wardrobe maturity?

[angpai30]

So i'm looking at my wardrobe thinking to myself that i'm 28 and my wardrobe seems to be from the pre-teen era, lol. Some suggestions on how to grow it up a little bit and make It look and seem more professional and less like a pre-teen wardrobe.

Angela

[Cheryl T]

Watch the women around you that are in your age group and see what styles they are wearing then adapt some of that to your own wardrobe.

[Beverley Sims]

I like my teen wardrobe at home, and grow up a little when I go out.
I remember an overseas saying I once heard. "Mutton dressed up as Lamb".
Describing older women dressed in teenage fashions. ie. not age appropriate. :)

[kimdl93]

Watch the women around you that are in your age group and see what styles they are wearing then adapt some of that to your own wardrobe.

This is really sound advice. There's no better way and it gives you another excuse to go to the mall.

[paulinescotlandcd]

I simply think that in order to look your best it is always better to dress your age or just a little bit older, hence my pictures. I have seen too many pictures 70 + CD'ers cutting about in 60's mini skirts with wigs down to their waist to come to this conclusion. Not a pretty sight in my view but if that is the look you go for by all means knock yourself out.
Apart from anything else if you go looking for clothes broadly in your own age range you should find the clothes in question will fit better. I agree with the rest here, just observe your own age range and see what appeals to you and then add your own twist, good luck and have fun.

[Tina B.]

A little longer skirts is a good place to start, but at your age you don 't need to grow up to much. even most old CD's don't want to look like Grandma, but then neither does Grandma.lol

[I Am Paula]

You mention professional. Does this mean you're going to/already dress at work? If that's the case, look around at other women at your work and use that as the guideline. If you're not, and just want a professional look as your style, you can try- Buy the next age group magazine up. As you browse the fashion mags, you'll see they each cater to a different demographic. Abandon the teen ones, and pick one portraying the age group you want. Same with purchasing clothing. VERY few stores successfully sell to varied age groups. For example, with the exception of a few sweaters, there's not one thing at H&M that I can wear at 54. I can shop at Talbots. I'm TOO young for TanJay. Some dept. stores have managed a crossover between ages, eg. Nordstroms, so the trick is knowing which dept. you fit into. I use my rule of thumb- Loud music, flashing lights, and an SA that's younger than my lawnmower- Too young. Blue haired ladies looking at one size fits all pants- too old. Whole racks of tweed skirts, crisply ironed blouses, and an evening wear dept. that doesn't have any dresses that would make the Jersey Girls blush- I've found my comfort zone.
N.B.- If you're over 15, or over 97 lbs. your pants should not show any butt cleavage. Ultra low rise is the next trend that must die. A generation of girls that look like circus midgets 'cause thier waistbands cut them off below the mid point.
Hope this helps. -Celeste

[audreyinalbany]

Part of the problem for many of us transgenderists is that we never had the opportunity while growing up to go through the normal 'girly' stages. While the fourteen year old gg's were slathering on the eyeliner and wearing micro minis that barely covered their girly parts, we were just standing on the sidelines watching. As a result I think maybe we tend to overcompensate and it takes awhile for us to get the adolescent dressing out of our systems. Then, like me, when we get to the point of being old farts, we strive more for the 'blending in' mode. Although I still wear way more makeup than most women my age and maybe push the boundries of blending for someone in their fifties..

[linda allen]

I seem to have a problem dressing (and acting) my age, even as a male. True, my body feels old, but my mind doesn't.

And, since I've only been shopping for female clothes for less than a year, I have a problem with buying something that looks great on a hanger, but not so great on my body.

As already mentioned, look at what women your age and body type are wearing and copy them.

[Angela Campbell]

I prefer to dress my age but when you have to shop in the "plus" section it isn't hard. Most of that is pretty mature looking.

[I Am Paula]

Part of the problem for many of us transgenderists is that we never had the opportunity while growing up to go through the normal 'girly' stages. While the fourteen year old gg's were slathering on the eyeliner and wearing micro minis that barely covered their girly parts, we were just standing on the sidelines watching. As a result I think maybe we tend to overcompensate and it takes awhile for us to get the adolescent dressing out of our systems. Then, like me, when we get to the point of being old farts, we strive more for the 'blending in' mode. Although I still wear way more makeup than most women my age and maybe push the boundries of blending for someone in their fifties..

Wow, did you nail that one. Took me 'till I moved to the 'burbs to realize I was wearing stuff too young for my age. Any non-acceptance from the locals was my style, not my gender presentation.-Celeste

[angpai30]

It's not so much that my style is way to young, but I would like to grow it up a bit and do a more professional sexy type of look rather than the standard "Casual" look. I wear jeans and a sweater sometimes with heals or a dress with nylons and heels with painted toes and nails or a skirt with a pretty top. I have maybe three skirts and like 10 pairs of pants, lol. A lot of the time you can sexy up pants better than you can a dress and they are easier to get on and off. I hear to many times about how women have butchered the wearing dresses bit and I'm sick of it especially because I now understand the "Why", lol. But when I go for a skirt or top to go with it I feel a little juvenile and almost embarrased that I even wear it sometimes. Am I over reacting to such a gut feeling or does it really matter? I would like to look more professional anyways because I am trying to find a new job and looking a little bit more professional in any degree would look better than what I currently wear for work. I work at Wal-Mart and their things is a blue shirt and tan pants, which I have plenty of, but I'm getting to the point to where I want to wear more professional clothing and feel a little better about myself in whole compared to how I feel now about my wardrobe. I can't really judge what women my age are wearing because all the women are wearing the same old "Casual" blue shirt and tan pants with no real fashion mix upls on either color. And most of the women my age who come through the store are wearing A: pants that are too tight for them and have their gut hanging over their pants and a tank or cami with their bra straps showing. Otherwise I would try to dress my age, but my age doesn't seem to care about how they present "Casual or Professional". I have seen some young women my age who have dressed very professional, but they are skinny and I'm a little over weight. I'm 5"5' and 160 and trying to count down, but having the hardest time loosing weight since I started HRT, which I have been on for the past five months and have been working as a woman for the past three. Now that I am working as a woman though I have this desire to look more sexy and professional at the same time, which brought about the cleavage at work thread, which not a lot of people commented on, but gave very good advice. I want to attend school and not look so casual in my wardrobe. I have been having the strongest urge / desire to attract a man as of recently and I don't feel that I can accomplish this with my current wardrobe selection either.

Angela

[Daisy41]

I'm having a hard time here with some terminology. When I think sexy, I think "outfit that invokes thoughts of sex" - but my idea of sexy may be different from a woman's idea. Either way, I get a feeling that sexy + professional = other bad terms. Once again, I may just be disconnected by what people mean by "sexy".

At any rate, I wholeheartedly believe a girl can dress age appropriately and still be very attractive. It's all playing to your own strengths. If you're looking to attract men, think about the kind of men you're wanting to attract. As a man myself, I see girls with excessive cleavage and I immediately think "bad news". I see a girl that looks attractive as an entire package (hair, makeup accessories, etc) and I think: this woman is very deliberate about her dress and has confidence in herself. You're no longer simply trying to pass, you're communicating with your clothing now.

If nothing else, look in the photo threads and find some of us to help you out! If you're trying to attract males, what better place to ask for opinions 8)

[Stephanie47]

I'm a little confused over your desire to look more professional and sexy at the same time especially in a Wal-Mart environment. If you're girl watching to get hints for looking more attractive Wal-Mart is not the place. First, the customer base is not upscale. I'm out and about in the early mornings (8 AM). If I want to get a hint of what the professional females are wearing Target is a better choice. I see many young women (25-35) who are OBVIOUSLY headed to a professional office where there is an established dress code. They are attired in professional looking pants and tops combinations, dresses and stockings or tights. If you want to see what professional women are wearing to their businesses, then head to the downtown areas where professional business people go. Also, go to the restaurants or retail that support them during breaks and lunch.

I concur in your assessment of the health and appearance of the vast majority of Wal-Mart shopper, male and female. They are in desperate need of a body makeover. Frankly, the crowd that patronizes Target and Kohl's look healthier.

At age 28 you have not been exposed to an era when women and girls were discouraged from wearing pants. My daughter is your age. She is a professional. Her job does not lend itself to wearing dresses. I rarely see her in a dress. Sometimes I think wearing dresses is totally foreign to her. My wife rarely never wears dresses (teacher) because the environment does not lend itself to wearing dresses.

It may be time for you to start watching morning television shows and see what the anchors are wearing. Also, check out magazines geared to your age group.

Also, keep in mind 'sexy' is in the eye of the viewer. How you carry yourself and personal hygiene will go further than some provocative attire. A smile is worth more than any other attribute (personal choice here). I see many females who are either oblivious to their attire or their definition of sexiness is totally bizarre. There is absolutely nothing sexy about an overweight/obese woman stuffed into a dress or top with her boobs almost falling out. And, there is nothing sexy about a guy with a tee shirt that does not cover his naval and pants that show the crack of his ass.

[Shananigans]

I had a similar realization...as a GG. I'm turning 25 in less than a month. I am a student nurse, so I live mostly in scrubs...but, you'd be surprised who you run into on your days off. And, since I want to go into a competitive graduate speciality, I always try to put my best foot forward. I noticed that a lot of my clothes were "obvious college student." And, I've dropped down to a size 6, so a lot of my clothes were just much too big.

I have found Express and Bebe to be my favorite stores for my "adult wardrobe". I will say that dressing differently and looking different really seems to upset people...I've never walked into a room with women in their mid-20s that were ragging on me for "dressing up for class"...then, I guess when I started looking too good, rumors started circulating that I had an eating disorder lol. So, yeah, I'd say go for it and dress your age, but realize that you may be a little uncomfortable...getting used to people paying so much attention to how i look was very odd...and, all it took was a wardrobe change and weight loss.

For avoiding looking juvenile in skirts, try for pencil skirt combos. I have a few pencil skirts that I wear with decorative hose and black boots. It's sexy, but not too sexy. But, when I pair it with a tight blouse and a trenchcoat, somehow I look like a "hooker." So, you can never win.

But, that's my advice. Express and Bebe...Expres is more affordable than Bebe and they have tons of sales. Don't ever pay full price in that store...wait a week and it will be 30% off. But, also be prepared for people hating you when you start looking too damn good.

[StarrOfDelite]

I'm over 55, so I'm not sure anymore about what pre-teen looks like. When my youngest daughter was in junior high school the fashion was to wear clothes that were about five sizes too large, I hope that fad no longer operates.

In addition to wearing clothes which are a la mode, I think also that it is both age and body shape issues that all of us have to be concerned about. If a CD is skinny with a masculine physique then she has to make different compromises than a CD who is short and bottom heavy. It's no different than what genetic women do. Julia Roberts is about the same age as Rene Zellweger, but they don't wear the same sort of clothes because the former is 5-9 and the latter is 5-4, even tho' they both weigh around 125.

[Jamie Ann]

Dear Angela,

This is one of those relatively rare threads in which everyone has given thoughtful, insightful responses. There is not too much to add; however, I will reinforce the idea that if you’re going to go out in public crossdressed, then you need to dress appropriately for your age and for the setting. At a family restaurant, for example, one would want to avoid anything too risqué and anything better suited for a teenager than for someone their age (assuming that they are not a teenager). At some clubs or entertainment spots you can relax those constraints a bit.

The clothes make the girl (at least in significant part)!
Jamie Ann

[irishsissy]

Oh Wow, I,m not sure how to add to this post. But I have,nt come to terms with my own age yet. I,m in my 40s and dress as if I,m in my 20s. I just like the way I feel and look. But I know that someday sooner than I want it to I,ll have to start getting skirts and dresses a little longer and heels a little shorter.

[Sally24]

I think one of the best pieces of advice I picked up in my reading was to not wear things "tight". Your clothing should be fitted so it compliments your body and follows it's lines. You may need to get some items tailored so that they just fit. I also love the pencil skirts! Depending on the length and color, they can fit in just about anywhere. As far as having a little belly......I find that clothing that is ruched, has gathers and wrinkles thru it, can really help disguise any imperfections. Also patterned and textured clothing will do much the same thing. Believe me, even with a corset on I am not the skinny mini I was in my teen days.

[skirtsuit]

For youngish professional but still sexy I would recommend (Ann Taylor) Loft. Look for tayloring and nice fabrics for a professional polished look and keep the hems near the knee. I've discovered over the years that an inch or 2 in either direction can make a big difference.

I am almost 50 and have become obsessed with the new Talbots. I was in a fairly crowded one this afternoon surrounded by middle aged women and felt right at home. I don't understand it, but the designers for Talbots seem to know how to dress a middle aged CD.

Best,
SS

[angpai30]

Anybody have a good idea on any good thrift stores that might cater more to professional rather than the casual end of things? I'm new to the whole spicing things up for work bit and I only really have one top that would even be considered professional. I would also like to thank all that posted on this thread as the head of the nail as been hit many times you all have contributed to a better me!!

Thank You,

Angela

[AmyGaleRT]

Anybody have a good idea on any good thrift stores that might cater more to professional rather than the casual end of things? I'm new to the whole spicing things up for work bit and I only really have one top that would even be considered professional.

You might look for what are called "consignment shops." These often have better clothing than your average thrift store selection, and still have lower prices than regular retail. I'e seen a few around here, but don't know the Provo area (only been there once :) ). But that might be something to look for.

- Amy