That Time of the Year Again: Spring Fashion

A pretty spring dress.

Two major events are occurring almost simultaneously. Both are wonderful in their own right. The first is the possible end to Covid. I can’t speak for the USA but here in Canada a lot of the restrictions, which were enacted to control Covid, have been lifted, or are to be lifted shortly. Such as masking, limits on numbers attending public facilities and foreign travel, making it possible to almost revert to the pre-pandemic days. We are slowly going back to the old normal. A large number of residents will continue to be cautious and will probably wear a mask for a while to come. It would be great to wake up one morning and say “ that’s it, Covid has gone forever.” I’m sorry folks, it is still lurking in the background. However restrictions are being relaxed and we can go outside with a feeling of relief.

The second event is spring! Time to examine our spring and summer wardrobes. Clothing stores, magazines, television and electronic media have been advertising clothing and accessories for some time, so now it’s our time to do something.

The first thing I would suggest is get all your spring and summer clothing, including hosiery, and lingerie out of the closet and drawers and lay it on the bed so it can be examined. Be ruthless. I know it’s hard, but get rid of anything you are unlikely to wear, or love. Friends, off-springs, and charity stores are good dumping grounds. You will probably have to replace some items. Beside replacing those you have thrown away you may find your body has changed and you can no longer wear that skirt you were so fond of. Take all your necessary measurement and record them. When replacing clothing you may have to compromise with sizes; the male body does not have the same curves as a female’s so be careful when selecting sizes. If you are shopping online some of the sites have size charts or they may give a size range against each size designation, such as S,M,L,XL, or XXL, in the garment description, e.g., 100-114cm. (39-44 inches.)

If you haven’t done it already, work out the style of clothing you would buy for yourself. There are hundreds of designers at work in the fashion industry. They are human beings so their approach to all the factors varies from designer to designer. There are two major criteria that must be considered. Will, or do I, feel absolutely comfortable in the garment.? Try it on to see if it works. Store bought is easy, you can try it in the store. An online purchase is a little more tricky as you may have to return it. Secondly, what am I going to wear it for? To make these selections one has to decide what trends you think are okay for you. Fashion magazines are a great resource. Note what appeals to you and make notes if you want to.There may be certain characteristics of a dress you may like, A-line, skater style, pencil skirts, or cold shoulder — for example — will be found in the fashion magazines, the designer dresses worn by these models will look different on the average person. The dress you are looking at may be a designer’s original, so by the time it gets to the store, it will be simplified somewhat. This is done to reduce the cost and in many cases to make it more sale-able. Don’t forget the separate bottom and top combination. Together, these two items fit the same category as a dress.

To make these decisions you have to know yourself, your body type your coloring and the type of clothing for all activities that you prefer.

There are a number of measurements one should take to get the full picture of yourself. These are; Inseam, thigh, hips, waist, bust,( there are two measurements here), the band size below the breasts and size around the nipples. The difference between the two determines the cup size for the bra. Also sleeve length, upper arm circumference and neck.  If you are shopping online, the site may have dimensions in centimeters only. If they do, the conversion is 2.54 cm/inch.

Let’s deal with body type first. We can can compare some body types to a fruit.The most common shape for a women is pear shape. In this case the hips are the widest part of the body.

Apple shape figure.

The next is apple shaped. Obviously, this is a rounded figure Here one has to accentuate parts of the body which, in doing so, disguise the roundness.

There are other attributes such as short and long waists and very tall women. It is worth noting that tall women get noticed, ergo, tall crossdressers are also easily noticed which might be a bad thing that has to be compensated for. What ever shape you are one has to choose carefully to disguise the faults if possible.

Coloring is another factor which affects your choice of clothing. Skin tone is the first and most important thing to consider. Hair color is also a factor. Skin tone and hair color usually go together. If on the other hand, your hair color has been changed by artificial means, it makes your choices more difficult.

The major points we have dealt with so far are body shape, skin tone, hair color and fit. Another factor which is most important is quality. Locally bought items are easy to deal with, if there is a problem just take it back.

Again, items purchased online are a different kettle of fish. The major online vendors really act as brokers for a large number of small garment manufacturers. For them it would be a massive effort to control the quality of all these suppliers. It’s not impossible, but to introduce a Quality Assurance program would increase the cost of these goods significantly. The vendors return policy is your best weapon. The problem is time, and what do you replace it with?

Here we have covered the fundamentals of buying clothing for women. It’s a big subject, so I hope I can continue this discussion in a month or less if possible.

I hope you enjoy this article. Also, don’t be in too much of a hurry to get rid of your mask. It’s very tempting I know, but caution is the word.

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Tags: crossdressing, fashion, featured, Transgender

Category: Transgender Fashion