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.
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
|
Womens Clothing