What are the best stores to buy girl clothing for someone who likes to crossdress?
Hi Selena,
Welcome to Susan's :icon_wave:
This may sound a bit obvious, but the best place to buy them is where you feel comfortable doing so..... and they have the appropriate size/style you want. ...Yes there are issues with trying things on, but you can avoid this if you make sure the store has an exchange policy,...so it's relatively easy to end up with the right size.
If you give a rough guide to your size, your age, which items your are looking for, and the area you want to shop in, I'm sure someone here can recommend some friendly stores to visit.
Good Luck
Chrissty
The stores that a) sell the fashions you like, or b) have prices you can afford.
I've been frequenting the second-hand stores, mostly Goodwill nearby. Whether there, or elsewhere, I'll just drape the girl clothes over my arm with guy clothes on top, go into a dressing room and try the girl stuff on.
I love the Goodwill Flagship store on Van Ness and Mission, and you don't have to hide anything there. And the last dress I bought at Macy's I bought in guy mode, staff never blinked, like every boy in SF has at least one dress, you know.
I have a "Good Will Credit Card".
;D
Quote from: tekla on June 26, 2009, 12:09:20 PM
I love the Goodwill Flagship store on Van Ness and Mission, and you don't have to hide anything there. And the last dress I bought at Macy's I bought in guy mode, staff never blinked, like every boy in SF has at least one dress, you know.
There were some awesome velvet dresses last time I was at the Goodwill Flagship. But, they weren't in my size.
Damn.
I found a black DKNY cocktail dress there for like $9 with the Macy's tags still on it, a savings of hundreds of dollars, its like a stupid store, you can go nuts there.
Quote from: tekla on June 26, 2009, 12:56:25 PM
I found a black DKNY cocktail dress there for like $9 with the Macy's tags still on it, a savings of hundreds of dollars, its like a stupid store, you can go nuts there.
Oh, I know. It's best to go into Goodwill with cash, leaving the checkbook and/or credit/debit cards at home. The other day, I got a summer dress, NWT, for $5.50.
There is always Ross - Cross-Dress for less
I've became really addicted to Goodwill. I have bought many name brand clothing items there like a Victoria's Secrete Spaghetti strap top that went for $20 new, I got it for $2. 90% off? I'll take it! I went in with $20 and came out with four skirts and five tops. Once a month they have 50% off sales here and we have four stores within thirty miles of my house. I go nuts on those days.
And like others have said, dressing rooms are not a problem... except on the 50% off days. Good luck getting into one quickly.
Quote from: daisybelle on June 26, 2009, 03:55:13 PM
There is always Ross - Cross-Dress for less
There's something about the Ross here in San Mateo that has the most awesome scarf collection.
Yeah, and the worst collection of everything else.
Quote from: tekla on June 27, 2009, 01:27:20 AM
Yeah, and the worst collection of everything else.
You noticed that, too, eh?
Any thrift store seems good. The clothing may be second hand but still in good condition. Also I'm a tall girl and there are always sizes to fit. At Ross I purchased some earrings once but there was nothing else worth even looking at.
I do pretty much all of my shopping from the clearance racks of JC Penny and other stores like that. I always find lots of great things for $2-$5 stuff in a department store. I was able to put together a nice suit for about $20 earlier this year. The juniors section is great if you want something cool looking and are skinny and have pretty much no breasts -- like me!
I also am Goodwill addicted, as I am Salvation Army and Volunteers of America. Thrift stores are just a great place to find clothes.
Janet
Have you tried shopping in the little clothing boutiques down in Greenwich Village, NYC? There are a lot of stores there that don't care if you're male, female, or inbetween. All they care about is your cash! :)
You could shop online.
I buy my female clothing from thrift stores and bargain shops. Its more affordable there and there are always a wide variety of styles to choose from. ^_^
You asked what the BEST stores are for buying "girl clothing" so you can cross dress. This might rule out the thrift shops mentioned. I've found good stuff in those, but it takes a lot of looking. The best would probably be Norstrom, which I understand has a company policy of being helpful to males wishing to purchase womenswear for themselves. I've never shopped there, but in Charles Anders' book The Lazy Crossdresser, he discussed going and was well treated.
Most of my womenswear, I've purchased online. I don't know why, but clothes shopping in stores bores me to death, yet I'm absolutely addicted to shopping online.
EBay is a great place to get good prices on almost any clothing item, since there's so much there and competition keeps the prices low. Also, the mailed package will probably be generic and not indicate the contents. My absolute favorite online source, though, is Newport News. Their lines seem almost intended for the crossdresser: lots of high necks, elegant long skirts, high boots, etc. Everything from them seems designed for the cool sexy-but-trashy woman.
Other good online sources I like are JCPenny.com, Metrostyle.com and Amercan Apparel. I've caught a few bra and sleepwear sales at OneHanesPlace.com, too.
Lyric
Couple things I found that make it easier at least until you are more confident...
You can get away with anything if you have a birthday card in your hand while shopping.
Stay away from sales. Women in a shopping frenzy can be territorial and dangerous.
Get out of the store by 5:30pm, the crowd changes and lines get longer.
Avoid weekends.
Act like you you belong there.
Shop where you want.
If there is an old navy, or target near you go on in, select a few items and go to the fitting room
I've never had a problem, and you don't have to guess about sizing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Dress Barn, Cato's, JC Penney, Payless Shoes, Kohls, Frederick's of Hollywood are all places I've tried on clothing while dresssed as a male.
Goodwill rocks!
Value village! Quite possibly one of the greatest thrift stores.