My Trans Fashion Sense

[Sally Stone]

My fashion sense contributes greatly to my feminine self-expression, so I choose styles and looks that accentuate the way I feel.  Had I been born female, there is no doubt I’d have been a girly girl, and despite the fact that I am a part-time woman, that description still pretty much fits.  I like clothing that exudes femininity, albeit, my personal sense of femininity.  I wear higher heels, I prefer skirts and dresses over slacks, and I tend to choose styles that accentuate my curves.

 

I am very curvy, even though my curves are artificial, created by using padding and foundation undergarments.  Because I pad, my fashion sense must also be practical. I have to make sure that my foundation accouterments are compatible with what I’m wearing.  This means that some clothing options simply don’t work. 

Take pants or slacks for instance.  I can wear them, but they must be cut in such a way that my artificial curves look authentic.  Tight-fitting pants or spandex tend to make me look lumpy, yet, wide-leg slacks are more forgiving.  Because I have such a long inseam, however, it is hard to find slacks that fit correctly.  Consequently, I only have a couple of pairs of slacks in my wardrobe.

 

Conversely, the hemline of a skirt or a dress doesn’t need to be quite so precise to look good.  As tall as I am the hem of a dress or skirt isn’t going fall on me where it would on most other women, but the hemline fall isn’t as critical as the inseam for pants.  The other thing I like about skirts and dresses is the wide variety of styles available and that makes it easier to find options more compatible with the padding I wear.

 

Still, in order to accommodate my fashion sense and practical wardrobe needs, my clothing choices tend to be considerably narrow.  Add to this, the fact that my fashion choices aren’t often in style, and sometimes, shopping becomes a frustrating endeavor.  Often, I find myself searching endlessly for a wardrobe piece that just isn’t available. 

Take for instance, my latest search, I have been looking desperately for a new denim skirt.  Actually, I’m trying to replace a skirt I owned previously, a favorite that I wore so much it literally wore out.  I’ll acknowledge it was a unique style, a midi length pencil skirt that buttoned from hem to waistline, with offset buttonholes aligning with my right leg.  It was extremely flattering, showing lots of curves (but no lumps) and while long, I could leave several of the lower buttons undone to show off as much of my right leg as I dared.  It looked great with high heels or with boots and could be dressed up or down depending what else I paired it with.  After two years of searching in both brick and mortar stores and online, I have been unable to find anything that even remotely resembles the skirt.  Oh sure, there were a few close matches, but none of those items were available to purchase.

 

I also adore dresses, but like the rest of my female wardrobe, there are only a few styles that look good on me.  A column dress is a good choice as a long, formal dress.  Column dresses generally don’t have a defined waistline, rather flowing from bust to hips, which tends to make the waist look smaller.  For a less formal option, sheath dresses tend to be most flattering.  Like the column dress, a typical sheath doesn’t possess a defined waistline, so it has the same slimming effect.  The other great thing about a sheath is that usually they are sleeveless.  This is advantageous because dresses with sleeves are cut for small feminine shoulders, and while I don’t have linebacker sized shoulders, they are a bit wider than those of a typical woman.  Without sleeves, the fit of a sheath is a little more forgiving.  The downside of course, is that a sheath is sleeveless, meaning it shows off the shoulders and upper arms. However, I have always been able to create a very feminine look by wearing either a cropped jacket or a shrug over top of the sheath.  The top hides my arms and shoulders, yet still shows off the curvy lines of the dress, a most appealing combination.   Fortunately, sheath and column dresses don’t tend to go in and out of style like so many other fashions do, so there is a relatively good selection.

 

So, the moral of this little ramble is that it is important to have a personal style, that makes you look good.  It is equally important, though, to be certain that the fashion choices are practical, accommodating your unique physical form.  I’ve learned through trial and error, that I just can’t throw on anything made for a woman and assume I’ll look good in it (I'm so envious of those women that can).  Instead, I need to be very careful that the styles I choose accentuate my feminine attributes while simultaneously hiding certain masculine attributes.  To say this is a challenge is an absolute understatement, but with perseverance and dogged determination finding a style that flatters is quite achievable, and when you find that perfect style, it just makes you feel wonderful, girly, and dare I say it, sexy too.  

 

Hugs,

 

Sally