How did you develop your personal style?

I don't have any fashion sense. There are certain looks that I like more than others, but there's a lot that I need to learn about. In other words, I don't have a signature look of my own yet. I have a lot of exploring to do.

So, how did you develop your personal style? What is it? Is there anyone else here who's like me that's trying to figure this whole thing out?

Discuss.

I never wanted to look 'pretty' or 'girly' although I like to look pretty and wear girly things sometimes.

But I am much more comfortable with the feminine side of andro and that is where my style is.

Not sure how my 'style' arrived.

In the beginning, while still pre-op, pants were simply not welcome. That 'thing' was just to present, too noticeable and it wasn't welcome in my life. So I simply ruled out pants.

It wasn't easy finding skirts in the beginning, but they came in time. Dresses, now that was hard in the beginning. I shop mainly thrift, and dresses in my size are hell to locate. It's the across the shoulder blades area. I'm not 'petite' at all. Blouses are a mixed bag. I tend towards button up as they are more forgiving at the shoulders and neck. Anything that is enclosed often won't make it past that part where you pull over the head and insert arms into sleeves.

He was aaaaall about solid colours, no prints. Very bland. Looked like a perpetual warehouse manager.
Then along comes me, and I'm all frills, lace, floral, and bold pastels he would have never worn.
I simply seem to be the opposite of him. He hated shopping, I love it. Kinda funny I guess.

He was all serious no-nonsense walking shoes and boots. I'm totally into heels, and moccasins and sandals. He has one pair of footwear and they were worn to death and then replaced. Oh, I could never settle for one pair of footwear.

My solid colours are white, pink, red and blues mostly. Plenty of greens. Some beige. Mostly floral whenever possible.

I have a few wigs, but I aim for a look and then make it my expected appearance. It takes about a year before I get interested in new. I never wear hats (it's a wig thing).

I usually have lipstick on. I've gone out all done up, but, there's rarely a reason. I sometimes use perfume.

I use a crossover purse, it weighs a lot, because I carry a lot. See image. I also ALWAYS have my husband Frank with me (well of course I do ). He has his own bag. He rides in it.

I'm not afraid to wear bold brazen length skirts. I'm getting more daring with tops. But I usually look like a woman my age. People are always telling me skirts are too limiting. No, they're not. I can do anything in one. I know, because I have. I occasionally wear jeggings under my skirt on really nasty cold winter days.

My dress collection if finally getting more varied. It simply takes time to find them. It's not easy locating dresses that fit and can be afforded. Most of my dresses are 'church' suitable designs.

I guess you could say my 'look' is flat out feminine. Not remotely ambiguous. Recognizable as female from a half mile away And I tend to find it easier to cross traffic in a skirt than you will in pants It seems men are more willing to stop.

None of the stores, like Salvation Army or stores at the mall, had any of the styles or designs I needed. So I never got to fulfill my style and thus feel unfulfilled.

Angelic wrote:None of the stores, like Salvation Army or stores at the mall, had any of the styles or designs I needed. So I never got to fulfill my style and thus feel unfulfilled.

Is online shopping possible for you? Moreover, what is your style per se?

Anna Mull wrote:

Angelic wrote:None of the stores, like Salvation Army or stores at the mall, had any of the styles or designs I needed. So I never got to fulfill my style and thus feel unfulfilled.

Is online shopping possible for you? Moreover, what is your style per se?

I have my own unique style which cannot be found online, I have exhaustively tried.

Style evolves, at least with those that choose their own style.... and are stylish. And, every free thinking, sentient person has a unique style. Those that blandly follow others, whether through media or peers, do not own a style.

Of course, through sheer limitations of different style, there are bound to be similar styles of an independent woman, but still there are many combinations. I own my own style..

It's not short skirts, dresses and titilation, not by a long chalk. Yes, I own dresses and skirts, but I don't wear them often. Flared jeans, tops, sneakers or heels. Sensible coats and light make-up or none at all. 

I have lots of lingerie, but it's hardly worn, it's all in clear plastic sachets in one of my many drobe drawers. Lingerie has it's use, but I don't wear it for my own desire, ever. Panties and bra are my staple. I have lots of jewellery, but only wearing a single bracelet and a light pendant is my style, sometimes a ring. Understated, but I have that style and it's mine.

I have said many times we are all different and live our lives, or should do, as we wish, I live mine with style and mean to keep it. When it evolves, has it has on occasion, usually when involved with a man, then that change in style will always be my own choice.

Yes, I've followed make-up tips and innovations, new technologies and the like, but that is nothing about style, it is more of a necessity.  

Follow your own look with all your heart, you know your own style and which style suits you best, don't be influenced by other women, from media or those you know. 

There are, of course those that like to change looks, some on a yearly, monthly or even weekly basis, well good luck, if you can pull that off! Most women can't and fail in the style stakes often by doing it wholesale, and have not the slightest clue how terrible they look sometimes..

Celia xx

Everyone eventually ends up with a 'look'.

In my case, I have not worn pants or shorts in 3 years. Not even a single instance. I don't even own any pants.

I am thus known for always having a skirt or dress on.
Thus, you can tell it is me long before you can see it is me more specifically. If the person is wearing pants, it isn't me.

I like floral a lot. I dislike dark monotones. I prefer clothing that has lots of design elements like lace, embroidery and more complex assembly. That tends to be visible at a distance.

I don't wear clothing in disrepair ie holes in pants. And as mentioned I don't wear pants so the whole ripped jeans concept means nothing to me. And you sure won't catch me in too damned fat inside too much stretched leggings.

My clothes are clean, my hair not ill-kempt, and I likely have lipstick on. I always have on my purse and Frank is always with me. So seen from a distance, if the person doesn't have a cloth bag on her right arm, likely not me.

Some days I'm wearing short skirts and revealing tops.
In the winter I'm dressed for comfort. You will never see me wearing running shoes in the friggin winter, and I actually never wear running shoes. I usually look like I could be quite happy to be outside all day regardless of the cold.

Your 'look' isn't just whether you wear men's or woman's clothing. It isn't about your brand choices. It's how you wear what you wear for the most part.

There's nothing 'unique' about any one article of clothing I wear, aside from the fact that 95% of my wardrobe was thrift and thus, I get almost everything for 3 bucks, not 30. Which means I tend to have 10 articles instead if 1 or 2.
My ex was never one to treat herself to anything. Me, well, I can have a woman drop in after being drenched in a surprise rainstorm, and chances are I can tell her to go into my collection and find something dry without effort.
It would not be any real challenge for me to provide an outfit for a transgender girl willing to brave out going out in her first ever outfit. I'm about an average size for an average male shaped person. I'm just not very tall is all. But blouses and skirts are more about across the shoulders and waist band. Not about your height.

Angelic wrote:
I have my own unique style which cannot be found online, I have exhaustively tried.

Are you sure that you're searching on the right websites? I mean, practically EVERYTHING can be found online. If not, you're probably better off learning how to make your own clothing.

The ONLY thing you can't find online is your virginity.

Well I still have mine, but, once you use it, it's gone

Anna Mull wrote:

Angelic wrote:
I have my own unique style which cannot be found online, I have exhaustively tried.

Are you sure that you're searching on the right websites? I mean, practically EVERYTHING can be found online. If not, you're probably better off learning how to make your own clothing.

Well what websites have unusual clothing outside the average?

Actually, if you shop for crossdresser locations, you'll find ladies wear in male sizes (for the predictable reasons).

Lesley Niyori wrote:Actually, if you shop for crossdresser locations, you'll find ladies wear in male sizes (for the predictable reasons).

Got a crossdresser shop near me, bland selection mostly fetish clothes or boring regular clothes. Not that I have anything against fetish clothes, its just I have no sex life and thus no reason to ever wear them.

Anna Mull wrote:I don't have any fashion sense. There are certain looks that I like more than others, but there's a lot that I need to learn about. In other words, I don't have a signature look of my own yet. I have a lot of exploring to do.

So, how did you develop your personal style? What is it? Is there anyone else here who's like me that's trying to figure this whole thing out?

Discuss.

I took advantage of the 80s nostalgia that's been floating around the last few years. All of the looks I thought were cute but knew I couldn't wear even around the house, and if the cycle continues (50s nostalgia in the 80s, 60s nostalgia in the 90s, 70s nostalgia in the in the early 2000s, 80s nostalgia since 2010) I'm right on track to be able to try all of the looks in the 90s that I had to try to pull off behind closed doors while my parents were at work.

In other words, the whole retro scene gives me an excuse to have an outdated fashion sense.

Hi Tiffany,

I kinda read your post as someone who never liked anything once the awful punk came along and very little after punk, thinking well how do you want that horrid sound? I sort of thought why does she want to be of those times? Then I thought a little and curtailed my selfish thoughts.

For I realised my own style to this day. A 1970's flared jeans person..... I can talk! Pot calling kettle black! Of course I don't walk down the street like aarchytypic hippy, but not far off that... I have to try and respect all, it is my way, but with style, I am a big, big, snob!!!!

I must learn to respect post '75 days.... yet I always feel they robbed me of my favourite kind of music. Anything from '67 to '74 roundabouts.... unless it's folk or country, country is timeless!!!!

Celia xx

Pinterest LOL

Find a model your size and buy what looks good on her.

There's sites like this now.
http://modelmyoutfit.com/?utm_source=mvm_redirect&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=mvm_traffic&utm_content=homepage_gallery_carousel

I feel like I should elaborate a bit.

I'm a 42b so I typically pushup with fillets so 42c-d going out.
http://plussizesavvymom.com/plus-size-models/

So find stuff in that size that is sexy AND appropriate for the occasion. I do have models I like because of similar hair and/or facial features. So they will go for a similar look. I'm considered plus size so it's all about owning and feeling the look. Confidence is sexy. However no one owns every look they feel.

If you don't know what sexy AND appropriate is then concentrate on a look you like then post it on a dating site for feedback. Regardless the type of reply you get, if you don't feel better about the look in about an hour it wasn't your best look.

Different feedback will tell you and you should have some kind of sense what kind of feedback you are looking for.

One of my inspirations is Tess Henstra
https://www.pinterest.com/SiredByKira/tess-henstra/

So pick some of your faves, plug it into pinterest and roll.

Celia Eriksson wrote:Hi Tiffany,

I kinda read your post as someone who never liked anything once the awful punk came along and very little after punk, thinking well how do you want that horrid sound? I sort of thought why does she want to be of those times? Then I thought a little and curtailed my selfish thoughts.

For I realised my own style to this day. A 1970's flared jeans person..... I can talk! Pot calling kettle black! Of course I don't walk down the street like aarchytypic hippy, but not far off that... I have to try and respect all, it is my way, but with style, I am a big, big, snob!!!!

I must learn to respect post '75 days.... yet I always feel they robbed me of my favourite kind of music. Anything from '67 to '74 roundabouts.... unless it's folk or country, country is timeless!!!!

Celia xx

There was more to the 80s than punk. In fact, even when it was contemporary I couldn't stand the punk subculture. I lived through the entire decade minus a year, but I don't really have any memory before 1984. To put it in perspective, I was born when In the Air Tonight came out, but other than the theme to "Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats" (1984) the oldest song I remember when it was new was Invisible Touch.

In the 80s you pretty much had punk (the whipping boy of the styles), urban pop, suburban pop, and country. These were largely built around music and to a lesser extent movies, but each genre had its own style.

Urban Pop was pretty much along the lines of synth wave, basically the early electronica. It had a strong sci-fi vibe to it. Suburban pop is along the lines of Olivia Newton John, Phil Collins, Genesis (though they straddled the line between synth wave and suburban pop they were embraced more by the suburban pop crowd than the synth wave). That's where you get your hallmarks of the 80s. Leg warmers, leggings, wrist bands, headbands, etc.

Country had a completely different aesthetic than it does now. Modern country is largely androgynous as far as style goes. You see a country couple in the store and the only difference between what they're wearing is that the woman has a bra and panties under her clothes while the guy has a pair of briefs and either an undershirt or nothing under his shirt.

But 80s country was completely different in the US. The performers trended toward colorful sparkly outfits while the female fans tended to adopt the "farmer's daughter" look. Daisy Dukes, short shirts, basically look at the way the women on Hee Haw dressed in the 80s episodes.

I alternate between the suburban pop look and country look a lot. It has more to do with the fact that I always thought those looks were cute than my like of the music, because while I'm a huge Phil Collins (suburban pop) fan I also like synth wave (urban pop), and even though I'm a huge fan of Hee Haw, still watch the reruns every week, I never really did like country music.

By the way, I wasn't ignoring your replies all this time. Forgot my password and up until today it kept saying that my email address wasn't in the system. Finally got it to work.

Hi Tiffany,

Good points and of course there were good sounds in the 80's, I have to agree.

But what we called over here new wave, I just did not like. I was into some of the 50's 60's country stars like Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells etc. and folk heroes over here that you would not know.

I also liked some of the 70's stars, all the obvious ones, Cash, Parton, Wynette, Riley..... But even then I still preferred Wells et al.

I also have an incline for Bob Dylan, Donavon and Melanie.... modern troubadours and songwriters that will be remembered long after many new wave artists are long forgotten!

80's I got in to the Ozarks and Irish band Planxty.... I just kinda fell outta modern media then except the Europop side, I liked Abba lots.

Since then there are sounds I listen to, but I like to listen to unknowns from back in the day that made either pop, American Country or British Folk music...

Celia xx

Celia Eriksson wrote:Hi Tiffany,

Good points and of course there were good sounds in the 80's, I have to agree.

But what we called over here new wave, I just did not like. I was into some of the 50's 60's country stars like Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells etc. and folk heroes over here that you would not know.

I also liked some of the 70's stars, all the obvious ones, Cash, Parton, Wynette, Riley..... But even then I still preferred Wells et al.

I also have an incline for Bob Dylan, Donavon and Melanie.... modern troubadours and songwriters that will be remembered long after many new wave artists are long forgotten!

80's I got in to the Ozarks and Irish band Planxty.... I just kinda fell outta modern media then except the Europop side, I liked Abba lots.

Since then there are sounds I listen to, but I like to listen to unknowns from back in the day that made either pop, American Country or British Folk music...

Celia xx

The Ozarks? I'm going to have to look them up. I live in the Ozarks and still haven't heard of them. The quack my first girlfriend went to was a keyboardist for The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and frankly he should have stuck to music because he was a terrible doctor. Hopefully you're not just using a shortened version of that band name because I have too many bad connotations associated with them to listen to them.

Oh dear....

I was shortening... I was a huge fan of the OMDs..... over 20 people have played for them, but there is a core of seven or so, they always had lots of bods on stage!!! And now I shall shut up about them and respect any connotations sweetheart.

Celia xx

Celia Eriksson wrote:Oh dear....

I was shortening... I was a huge fan of the OMDs..... over 20 people have played for them, but there is a core of seven or so, they always had lots of bods on stage!!! And now I shall shut up about them and respect any connotations sweetheart.

Celia xx

After reflection I'm actually on the fence about him. I don't think he's an effective doctor because his only answer to depression is medication, completely ignoring the possibility that there could be an underlying trauma, environmental element, or damaging element during upbringing that may need to be dealt with.

He also lost his admitting privileges at the local hospital because of a guy I use to work with. He completely ignored the medications he was on and put him on one that caused a reaction that nearly killed him. The only reason he survived is because his wife was a nurse and was able to keep his heart going until the EMTs got there.

However, I also realized that what moved me from mere disrespect of his medical abilities to complete and utter contempt toward him as a person hinged on what was told to me by my then girlfriend, and she has been known to lie. In fact, it's the primary reason we broke up.

The frustrating thing about dealing with liars is that they don't always lie. I will go to my grave never knowing if I have a legitimate grievance against him or if it's all the result of slander. If he did diagnose me with a mental illness despite never having seen me as a patient (or in any context other than in the waiting room when I took her to her appointments) based on information from my ex's mother, which is prone to distortion and fabrication, then he has displayed a recklessness that calls the diagnoses given to his actual patients into question.

If he didn't then he was slandered by one of his patients. If he really did respond to my then girlfriend's miscarriage with "it had to be done" at best it's poor phrasing bred by bad bedside manner. At worst it's an admission that he induced an abortion in a vehemently anti-abortion patient without her consent. If he didn't then I just fell into the mob mentality when she wanted someone to blame. Or he may have saved her life by terminating an ectopic pregnancy, something that not even right to life activists object to, and I didn't get the full story.

I will never respect him as a doctor for the reasons I stated, but even if I find out I was lied to on the issues that turned me against him as a person and make peace with him I still won't be able to listen to "If you Wanna Get to Heaven" and "Jackie Blue" for the same reason I won't be able to listen to The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Monkees (I can't even listen to Ray Stevens' version of the Monkees theme, and I love Ray Stevens), Elvis, or The Beatles, and that's because that music was always in the background during the worst five years of my life.

Hi Tiffany,

I am truly sorry to have brought back such terrible memories upon you. I fully understand the badtimes memories music can evoke. I had bad times when I should really have been flowering and enjoying myself in what should have been my best years and certain music does remind me of them, although it no longer worries me quite as much as it once did.

You quote some of my favourites, Joplin, OMDs, Grace Slick and even the Monkees to a lesser degree..., I so preferred the Monkees over the Beatles. I have never liked the Beatles! Even so, apart from OMD, they were all before my time...

Perhaps though, writing about it now may help to get those badtimes outta your system once and for all, that is my hope. For I finally got through my badtime demons of awful days when I was but a teenager, on through my early twenties. Those memories, though not forgoteen, were truly purged from my system once I started talking and letting 'all' out to others, some years later. I do still have the occasional nightmare of those days, but it is rare....

Take care Tiffany,

Celia xx