I hear this question a lot, "where can I find clothes that look androgynous?"  So, I thought I would make a brief guide to where I shop, and things I've figured out, to help others who may have the same question.

I'm biologically male, have a small frame, long and slender build, and a feminine face.  My goals in dressing androgynous are to not only look androgynous, but also look fashionable and most importantly, feel comfortable and confident.  I figured out that for my personal style, the best thing I could do was buy women's clothes that looked like men's clothes.  However, I think this concept works equally well for males and females who have a similar build as I do. 

I emphasize most of my outfits on my jacket and my shoes... I tend to wear lots of blazers, small jackets, oxford shoes, and small heeled shoes.  I pair these off with skinny jeans, trousers, tank tops, or drapey shirts. 

The best place I've found to buy blazers is Express.  They often have beautiful women's blazers that look like men's, yet have the tapered waist and fitted tailoring that I love.  Express also has tons of other great jackets, and they all have a nice fit because they are made for women with smaller breasts. 


Other good places to get neat and form fitting jackets are BCBG Maxaria and Bebe.


There are plenty other good places to get nice jackets.  I've found beautiful jackets at Forever 21, H&M for much cheaper than the jackets above.  However, the companies above are really consistent in quality and fit.  I've also found really nice jackets from Mackage and Tahari, which will take a little more effort to find as you will most likely have to order them.  Another great brand of jacket to buy, especially if you want a more masculine look, is Xagon Man.  This jacket will have to be imported from Italy and may be a little tough to find online, but I've worn many of their jackets and they are superb in quality and fit.  You can also get princess seams tailored into these for a more feminine fit. 


Now it's on to shoes, which is my favorite part.  I buy the overwhelming majority of my shoes from Cole Haan.  Cole Haan specializes in selling Oxford style shoes of superior quality.  Their women's oxfords have the look of a mans shoe, but with a slimmer width and a more snubbed toe, for a slight feminine flare. 


However, I also love Fidji


and Fluvog


Now, time for shirts.  Again, Express is amazing because a lot of their button ups sit flat on the chest, yet have a nice tapered waist.


Forever 21 has tons of really cute, cheap shirts


For pants, you can't go wrong with skinny jeans. It's very easy to find inexpensive skinny jeans at Forever 21 and H&M. 

However, Urban Outfitters also has great skinny jeans and trousers.


These are just a few basic examples of things you can wear as androgynous and get away with for a neutral, slightly more feminine look.  Feel free to add any suggestions or examples to the guide, especially for other body types =)

Thanks for sharing this.  You have very nice taste.  I was wondering how it feels like shopping in the women section while being dmab?  Just out of curiosity have you done any kind of transitioning (HRT or SRS)?

Express is wonderful! I buy Express clothes when I can find them in thrift stores; I can't really afford to buy from the actual shop. I have the most wonderful vest from H&M too. They make skinny-person men's sizes (a 34 fits me perfectly).

I love your list of shops, with one exception. I don't buy from Urban Outfitters. They've made a card with the t-slur on it, as well as a shirt that said 'Eat Less,' and their president donates large sums of money to conservative political causes.

Quote from: Cain on January 23, 2013, 12:19:20 PM
Express is wonderful! I buy Express clothes when I can find them in thrift stores; I can't really afford to buy from the actual shop. I have the most wonderful vest from H&M too. They make skinny-person men's sizes (a 34 fits me perfectly).

I love your list of shops, with one exception. I don't buy from Urban Outfitters. They've made a card with the t-slur on it, as well as a shirt that said 'Eat Less,' and their president donates large sums of money to conservative political causes.

yeah well they sort of all do.  thats the thing is that if you look too closely to any single retailer or large company youre going to find something capital-b Bad that theyve done

i feel like if those other incidents/donations/etc were publicized to that degree we might not be able to shop anywhere

all that said i will definitely check out cole haan/fluvog!  ive kind of been looking for some androgynous shoes that arent converses

Quote from: Metroland on January 23, 2013, 11:41:36 AM
Thanks for sharing this.  You have very nice taste.  I was wondering how it feels like shopping in the women section while being dmab?  Just out of curiosity have you done any kind of transitioning (HRT or SRS)?

I don't understand what you mean by dmab?  I'm guessing you mean shopping in the women's section while being male?  It just feels like shopping to me... I'm so tiny that I pretty much have to shop in the women's section.  I did transition to a woman, and lived for over 3 years as such before going back.  However, I don't pass as a male anymore.  Occasionally, I will get referred to as a boy, but I really have to butch it up for that to happen, and still 9 out of 10 times I am called a she. 

Quote from: transtrender on January 23, 2013, 12:36:42 PM
all that said i will definitely check out cole haan/fluvog!  ive kind of been looking for some androgynous shoes that arent converses

Yeah, finding shoes can be a real nightmare.  I really recommend the "Omega" from Fluevog... I own the shoe and I get more compliments on it than any other pair of shoes I have.  I believe they are on sale now too.  I get compliments on my Cole Haan's a lot... they are kind of spendy, but sign up for their email and they frequently send you 30% off coupons, as well as special sales, and sometimes they bring back old items for sale.  Every couple of months they bring back their Madelyn's for sale for around $70 a pair, when they were originally $250 in the stores.  Their quality is exceptional, they will never wear out. 
Fidji is really nice if you want a more feminine look.  All of these shoes are really versatile.   I wear my Fidji low heels with suits sometimes, to try to create a feminine boy look.  Also, I wear my "Omegas" with short dresses and black tights, and it looks really neat.  You just have to do a lot of experimenting. 

This is a cool idea for a thread. After years of sloppy hit and miss shopping, I realized the best way to shop for clothes was to aim for entire outfits at one time-- with the potential for some mixing and matching. I used to just shop the sales racks and online specials, but you end up with a hodgepodge of mismatched pieces that way. It occurred to me that I could take advantage of the fact that celebrities spend a fortune having professional stylists pick their clothes. I chose a handful of pretty high profile celebs whose looks and taste are close enough to mine, then I started paying close attention to what they wear. I'm not talking about on the red carpet or talk shows-- but on the street.

A Google image search of most any celeb will bring up a lot of paparazzi shots of celebs at the airport or wherever in great street clothes. Some of my favs are Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba. Typical street wear for them include skinny jeans, boots and a leather jacket or blazer-- often with a scarf. Anyway, I use their look to help me put together my own, choosing colors, fabrics and styling. You don't have to buy the same designer brands they do, of course. I can almost always match any high priced celeb look with less expensive pieces with a little effort. I got the idea from an old cable TV show called "The Look for Less".

~ Lyric ~

You make a really good point for shopping for outfits all at one time.  I never buy anything without considering what's in my closet that I can wear it with.  This is why I stress so strongly about shoes and jackets... with the right shoes and jacket, you can wear anything.  You can get away with wearing really cheap shirts and pants if you just have the right shoes and jacket to pair it off with.