Spring is Finally Here: How is Your Wardrobe?

This is true as far as the calendar is concerned, but the weather guy hasn’t done much for the daily temperature yet. We get a nice warm day and breathe a sigh of relief, but the next day the bottom falls out of the thermometer. Patience, patience, the warmer weather will come.

The first thing we have to do is determine what replacement or additional clothing we have to buy. Make a list, and include as much information about the individual items we can.

A budget is required. Where is it coming from? This is the first thing we have to consider.  Money is usually a problem for most people, so what can we do about it? Think about using thrift stores. I have had some success locally. A good example was a pair of attractive sandals I bought for C$ 12.00. They usually stock enough clothing, including lingerie to complete a full wardrobe. The selection can be a little limiting. Don’t pass up Walmart. I have been quite successful buying casual wear, dresses, and lingerie from Mr. Walton.

More sophisticated clothes like party or evening wear, one may need to go to a more traditional store such as Macy’s which can meet all these needs. They are not too expensive either. There is one close to us in Buffalo, New York. [Editor’s Note: Always check the clearance rack and final sale sections at department stores before you peruse the full price garments.]

As you are familiar with your measurements, you can select clothing that fits your size and flatters your shape. Other thoughts on fit and shape are whether your waist is high or low, where should the skirt length finish, at or above the knee, or calf length. This decision may also depend where the item is to be worn. Casual, semi casual, or formal. Each piece of clothing you buy including shoes must fit your color scheme

Casual outfit for home and errands.

What clothing are we going to buy for the different functions outside the home that we might be attending? Spending the weekend at home is easy. Sweat pants, jeggings, a short skirt, an old dress or shorts if the weather is kind, tee shirts or sweaters. Sneakers, sandals or bare feet. But outside the home where you will be and what will you be doing when you have the garment on? Is it dancing, partying, formal or a wedding? The other key factor is color. The color of your skin and hair. Black brown and white. Amongst these base colors there are many variations which ultimately affect the wearer’s tone. The items you buy, in situations where one is wearing more than one piece such as separates—including shoes; must be color coordinated.

Saturday morning, dressed in sweatpants and a Tee shirt the house is getting cleaned up. Laundry, vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes. So here you are, 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon. Sitting on the couch drinking a cup of coffee, all the chores have been completed. The phone rings. It’s two of your friends inviting you out for the evening. Small panic. What to wear? How much time do I have? Where are we going? A decision is made. We are going to an English pub. So, shower, shave, makeup and dress. Black leggings, a nice comfortable top with sleeves. The top should extend half way down your thigh and be a color that suits your complexion. (Special note, navy blue doesn’t go with black.) Not too much jewelry. A pair of black ankle boots and a grey purse complete the outfit. You are now ready to go out for a fun evening.

Turn heads at your event in red.

As it is spring time the trans association, of which you are a member, is holding its annual spring fling. One of your members lives in a gated community so your association hired their hall. Include a band and some catering and there is a fun filled evening. Selecting what to wear shouldn’t be too hard. It is a semi formal event so a dress won’t be out of place. Because of its popularity a LBD (little black dress) will be alright, but here will be a number of them. Your attractive red dress will do very well. Nude or tan stockings, or pantyhose, with black slip-ons or heels. If you don’t feel comfortable with this arrangement, try your plain navy dress with a nice blue and white infinity scarf to bring color.

Back to work on Monday. Does your office have a dress code? I think they are now against the law but if that is the case it is probably still unofficially in place. Ask around.The key for dressing for success is smartness. Clothing must fit, no baggy pants, short skirts or tarty clothing. There is a time and place for everything. Coordinate your colors and feel as comfortable as you can. Apparently boots are okay. A pencil skirt with a hem just below the knees, and a matching top. Pants are okay too, but be careful with jeans. Some jeans are not suitable. There are several styles of pants all of which are acceptable. Straight, flared(bell bottoms), narrow and tapered. Again, depending upon your body shape, pick the style that suits you. An example of this is tapered pants will make your waist look bigger. When it comes to tops the choices are endless. Good quality tee shirts are okay, preferably worn with a cardigan, with or without buttons.

A redhead in blue.

Let’s talk a little about color. It’s a major factor when you are choosing something to wear. The colors you choose are governed by your skin tone and the color of your hair must be considered when you purchase a piece of clothing and when you are selecting something to wear. The choice of wig colors are just as important.

Typically, people with red or ginger hair, who are usually fair skinned, can wear greens, blues, browns and white. Brown hair, dark or light, allows a large range of colors: red, pink coral or yellow. With light brown hair one can use: brown, light pink, peach or tan. Blond red or grey hair go with green, light blue turquoise and lilac. One can use this color guideline for the selection of tops as well. There is room to carefully play about with the colors if you dare.

A Little Black Dress.

Now we come to the more formal setting. A black tie affair allows several choices. If it is in the evening, a black dress or dark colors are okay. In the afternoon one can wear lighter colors. Do not wear white or any shades thereof. This is reserved for the bride. If you wear a dress, the hem should be below the knee. The choice of jewelry is quite flexible.

A white tie affair is the easiest of them all. A black evening dress will never go amiss. Dark colors in a single tone dress are also okay. A small floral adornment is acceptable, and good quality jewelry is recommended.

This is a vast subject, so I hope I have been able to make it a little bit interesting. There is a lot more to write about, so unless advised otherwise I will continue some more next month.

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Tags: crossdressing, fashion, featured, style, Transgender

Category: Transgender Fashion