 02:06:44 AM

Oh, another thing

I find shoe sizes to be pretty accurate. Know a days I just go to the shoe store and try them on. And usually I'm dressed as Cindy and never had a problem. If you are nervous go to one of the self serve stores and find your size. In my expreience the size stays pretty close throughout brands. But boy size and girl size are not equivalent. For some reason boy shoes are designed to make the foot look bigger, girl shoes to make them smaller.

Mmm sexist shoes

Cindy James
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: MarySue on March 14, 2009, 08:44:04 AM
Cindy,

Sorry -- I misread your post. I thought you said that half your waist size -- eg, a skirt folded over on a hanger -- was from your finger tips to halfway up your arms. That would have given you a 15" waist. Yikes!

My mistake. You're just a regular primate, like the rest of us. :)

Alas, I don't go shopping as Mary Sue. For a gal, I'm only slightly larger than average -- 5-8, 31" waist, 140 pounds -- but I'm balding, I have a lot of body hair (talk about gorillas!), and I have heavy beard shadow. The first I can solve with a wig, and the second with long sleeves and high necklines (although they're not in style, damn it!). But covering up my beard is beyond my meager makeup skills.

I've been doing the "size it against my arm" trick for years without anyone realizing what I'm doing. Or least no one has ever called me on it. If I do it carefully, it just looks like I'm checking for damage.

It works for dresses, too.

Oh yes, I've also discovered that shoe sizes are pretty consistent. The size numbers are different, of course. Generally your gal-size is one or 1.5 higher than your guy-size. I take a men's size 8, and I normally fit into a women's size 9. But I avoid shoes with a toe-box that looks narrow and pointed. Odds are my foot will be too wide for it.

  -- Mary Sue
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: snowy on March 14, 2009, 11:09:19 AM
Quote from: CindyJames on March 12, 2009, 03:28:33 AM
One trick that may help if you are out shopping but don't want to try skirts on is to know the length of your best fitting skirt waist on your arw. Holw the skiot in your hand fingers just bent ove so the waist starts at for example your knuckles. Stretch the waist along your arm and determine where it ends. Either memorise that spot or put a piece of tape there. I'm lucky my waist is from 1/2 way along my fingers to the crease in my elbow.

What a great tip! Thanks!
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: Genevieve Swann on March 14, 2009, 01:38:47 PM
Shoes are usually about 2 sizes larger than a mans shoe for comfort. The only good solution to skirts falling down that I know of is some fake curves. There several on-line stores that sell them.  CindyJames, The keyboard and spelling? Oh ,and be carefull with the monkey talk. The primates are getting angry. Larry the cable guy "If guns kill people my pencil misspells words."
Title: Re: some practical clothing questions
Post by: TamTam on March 16, 2009, 01:06:57 PM
Quote from: Osiris on March 11, 2009, 07:30:56 PM
Another thing about women's clothing, SIZES ARE TOTALLY MESSED UP!

I'm generally a size 4 in jeans.  I went to one store and their size 4 barely came up past my knees.. so I tried the 6.. barely up to the middle of my thighs.  Tried the 8.  Got them up to my hips, but couldn't close the zipper.  At this point, I refused to continue looking because there was no way in hell I'd buy a size 10 when I'm supposed to be a 4. ;D It was just so stupid.  I could not condone their idiotic sizing.