How (and Where) to Shop for Clothes

I enjoy wearing both men and women's clothing. Some days I want to be "girly" and dress all flirty in my nicest outfits and boots, other days I enjoy wearing my Rob Zombie shirt, no bra, with masculine plaid fennel and skater shoes, uber laid back. I usually think to myself, "do I feel more feminine or tomboy today (and who do I plan on seeing)?"

Even though I love the fit of men's clothing, I don't want to look like a guy. But I'm not a big fan of how women's clothing fit me either, so I tend to avoid shopping for women's clothes unless it fits like a guy.

How do I find a happy medium? I feel clothes are a big part of my identity. It shows off what kind of person I am. I'd be more open to girl's clothes if they fit like men's. I'm all about being comfortable and girl's clothes are see-through and skin-tight whereas men's clothes are loose, durable, and they are longer past the waist.

Fashion-wise, how do I find clothes that are feminine, comfortable, and trendy? How do I find men's clothing that can be pulled off as feminine?

Thank you!

EDIT: My sense of fashion when it comes to picking out clothes is as equal as my ability to sing...I'm tone deaf. I'd love to feel confident in what I wear but I have no inkling as to my true fashion style, especially when I can't decide between feminine and masculine. My body shape does not help me find feminine attire when places like Forever 21 cater to thinner body types who can pull off crop tops and see-through material. My favorite style of tops is the typical unisex/masculine t-shirt and men's flannel. I enjoy wearing band tees, TV/Movie t-shirts, or funny t-shirts and when the weather is cool or fall season I LOVE wearing my flannel. In the fall I enjoy wearing a lot of oversize sweaters of all different colors and boots. Fall is the one season where I've the most understanding on how to dress.

But I'd like to get creative with finding my own style of clothes, whether I'm dressing feminine or masculine, and most of the time I go to thrift stores because I don't like the idea of buying mall clothes that everyone buys (unless it's Hot Topic where I get my basic-style t-shirts listed above). How do I find my own style, staying trendy but true to who I am? Where do I go to get ideas on different styles and outfits? What keywords do I enter on Pinterest to find my type of style?

I used to wear a lot of men's clothing. I've put on weight and filled out since those days and obviously can't any longer, but before I wore men's clothing - especially pants.

I have long 34in legs and just couldn't find small sizes with that leg length. So I switched to men's. And in those days, before I had children, I was rather flat up top and found I just couldn't wear a woman's fitted dress shirt.

Of course my body won't allow me to any more. I miss the prices and miss the cheaper dry cleaning though.

Have you tried Eddy Bauer? They have a whole 'boyfried' line of women's clothing cut straighter for women without curves.

With me being plus-size with a small bust, finding anything to fit is a bonus. I end up with mostly t-shirts and jeans or denim shorts.

I used to shop at Eddie Bauer and LL Bean, but they're too expensive for me now.

Lark, how about people watching to see what appeals to you? Then you can look for that style of clothes in stores. Over the summer I approached a lady where work to compliment her on her style and asked where she gets her clothes. Turns out she shops in some of the same stores I shop in. Next time I went to that store I looked at clothes and asked myself what so and so would wear. I walked out with three new tops and have gotten compliments on all of them.

Back in my younger, thinner days, before I grew a waist and a butt I had to buy men's pants. Women's pants that fit my waist were too short and rode up in a very comfortable way. Today I can wear some women's pants, but I still tend toward masculine styles to get the right fit.

I'd say experiment with what you feel good wearing. And yes, some days you might feel feminine and some days you might feel more masculine in what you want to wear. Wander through different stores and see what appeals to you. Do you have Ross or Marshall's where you live? I've found some wonderful stuff at both.

I'm overweight myself...but unfortunately, I'm too small for plus size and too large for places like Forever 21. My friends would consider me "average" but not obese, and I am very self-conscious about my weight and losing weight, so often I won't buy clothing that fits now because of the fear of losing or gaining and blowing money just to get rid of it. I am sure this is largely an irrational fear, because the clothes I buy that I love the most last me for years. I wear clothing till they're unwearable.

Isn't their another Eddie something that does flash tattoo-type clothing? I googled Eddie Bauer and I am a thrift store type person. So with that, it's hard to find good outfits because you never know what you're going to get at a thrift store.

I guess the tricky part of finding outfits is that I rarely buy clothes at the mall...I always shop at thrift stores! You never know what you're going to find, and at the same time when I go thrifting I never have an outfit in mind, I just pick out what appeals to me. But then again, the best outfits that I wear until they're demolished were found at a thrift store. So...it's only logical to ask for the best way to pick out an entire outfit at a thrift store, rather than simply one or two tops that go with everything (although you can't go wrong with that, either!)

Old Navy also has a "boyfriend" line. I have found that their clothes (pants and tops) are usually not as form-fitting but still modern and in-style. They have a line of graphic t's as well. They are pretty affordable, sell both men and women's clothes, and have good sale racks.

Is there costco by you? I buy tons of stuff there. It fits well, lasts and is cheap!

i don't know if ragstock is everywhere,
but if you have a ragstock nearby i would suggest shopping there

they have clothing for tomboyish girls as well as girly girl clothing

it's also nice because they sell used clothing as well as new clothes, so it can fit pretty much any budget

Thrift & Charity stores are definitely the way to go for me. I search for clothes that are quality made with beautiful fabric...usually don't have to look too long till I find something unusual that can be adapted to suit me.

Mens 'Lee Brand' Boot cut jeans are a staple in my wardrobe...They are a great fit and always look smart. I also search for high quality plain white t-shirts in the mens section...with a soak in some powder bleach they will come up like new. I now have dozens of gorgeous silk designer brand scarves that I accessorise with...all found in charity stores at a minuscule fraction of the original price.

Sometimes I have to kiss a lot of frogs...but I almost always come away with something fabulous.

Happy Hunting. Q.L