Clothes

[Fainne the King]

Yeah, so I make a lot of threads, huh? Anyways, what do you think works better, buying clothes bigger so they'll be baggy and hide curves or buying them the right size so you won't look like you're wearing your daddy's clothes? Personally I realize if I buy them too big, yeah they'll hide my chest but I'll look stupid in them. And pants, ugh. I have a hard time getting pants in my size (even though I'm pretty big-boned) because I have women's proportions. They're always so tight around my hips and it makes me look way fatter than I am. They make so much custom clothes for mtf CDs to get their proportions right, doesn't anyone make special clothes for ftm?

[mistunderstood]

Huuuummmmm. Good question. I'm not sure. I will look around on-line.

[Seven]

Hi If I may

Be careful on to bigger things, it will look odd, It's maybe best to try things on, and if you are happy with the look, go for it.

Good Luck

XXXXXXXXX Seven
Always will to help, if i can

[CaptLex]

Yeah, so I make a lot of threads, huh?

That's quite alright - keep them coming.

I know what you mean about finding clothes. Baggy clothes don't look too good on me (they make me look heavier), so I try to stick with clothes that give me a little room because I don't like clothes too tight on my body either.

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding men's pants that fit my body also (plus I have short legs so I'd have to alter them), so I have to buy pants from the women's department that don't necessarily look like women's pants (no obvious feminine styles, patterns or colors). I'm also having trouble finding men's shoes in my size (I have small feet - even for a female), so I have to look for unisex-style women's shoes.

Shirts and blazers are just as hard since I have short arms too, so I have to roll up the shirt sleeves on men's shirts and can only buy women's unisex blazers. Some of us are probably better proportioned to fit men's clothes, but no such luck with me.

If anyone knows of any online stores that sell pants for shorter men or shoes for men with small feet, please inform us.

[Kieron Andrew]

If anyone knows of any online stores that sell pants for shorter men or shoes for men with small feet, please inform us.

give me a few days.....i will find some.....i find if i buy shirts over here they fit ok as im short armed but big chested ........if you pm me ur sizes i can convert them to UK sizes then look for some sites for you........i have problems with pants but again UK sizing are getting better for the shorter guy!

[sparro]

That really sucks.

I used to have that problem. I'm fairly shapeless, at least my hips, but all the same, especially mens shirts make my stomache stick out. It takes A LOT of shopping around. I usually have to wade through a tone of stuff that doesn't make me look fat or like I'm wearing daddy's clothes. If you can't find mens pants that fit, maybe you should try looking at androgenous looking female pants. They'll hide your curves without totally contradicting your figure. I've got one good pair like that.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

If anyone knows of any online stores that sell pants for shorter men or shoes for men with small feet, please inform us.

Jimmy Au's is supposed to be putting up an online store in the near future. For shoes, Zappos is your best bet.

To paraphase what I say to MTFs, there's guys your size and they're not barefoot and naked, so they're buying stuff somewhere. Do a little searching and I'm sure you'll find stuff. If you know Asian guys in your area, find out where they shop, since they often need smaller sizes as well.

The other thing is just realize you'll probably need to get stuff tailored. (Well-dressed) men routinely do this for nicer clothes like suits or if they're short-armed/legged and I'm sort of amazed watching "What Not to Wear" that this seems to be an alien concept to a lot women. Shortening pants and sleeves is pretty trival for a tailor to do. (And yeah, before you say you're nervous about going to a tailor, I'm working up the courage to do so as well, since I've got some outfits that would benefit from tailoring.)

Unfortunately, the sad fact is that -- just like for us MTFs -- there's a limit to what tailoring can do. But a trip to the bookstore or library should turn up a book or two with advice on to how to dress for your particular figure (often it's a chapter on books intended for women). It's also worth reading the books intended for women -- and just like us MTFs -- modifying the advice as needed to achieve different effects. For example, you guys probably want to avoid striped pants, since that's going to accentuate curves where you don't want them. Likewise, here in the States the untucked shirt look is fashionable (at least here on the West Coast) and that'll help cover up a bigger-than-male butt.

Take a look at the makeover of Matthew on the BBC "What Not to Wear" (click on "rules" to see their suggestions) for a look that probably would work well. Matthew is tall, but a bit heavy (he had man boobs), so a lot of the suggestion probably would work well for you guys. Oh, and if you ever get a suit, do not get a double-breasted suit -- very bad for guys with big chests.

BTW, I'm not sure if the FTMs bras squeeze your breasts off to the sides, but if you can do that, that will help your appearance -- guys who do weight lifting develop "lat wings" which creates bulk under the armpit, so some extra flesh there won't be that noticeable.

[EricaCD]

Hi guys! Hope you don't mind the MtF crowd over here, but I have to second what Marlena just said: For men's clothes to fit properly, you simply HAVE to have a tailor. I am completely normally proportioned as a man (if a little on the tall side) and in the last 18 years I have found exactly one pair of slacks that fit properly off the shelf. By a freak of luck I finally found one style of casual shirt that is good enough off the shelf. You get the idea: if I can't find something to fit off the shelf, you probably won't either.

For guys with wide hips, I'd suggest relaxed fit trousers (a little more fabric through seat and hips) and go with a waistline that is deliberately too big. Get the hips to look ok and worry about the waistband afterwards. Taking in a waistline is an easy fix for a tailor. Curing that shiny/stretched look to the backside is impossible. Remember also that a man's waistband does not need to be nearly as precisely fitted as a woman's. Err on the side of a little extra looseness.

The good news is that you are unlikely to require major alterations. Sleeves, hemming, waists, etc. are very straightforward. (If you are curious, shoulders and the lay of a jacket across the chest are what really need to fit properly off the hanger.) I'd suggest opening the phone book and just calling tailors and asking each if they will work with a FtM. You'll find one, and I'm guessing it will take less than three calls.

Then you can exact a measure of psychological retribution by coming over to the MtF forums and watching us try to squeeze our shoulders and triceps into evening gowns! Now THAT's a humbling clothing experience....

Best of luck to you all,
Erica

[CaptLex]

Thanks, Marlena and Erica. Lots of good advice there. Wow, I can't believe how many shoes Zappos has. Now I just have to figure out my size . . .

[Julie Avery]

When I'm in male mode, my clothes are baggy.

[Taylor105]

I know I'm bumping up an old post but I figured y'all wouldn't mind. For me, I've never worn anythign form fitting. I just dress baggy all the time. If I ever went anywhere even remotely formal....church heaven forbid....I would probably just wear a baggy madras button up shirt with khakis. I guess it falls to my advantage that I am short and thin as a rail though. Taylor