So I am a non-straight, cis-female who is coming to understand gender as something more fluid than our social constructs generally allow. As such, I would like to began to dress androgynously. Suggestions on where to start? How to deal with my family etc.?
Always happy to help genderqueer or gender nonconforming people dress up all snazzy. Stores: What it really depends on are the resources available to you. If you have an amazon account that's always a go to for any easy clothes grab. H&M is a store that I love and they have some great androgynous clothing, especially in their men's section. Goodwill is probably your cheapest option and if you're living with people who won't support you expressing yourself like this, you can usually get to one on foot. Goodwill's a great place for people who are doing this low-key. If you don't mind black (slightly emo looking) clothes you might want to try Hot Topic or Journeys. Hot Topic sells all sorts of stuff ranging from clothes (TONS of band tees if that's your thing) to shoes to accessories (backpacks and jewelry). Journeys is a shoe store with great androgen options. General Info: 1) Shop in the men's section. The clothes tend to be plainer and cover more. They leave more to the imagination. I know getting up the nerve to go into the men's section can be difficult but screw everyone, society sucks, and you go buy whatever you want. 2) Wear more loose or baggy clothing. This is to hide the *ahem* "lady bits". 3) Emo goes hand in hand with androgynous fashion. I don't know why (maybe the non-conforming??) but if you shop emo you will have more options. 4) T-Shirts are now your only god. Buy T-shirts. All of them. More. E X P A N D. 5) Sweat pants!! So when people judge your junk, they'll think twice about whats in that package. 6) Sneakers with high tops. They just do. One of the worlds greatest enigmas. OPTIONAL: Things are about to get hardcore so watch out. ~Please note these are tips for a female trying to look androgynous. Hence this will be enhancing MASCULINE traits in order to overcompensate, this will balance the two~ 1) Get a binder. A binder is a tool usually used by transgender men (like myself) to minimize the bulge of the top area. DO NOT BIND WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BINDER. gc2b <----- Let me introduce you to gc2b. Remember how I said T-Shirts were your new god? Well now let me tell you about jesus aka gc2b. These are the best binders I have ever used and they are quite affordable. Don't go on ebay or any site with a really cheap clasp binder. These will HURT you. Bad. Play it safe man. 2) Cut makeup and excessive jewelry. This will make you more masculine. 3) Consider getting a shorter haircut. If you don't want really short hair, try a man bun. That's what all the hipsters are into. If your family doesn't accept you the only words of advice I can give are "fuck off". Hope this helped!
The men's section tends to have more androgynous-looking clothes and styles, so buying men's clothes might be a good start if you find some you like. Also, mixing men's and women's fashions can be a cool thing to experiment (For example I have an AMAB friend who wears androgynous men's clothes and women's jewelry like earrings and necklaces, etc.) And if you don't want to cut your hair, you could try tucking it up into a beanie or baseball cap if you want to look a little more masculine. Also, remember that androgyny doesn't just have to do with clothing. Your mannerisms and the way you carry yourself also affect how people see you gender-wise. If you want to seem more masculine (or just a little less feminine) you could try standing up straighter and walking without swaying your hips too much. There are YouTube videos and things like that that give advice on that sort of thing. In the end, it's all about how you feel, not what anyone else sees you as. Just experiment until you find the type of clothing that you feel comfortable in. Good luck!
