The Duchess Speaks to Crossdressers

For many of us just putting on a dress in the secrecy of our homes or perhaps just at the support group meeting is not enough. There comes a time when we want the world to recognize us as a woman, but that step is most usually accompanied with a bit of fear; fear of scorn, fear of being laughed at, fear of being read. And along with that fear is the question of how do we dress to blend in with other women?

L – Classic Look R – Bohemian Look

Not an easy task if you spent most of your adult life dressed as a man and never had the opportunity to explore all the in and outs and experimenting that women go through in their 20s, 30, and so on. Fashion is almost a foreign word and often shun by those that say “I’ll dress as I want.” Hence the crossdresser stereotypes of skin tight skirts, flowery old maid dresses, 6 inch heels, over made up faces and the football stroll.

Ever since I began to dress, I had this passion for fashion, but the mistakes were many and humorous along the way. I finally compromised on two signatures style. One, the classical stylish professional minimalist look, and two, the Bohemian look where I could wear the flowing skirts and all the bangles and beads that I wanted. What you need to remember however is that what you wear makes a statement. It’s the first impression that sticks long after you’ve met someone, the building block that allows a person you barely know to sum you up in three words or less. And you really don’t want those three words to be OMG…Oh My God. And if you aren’t sure what that means, then check out my Crossdressers at Walmart video here (scroll down the page).

So where do you start if you want to be treated like a princess and look like a stylish woman. Find a role model and copy her and there isn’t a better role model than Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate is the darling of the fashion world and for good reason. She knows how to dress stylishly but with an edge that has grabbed the imagination of women around the world. So Kate speaks to us.

Despite what fashion gurus often say, you don’t need more patterns, more color, more skin to be fabulous. How does Kate do it, just like she does everything else: with a big smile and whole lot of class. Just follow these 10 tips for dressing like Kate Middleton. All images by Image: © Ki Price/ZUMAPRESS.com.

Make the knee-length dress your signature item.

How does Kate keep her look young and fresh? Dresses. How does she keep her look professional? Dresses that never go more than an inch above her knee. Look for dresses made of light, nonstick fabrics in warmer months, and thicker fabrics like wool in cooler months.

Keep your colors classic.

Kate is famous for her solid-color getups. Copy her look by sticking to nautical color palettes (white, black, navy, and pastel yellow), earth tones (umber, olive, beige, gray, and mint), and jewel tones (emerald, ruby, plum, and various shades of blue).

Show off your legs with wedges and classic heels.

Round-toed? Pointy-toed? Kate doesn’t care. Just make sure they’re close-toed, a comfortable height, matte, and simple in color (black, navy, taupe, etc.). Or they can perfectly match your dress. That works, too. Wedges are excellent shoes for CDs because of the support they provide, but a girl needs her heels too.

Dress down with dark skinny jeans, patterned tops, and blazers.

No girl wears dresses ALL the time. The key to pulling off this look is to keep bold colors and patterns limited to just one piece of clothing. Ruby red pants? Sure. Just pair them with a white top and navy blazer (and maybe a nice scarf).  I just love colorful jeans.

Warm up with tights and colorful coats.

Kate’s solid-color getups don’t just involve her dresses. Splurge on solid-color, knee-length coats whose colors match the dresses you have. If you can’t find coats to match, simply look for coats in subdued, neutral colors and classic patterns. With tights, stick with classic black.

Highlight one feature at a time.

Have you ever noticed that Kate isn’t afraid to show a little skin? Notice how she does it. When she flaunts her arms in sleeveless dresses, her neckline reaches the top of her shoulders. As her neckline drifts south, her sleeves creep slowly to her elbows. If her skirt has slits, neckline and arms are fully covered. See? She shows skin. She just doesn’t show it all at once. Follow her lead, and you’ll strike the perfect balance between young and professional.

Spice it up with lace, classic prints, and whimsical touches.

With so much talk of solid colors, you may be thinking you can’t wear prints ever. That’s not true, but you’ll want to keep these to a minimum. An easy way to add some interest without going overboard is finding pieces that incorporate tasteful amounts of lace. Classic prints like simple stripes, lattice, and plaid also work well in classic color palettes. Very rarely does Kate venture much further, although sometimes you’ll find hints of natural elements like fresh flowers in her coat pocket or vines embroidered on a small section of a dress. Even simple touches can make statements that are entirely your own (Tasi’s note: if I followed my heart, everything would be lace. Check out my Pinterest boards.)

Wear a hat when you can.

What else is there to say about Kate’s hats? They’re adorable. That’s not to say that you or I could pull off a hat, so we better take our friends shopping with us and let them decide. Hat or no hat, I bet we can be pretty adorable, too! (Tasi’s note: hats are really fantastic especially for summer months. They are guaranteed to set you apart in the most stylish way). For winter months, look at a few of these.

Be a minimalist with clean and simple jewelry and accessories.

You’ll never notice Kate’s accessories before you notice her outfit (though you’ll also never see her without earrings). That’s because she wears them without overpowering her already-polished look. When in doubt, stick to the basics—sparkly studs, small dangles, pearls, and simple, pendant necklaces. Check our Boutique for lovely earrings.

Smile and remember your inner beauty.

Kate is proof that it doesn’t take glitz or glitter to look gorgeous, just a little bit of time, careful planning, and a smile. Now go dress like a princess!

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Tags: crossdressing, fashion, featured, Kate Middleton, style

Category: Style, Transgender Fashion, Transgender Opinion