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From Susan's Place Transgender Wiki

One of the most difficult issues to deal with is determining what cloths look good on us and which one's do not. Each of us is a different size and shape so although a style of blouse or shirt may look fabulous on one person, it may not look so nice on you. A bit of a dilemma to solve given the high price of clothing. When creating your wardrobe there are inexpensive options available that can be easy on your pocket book and therefore worth exploring.

Contents 1 Clothing sources 2 Fashion recommendations based on body type 2.1 Shoulder Type 2.1.1 Broad 2.1.2 Narrow Shoulders 2.2 Waist Type 2.2.1 Long Waisted 2.2.2 Short Waisted 2.2.3 Thick Waisted 2.2.4 Small Waisted 2.3 Bust Type 2.3.1 Full Busted 2.3.2 Small Busted 2.4 Neck Type 2.4.1 Short Necked 2.4.2 Long necked 2.5 Small Body 2.6 Leg Type 2.6.1 Short Legs 2.6.2 Heavy Legs 2.7 Hip/Thigh Types 2.7.1 Small hips 2.7.2 Large Hips/Thighs 3 Discuss

Clothing sources

One place to consider is online outlets such as ebay. While there is a certain amount of risk involved there are great bargains to be realized. One of the drawbacks to this form of shopping is that you must be fairly certain of your clothing size as it may be difficult to return items should they not fit. Another option that is available is shopping from the various on-line catalogues that are available such as Sears and Victoria's Secret. Companies such as these have good return/exchange policies allowing discrete shopping from home. Second hand stores should definitely be considered as they offer a very reasonably priced alternative as items that don't quite fit or look good can often be returned or if not little money was wasted.

Fashion recommendations based on body type

Shoulder Type

Broad

Recommended

1. Raglan sleeves
2. Dolman sleeves
3. V-neck
4. Drop shoulders

Discouraged

1. Padded shoulders
2. Boat necks
3. Puff sleeves

Narrow Shoulders

Recommended

1. Halter-tops
2. Small collars
3. Padded shoulders
4. Diagonal lines from shoulder to waist

Discouraged

1. Turtlenecks
2. Bulky fabrics

Waist Type

Long Waisted

Recommended

1. High-waist slacks
2. Skirt lengths just below the knee
3. Wide belts
4. Layered looks

Discouraged

1. Hip-hugger pants
2. Low-slung belts

Short Waisted

Recommended

1. Pants which ride low on waistline
2. Low-slung belts
3. Overblouses falling to inseam

Discouraged

1. Wide belts
2. Short jackets or blouses
3. Belted overblouses

Thick Waisted

Recommended

1. Vests
2. Loose waistlines
3. Hip-slung belts
4. Dolman sleeves
5. Chemise dresses
6. Long tunic over skirt

Discouraged

1. Wide belts
2. Pleated or gathered skirts

Small Waisted

Recommended

1. Belts - any kind/style
2. Waist accents

Discouraged

1. Unbelted dresses

Bust Type

Full Busted

Recommended

1. Loose fitting tops
2. Long-sleeved blouses
3. Choker necklaces
4. V-necks
5. Open necks

Discouraged

1. Tube tops
2. Tight ribbed knits
3. Patch pockets on shirts
4. Puffy sleeves

Small Busted

Recommended

1. Flowing blouses
2. Brightly colored blouses
3. Horizontal yokes
4. Padded shoulders

Discouraged

1. Tight shirts

Neck Type

Short Necked

Recommended:

1. V-necks
2. Open collars
3. Scoop necks
4. Hanging pendants

Discouraged

1. Turtlenecks
2. Cowl necks
3. Layered looks

Long necked

Recommended

1. Turtlenecks
2. Cowl necks
3. Layered look
4. Boat neck
5. Scarves and jewelry at neck
6. One-shouldered dresses

Discouraged

1. Peter pan collars
2. Scoop necks

Small Body

Recommended

1. Simple linear designs
2. Pleated skirts (linear lines)
3. Slacks
4. One color head-to-toe
5. Long sleeves
6. Medium width belts
7. Vertical stripes

Discouraged

1. Large, busy patterns
2. Horizontal stripes
3. Pegged pants
4. Bulky fabrics
5. Many colors at one time

Leg Type

Short Legs

Recommended

1. Vertical stripes
2. Solid colors
3. Mid-calf length skirts and dresses
4. High-heeled shoes

Discouraged

1. Pegged pants
2. Hip hugging pants
3. Busy prints or plaids

Heavy Legs

Recommended

1. Straight-leg slacks
2. Boots
3. Just below the knee skirts and dresses
4. High-heel shoes
5. Dark colored shoes and stockings

Discouraged

1. Short skirts
2. Tight pants
3. Shoes with straps

Hip/Thigh Types

Small hips

Recommended

1. Pleated gathered skirts
2. Chemise dresses
3. Overblouses

Discouraged

1. Tight skirts
2. Hip-hugging pants

Large Hips/Thighs

Recommended

1. Dark colored skirts and dresses
2. Dark colored hose/shoes
3. Single colored outfits
4. Long tunic over skirt

Discouraged

1. Large, busy patterns on skirts/pants
2. Horizontal stripes on skirts/pants
3. Brightly colored or plaid skirts or pants
4. Gathered skirts
5. Pants with back pockets

Items that are not listed here may be perfectly fine for your body type and the type of look you want to achieve. As you experiment, you'll become more confident. And, most importantly, having confidence in yourself and your appearence is one of the real keys to any successfully passing.

Discuss

• Readers may use this email link to report errors and/or omissions they have discovered, or to add additional material or comments regarding this article "Fashion advice"
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• Editor's Note: This article is derived from A CD's shopping guide by Sandi Horn, and

This page was originally authored by members of Susan's Place Wiki Staff.