Androgynous/Unisex style

[Simply_Vanessa]

I've finally decided that I hate going back to drab so much, that my drab style will now be at the very least, androgynous

But I have almost no clue where to get started!

When it comes to clothing/jelwery...what brands are available, or where can I find them? I only know of American Apparel and eBay. I want to branch out my andro clothes from just skinny jeans and a college sweatshirt.

When it comes to hair...I just gave myself my first real set of arched eyebrows last night I'm very happy with them but I just wish I never chopped off my hair to try to be a man ! I used to have hair almost shoulder length while being wavy and parted to the side. Now my natural hair is about mid ear long, and kind of has bangs I guess.

What would be a good hairstyle for me? I think I'd like my hair to be around chin length long...not sure if I should get bangs or sweep it to the side though, and im not sure how long it should be in the back, given that I want a rather fem hair style.

thank you for any help/insight

[JamieTG]

Hi Vanessa. The androgonous look is most comfortable for me and I keep this look everday; including at work. As far as clothing and jewelry just shop in the junior departments of any department store. For feminizing your hairstyle just look at some women with short hair in a magazine. Its full and bouncy on top and tapered or layered going down ending about the top of the collar. Many comb behind the ear and I do like short hairstyles with bangs. Also see if you can grow out your nails a bit. Keeping polish on your toenails is also a lot of fun. Good luck.
Jamie

[christinac]

You can add a little Tabasco to just about any drab style to spice it up to a more feminine look. It is very hard to cool most feminine styles down to a masculine look.

[Pythos]

My androgynous styles are a bit more extreme, but you can use them for a starting point. In place of jeans wear leggings, or skinny jeans. Have a pixie styled hair cut.

Frankly for me the difference between full fem, and Androgynous is the use of forms, shapers, and tucking. Nothing else I do is inherently feminine, it is only thought of as that by unenlightened masses.

I would love to chat about ideas. Runem by me in PM if you wish. It could be fun.

[NathalieX66]

My hair has grown for 8 months, except to get the split ends nipped off. I'm still growing. I already color itr and now I want highlights.
Both ears are pierced and I either wear 3/4" hoops or zirconia studs, and I like to wear a scarf coiled around my neck while en drab on most days/nights when out in public. I trim my eyebrows and rim them to look more feminine. I think I look more artsy than metrosexual. The scary thing is I often look more feminine than most women my age. That's ok with me because I was big & buff once, and doing that makes me feel like very other bloke out there.

I'm happy with the cross-gender thing.......just hope I don't catch flak from my company president for growing my hair past my shoulders, my mortgage depends on my job.

[DebsUK]

I'm working on looking more androgynous too. So far I'm going for androgynous clothing choixes in casual clothes, so femme jeans or combat trousers which I have worn out to the local pub a few times, girls' skate shoes which are quite colourful, a girl's hoodie which I wear to the gym.. I've been growing out my hair for bit when I had it cut for the first time in 3-4 months back in Jan and had it styled fairly long and I'm going to have it cut again towards the end of this month when again I want to keep it as long as possible. I'm currently wearing it sort of swept towards the left eye but not parted, and over my ears. Other touches I'm using are trying (with variable degrees of success) to grow my nails and have them buffed and subtle touches of pseudo makeup like radiance-enhancing or tinted moisturiser, tinted or pearlescent lip salve and occasionally pencilling in my almost invisible brows with a pale ("blonde") eyebrow pencil.
I am looking at other things I can do like pierced ears which I'm looking for the right excuse or chance to have done, brow/lash tinting, jewellery and carrying a (wo)man bag.
At work I'm trying to be more reserved and haven't looked too much at femme or unisex versions of my regular daywear like chinos, shirts etc. I have got a pair of women's suede brogues which I wear aometimes but the aren't terribly comfortable or warm at the moment.
Overall I look at it as a long game with little steps as and when I want to push just a little bit more. - aim to cause some confusion in terms of "Is he or isn't she?", though being short and having a slight build and red hair help a lot in thatM
I'd also like to chat more about androgynous clothing and other factors we can use if anyone wants to PM me, or perhaps we can have a thread or our own forum to discuss androgyny. Some of the fashion mags have said it's an up and coming trend with that new male model who wears girls and guy's stuff (Andrej somebody or other) and some of the current trends in womenswear

[Joanne f]

I have drifted into the androgynous look as i seam to have very little time to dress full on , yes it is nice to put on a skirt or a dress at home when i get the time but to stop this constant longing for it i started down the androgynous rout and found that it helps as i can wear that all the time , i know some will say it has to be all or nothing but when you do not have time for all something is better than nothing ,i do not worry about wearing fem Jewelry even in the summer (if we have one) with short sleeves on , the pink purple black and blue bracelets show up nicely even have some sparkly ones , my wife gave me a mans silver bracelet which i have to wear ( or i am in trouble) so i have put charms on it to make it look more feminine .
I do not have any or much hair to style so it is kept very short ( just zap over it with the shears ) so i expect i look quite weird to some but do i care .
A lot of the trousers and jeans are a softer material than the men's so they can feel quite feminine and i like the wide leg ones so it is not as bad as some may think

[Gina X]

I dress androgynously all of the time I always underdress and my outerwear is usually girls wide leg jeans T-shirt or stretchy trousers and polo type top without buttons shoes are usually unisex suede...........

[ReneeT]

This is a great topic. *There are so many ways to achieve an androgynous or subtle feminine presentation, and many good ideas have been presented. *It may help to think about it in categories: personal/grooming, clothes, and accesories. *For personal/grooming, others have already mentioned brows - easy to do, very helpful in softening typical male features. *Fingernail care is another area. *I wear an acrylic overlay full time with an American polish. *When necessary, i apply a clear matte polish to eliminate the shine. *I am going on 6 months with mine and i love them. *Paying closer attention to your skin helps too. *Shaving close, moisturizing, etc, help. *Consider, too, a neutral lip stain. *There are some very subtle shades that wear all day. *Add a bit of gloss as needed. *Of course, body hair mgt is highly personal but can make a big impact. *I do wear brown eyeliner, light shadow, and have my lashes tinted.

There are many options for clothing, and it depends on your situation. *I work in an office environment and dress business casual. *For example, i am at a conference in Washington this week and wear slacks, top, and sport coat. *Ann Taylor carries some very well tilored slacks that are feminine but not enough to really stand out. *I pair those with a mock turtleneck or conservative blouse (jc penny carries a full line of talls on line) *and add jaclet. *Depending on color, i will wear either a typical male sportcoat or a womans blazer. *For shoes, Via Spiga has a style of oxford called Sasha that is right on the bordr of male/female. *For this week long trip they are the only sheos i brought that werent either open toed or pumps. *For hose, i wear trouser socks, which are basically thicker knee highs.

Accessories are more of a challenge. *My ears are pierced but i dont wear earrngs to work. *Otherwise, diamond studs do the trick. *The only other piece of jewelry i wear is a nice ladies watch. *My wallet is a small black Coach billfold, and my briefcase is a simple black shoulder bag.

It does get more difficult to go ack to full guy mode, and the andro or metrosexual look is a good half way point

[LilSissyStevie]

Over my lifetime I've moved away from the androgynous look. When I was much younger and living the bohemian life, I cultivated an androgynous look as much as I could get away with. My hair was to the middle of my back and I kept it styled with a blow dryer. I wore flouncy shirts and tight jeans (there was no such thing as girl jeans in those days - Levi 501s or nothing) and fringe moccasins. I wore lots of jewelry - the usual love beads and I had a thing for silver and turquoise. My one concession was that I only wore one earring. Nowadays, when I'm out in public I want to pass or blend and the best way for me to do that is to dress like a guy. In fact, my goal now is to be invisible. I get a kick out of walking unnoticed past people that know me.

[5150 Girl]

I've finally decided that I hate going back to drab so much, that my drab style will now be at the very least, androgynous

I hate giong bac to. I belive in androgany whenever en-fem isn't possible

[Simply_Vanessa]

This is a great topic. *There are so many ways to achieve an androgynous or subtle feminine presentation, and many good ideas have been presented. *It may help to think about it in categories: personal/grooming, clothes, and accesories. *For personal/grooming, others have already mentioned brows - easy to do, very helpful in softening typical male features. *Fingernail care is another area. *I wear an acrylic overlay full time with an American polish. *When necessary, i apply a clear matte polish to eliminate the shine. *I am going on 6 months with mine and i love them. *Paying closer attention to your skin helps too. *Shaving close, moisturizing, etc, help. *Consider, too, a neutral lip stain. *There are some very subtle shades that wear all day. *Add a bit of gloss as needed. *Of course, body hair mgt is highly personal but can make a big impact. *I do wear brown eyeliner, light shadow, and have my lashes tinted.

There are many options for clothing, and it depends on your situation. *I work in an office environment and dress business casual. *For example, i am at a conference in Washington this week and wear slacks, top, and sport coat. *Ann Taylor carries some very well tilored slacks that are feminine but not enough to really stand out. *I pair those with a mock turtleneck or conservative blouse (jc penny carries a full line of talls on line) *and add jaclet. *Depending on color, i will wear either a typical male sportcoat or a womans blazer. *For shoes, Via Spiga has a style of oxford called Sasha that is right on the bordr of male/female. *For this week long trip they are the only sheos i brought that werent either open toed or pumps. *For hose, i wear trouser socks, which are basically thicker knee highs.

Accessories are more of a challenge. *My ears are pierced but i dont wear earrngs to work. *Otherwise, diamond studs do the trick. *The only other piece of jewelry i wear is a nice ladies watch. *My wallet is a small black Coach billfold, and my briefcase is a simple black shoulder bag.

It does get more difficult to go ack to full guy mode, and the andro or metrosexual look is a good half way point

those were all very good tips
I need to go get a cuticle trimmer so I can give myself a nice clear polish like I haven't done in a while. I also need some new moisturizer too!

I'm glad you brought up makeup and androgyny though. My lips are already a pretty bold color so i'm not sure if I could get away with a stain haha. I think the one makeup I would want to wear in my drab mode, would be some brown or black eyeliner and to maybe curl my eyelashes...theres nothing wrong with pretty eyes, right? :P

[Pythos]

I do find it silly how men are not really encouraged to bring out their eyes with makeup without being called Metrosexual (a term I loath). I thought women liked men's eyes.

[ReneeT]

Brown eyeliner is very subtle. Give consideration to having your lashes tinted too

[Simply_Vanessa]

I looked up eyelash tinting...so its like mascara that lasts for 3-5 weeks? If I ever go full time I'd definitely get it done! but my eyelashes are already thick enough that if I got something like that done..might be a little too much attention for me? haha. my androgynous style is kind of plain

[Joanne f]

Brown eyeliner is very subtle. Give consideration to having your lashes tinted too

Yes i use brown eye liner with a brown, pinkish, grey or sometimes sage green eye shadow , you can see it when you look but it does not stand out from the other side of the road sort of thing, well i don`t think so .
It is funny how you can get into this and not have a second thought about it , i wear ankle socks that have little bows on them and noticed someone looking at them the other day when i was sat down in a waiting room .

[Ms Jennifer]

I use a touch of brown eye shadow every morning . It helps to bring out the blue eyes. And when asked if I trim my eyebrows,I tell them yes I do since I do not want bushy brows. Works for me. Piercing both ears is not looked down like it used to be,so wearing small studs with diamonds is considered cool now.Good luck.

[Gerrijerry]

You can fool yourself into thinking what you have on is not feminine but it does get noticed. The truth is that most people do not care and the others normally do not say anything. I say wear what you want, either way it tells others who you are. Wear makeup and think some may not notice? a womans blouse and people not notice? womans jeans people not notice? Lingerie the lines are there people will not notice? Come on ladies at least be honest with yourself. So you look feminine are you happy that way great enjoy. At least be honest with yourself androgonous is a feminine look.

[Joanne f]

Yes you are right as you can wear some very feminine things once you get into it yet still feel that you are getting away with it , the material gives it away for a start , then the pin tucks on the tops are unmistakable but somehow you start to over look that or you assume very one else is , but as you say most do not care even if they do notice .

[sfwarbonnet]

My attire is androgynous. Outerware is always unisex as I must present in "boy mode" when out with my wife as she will now tolerate that and doesn't yet want to be with me in "girl mode." However, I think men should be as comfortable wearing women’s clothes as women are in wearing men’s clothing. Through experience I have found the following specifics:

!) Slacks: Women’s pull on pants are much easier to put on than men’s belted pants. They do not need a fake fly as the absence of it is usually not apparent, but I prefer non-figured and solid color, non-pastel pants so they are not readily identified as women’s clothing.

2) Briefs: Underwear with a fly is unnecessary with pull on pants. Although there are no-fly men’s briefs, women’s full-cut cotton briefs work just as well, and are often cheaper.

3) Slips: Shirttails tend to readily pull out of pull on pants and a bare back is usually uncomfortable when seated. A “solution” is to wear a full slip that is short enough to be worn with slacks. Another lingerie option is a slip with a crotch closure to preclude a pulled out shirttail. Also slips are usually made of material that makes it easier to pull on pants.

4) Bra: I wouldn't have identified a bra as androgynous, but it can be... My favorite slip is a Vanity Fair spin slip but it doesn't have adjustable straps and they fall off my shoulders. This is a lot less likely to occur when wearing a bra with adjustable straps!

5) Pantyhose: An MD suggested that I wear support pantyhose to avoid the indentation in my lower legs that mid-calf or knee-high socks make. Pantyhose do not require anything that is not also needed with pull on pants. I expected that opaque ones would be best, so they wouldn't be readily identified as women's hosiery, but that isn't necessary and non-opaque pantyhose are OK and are more available.

6) Purse: Keeping a wallet, comb, notepad, phone, and keys in pants pockets is awkward as it is hard to extract them when seated, and pockets in women’s pull on pants are often not very deep anyway. My “solution” is to use a small shoulder purse, which can either be worn or secured in a basket when that is available.

I posted these suggestions on a non-CD forum. Some people found the same "problems" that my accommodations addressed, but they suggested alternative solutions that they found more PC, but the overwhelming response asserted that my motivation was an attempt to justify cross-dressing and that men should only wear menswear period and avoid "girl things" even when suitable apparel is available in the Women’s Department.

[sfwarbonnet]

When I was a teen, I recall that my steady and I had matching shirts. I would call that androgynous, and it didn't seem to be pushing any limits, However, the farther I go now, the farther I want to go. My goal is to go out in public en femme for several days and use the ladies restroom without raising eyebrows. The best venue for this seems to be dressed as a "woman of Star Trek" at the August con in Las Vegas.

[luludoll]

@op
try going metro, the male k-pop look =D its much easier to follow through some femme mannerisms without raising any eyebrows. k-pop ala mode earns me a lot of "he's cute" comments from the girls @ work & stares from the guys xD

ooo & the japanese cherry blossom collection from bbw is absolutely divine, the select a shimmer moisturizer, cashmere hand cream & the mist are the new things i got for myself recently =D

[Pythos]

Androgynous IS NOT only a feminine look. It is not a masculine look. It is a look. Period end. It is the fine blend of male and female. There can be a lean in one or the other direction, my favorite style is defininely more of the fairer side. Whereas my more common look is more male, even if what I have on my legs is "feminine".

[Paulacder]

Although I love totally dressing as Paula, I also like the adyrogynous dressing style. Seems like it allows me to express my feminine ways of dressing. One thing mentioned in the preceding post is that "No one notices" I think that more people notice but the fem. look for men has gradually became the norm. Example, peircing ones ears, I was so reluctant to get my ears peirced for fear that people would stare or say I was gay, but if you notice ear peircing is the norm. Makeup...Jewelry...Bra...Pantyhose...Ladies Jeans.....A pair of ladies Loffers.....A ladies hoodie.....Is my typical everyday dress as I'm out and about.

[joan47]

I start with close shave, then make-up, brown masacara, biege eyeshadow , eyebrow pencil, tinted motizier, some blusher , perfume, and lip gloss. I wear gold braclet,necklace, pierced earring hoops, waxed thin eyebrows, long arylicnails (Gelled, so they are always shinny). girls low risee stretch jeans, bra and panties, somedays a waist cincer, girls hoodie or T... Is that what you would call unisex??