Reader Request: Menswear Looks for Curvy Women

by Sally on October 29, 2019 in the category: reader requests, style

How to create menswear influenced looks for curvy women

Reader Eliza had this request:

I’d love to see something about wearing menswear inspired outfits when you have a curvier shape. I’ve seen so many cool photos and have many classmates who shop for little boy’s blazers, wear suspenders or flat caps, chop their hair short, etc. Somehow these things never seem to work for me. Real menswear doesn’t fit and adds twenty pounds, clothing that was actually designed for women loses the masculine edge, and it all looks sloppy or dated on me, rather than nonchalant and cool. Right now, the only way I can get a hint of this look in my closet is through tweedy fabrics and my beloved wristwatch (which is still a bit feminine, though it belonged to my great grandfather). Any styling advice you could give would be great! read more

Originally posted 2011-10-04 06:02:26.

Reader Request: How to Wear Vests

by Sally on August 18, 2019 in the category: reader requests, style, tutorial

How to wear a vest stylishly

Shannon popped this guy into the suggestion box:

I’d love a tutorial on wearing classy vests. I have a very menswear style vest in my closet that I love, but have no idea how to wear it. White button-down shirts look awful on me for a number of reasons and would look too “suit-like” besides. Any ideas?

I’ve got a couple of menswear-ish vests myself, but they don’t come out to play often because, like Shannon, I find them a bit tough to style. In fact, I’ve drawn upon looks from my fellow bloggers to illustrate some successful vest ensembles! read more

Originally posted 2011-07-20 06:45:31.

Fears of Androgyny

by Sally on May 23, 2019 in the category: body image, psychology, style

My e-mail conversation with reader Lianne – the one that sparked a post on dressing with a touch of butch – unearthed a very personal issue for me. Personal, surprising, and definitely relevant, so I wanted to share my quirky little epiphany with you folks.

I hit puberty in the late 80s, and went through high school in the early 90s. Girls my age didn’t really do skirts and dresses back then, at least not in my area. It was all about jeans. Over-sized jeans. Baggy tops, too. And that suited me just fine because pretty much the moment I became aware of my body, I became self-conscious about it. I wasn’t slim or traditionally pretty, I couldn’t afford the schmancy baggy jeans that the popular girls wore, and even if I could have I wasn’t popular anyway so I’m sure I would’ve just taken flak for being a poseur. Boys mostly avoided me … or adored me from afar, then expressed their feelings in obnoxious and infantile ways that just irked me. And I was a smart, driven over-achiever, which made me the target of teasing from all sides. I did everything I could to be invisible, and over-sized clothes were instrumental in my quest to go unnoticed. read more

Originally posted 2011-06-27 06:25:21.