Women's Clothing

Womens Clothing

You'll often hear women complain that womens clothing never fits properly, or it's too expensive, or too cheaply made, and to top it all off, current fashion always seems to be dictated by what looks good on the youngest and thinnest women, rather than the vast, curvier majority. These things may all be true (they certainly seem to be true to me!), but it's not all trials and tribulations in the world of high street fashion or womens country clothing. We've got a few advantages over the men, and with some creative thinking, women can start to enjoy their clothing for a change!

Try Men's Clothing

For starters, don't feel restricted by those signs in the stores telling you where the women's clothing section ends, and the men's section begins. Often the conundrum of jeans that won't fit can be solved neatly by traipsing down the men's trouser aisle, where things are sized much more sensibly. Rather than fretting about whether you are a ten or twelve or fourteen (and your side CAN and WILL change from one brand to the next!), try this:

1. Measure yourself between your 'true' waist and the top of your hips. That's where the waistline on most men's jeans will sit.

2. Then measure from the crotch seam to the cuffs on a pair of slacks who's length you like.

Now you have your waist and inseam measurements, and can confidently buy straight off the racks of the men's department!

3. For best fit: regular fit jeans are fine for women with narrow hips. If you are, however, a bit pear-shaped like most of us, look for "relaxed fit" jeans, which are cut looser in the seat and thigh (almost as if they were sized for women!).

4. Feel free to raid the men's sweater section as well. What looks like a rather geeky v-neck pattern on a man may turn into something quite flattering on a woman's frame!

Find Friendly-Fitting Styles

If you need proper women's clothing for work or social events, don't despair! Assuming you are not twig-thin, you may need to take a couple of scary steps here, but you can and WILL find flattering clothes if you're willing to take them.

1. Don't fear elastic waistbands! Try to find items that are cut and sized so the elastic is almost stretched out (to get rid of that awful puckering), or something styled with pleats. Then top with a jacket, vest or pullover top that just hides the waistband. Voilà! (This also saves the trouble of worrying about your belt matching your pocketbook or shoes.)

2. Stretch fabric is "in style" for women's clothing again. Don't automatically think of horrible polyester granny-slacks... Stretch fabric not only gives you a little room to breathe when your weight fluctuates a bit, but makes the fabric relatively wrinkle-proof. Put your iron away in the closet, behind the shoes, and embrace the new stretch fabrics!

Always be a Bargain Hunter

Another invaluable resource for those of us hunting for quality women's clothing at affordable prices: charity shops and outlet stores. Nobody needs to know where you buy your clothes, so go ahead and shop to your heart's content. If you're not a complete fashion slave, you can get last season's styles at excellent prices, when the fashion slaves discard them as too "yesterday". Keep an eye out for simple, classic, well constructed pieces (like the little black dress) that can serve as foundations for your wardrobe for years to come:

1. A good, neutral colour, below the knee skirt. Good for business meetings and interviews, can also dress up for dinner dates.

2. Neutral colour blouses. No matter the style, whatever flatters will do. You can pull a sweater over top for casual days, or a nice jacket for business events. You can never have too many good neutral blouses, in different styles!

3. Speaking of nice jackets. Do try to find one or two. Perhaps one in a neutral/tweedy fabric and one in a bolder cut or colour. Try a bunch on. Go raid the men's clothing racks again! A high-quality jacket never goes out of style, as long as it isn't painfully trendy to begin with. Minimal shoulder pads, moderate (or absent) lapels, flattering cut.

4. Buy timeless classics like a "little black dress" or a Barbour Jacket - they will last forever and will be a guaranteed winner when you are stuck for something to wear.

Be Original and Creative

Men are terribly restricted in what they're "allowed" to wear around. Make the most of the freedom you have to create your own style! If you find men's slacks comfortable, by all means, wear them! Pair them with a feminine blouse or eye-catching scarf. Try a flowing tunic. Whatever suits you best. Combining men's basics with stylish women's clothing can be quite fetching.

If you're terribly tired of your wardrobe, but aren't impressed with the current womens clothing stocked in the shops, visit a couple of charity shops and try something new on. Maybe a bold hat, or bright scarf, or even just a new pair of earrings. If you always wear black and grey, try on some bright colours. If you always wear bright colours, try a classic black jacket over your favourite blouse. Mix it up! You may surprise yourself (in a good way).

If you have a few friends who are (or used to be) your size, organize a clothes swap. Get together at someone's house at the weekend, bring your unwanted clothes, have drinks, and see if you can't all go home with a bit less "closet clutter" and a few new (and free!) treasures. If nothing else, you'll probably have a fun time playing "dress up" again, and maybe get some new ideas for your next shopping trip.

Of course, if you're handy with a needle and thread or a pair of knitting needles, you have a whole new world of options. Whether you've got the skill to make your own original clothes, or you're just beginning, count yourself lucky! You can alter larger clothing down to your size, nip in the waist of a men's jacket for a better fit, or just add bits of trim and accents to boring, plain clothes. (If you have a friend who's handy with that sort of thing, see if you can't work out a trade for her time and talent!) But even if you can't make your own clothing hopefully you're inspired to try making your own style now! Women's clothing can be loads of fun, if you're willing to take some chances.

Womens Clothing Links

Hill Billys Country Store