Art of Transliness

Dressing Dapper

This almost makes up for all the dresses I was forced to wear as a child!

Product Review: Indochino’s Essential Gray Suit

Zak recently purchased a suit from Indochino and decided to write up a product review for this week’s Fashion Friday:

Buying a suit can be tricky. It’s nearly impossible to find something that fits well (or even well enough) off the rack for anyone, but particularly someone with an unusual body shape and below average height like myself (and probably most trans* guys). I needed a suit for my wedding, and also just generally for job interviews, presentations, and formal events, and I wanted it to fit well and not cost a whole lot of money. I looked at a few department stores and considered buying off the rack and then getting my suit tailored, but then I heard of Indochino, an online store for made-to-measure menswear. The prices weren’t terrible, about $370ish dollars for a basic suit, and I liked the idea. So, a couple of weeks ago I ordered the Essential Gray Suit and a custom made white shirt. It came today in some stylish, nifty packaging. 

My first impression was that I really liked the look of it. The material isn’t the highest quality, but it isn’t awful either. I’d compare it to most of the suits I found in department stores like Macys, which makes sense because it isn’t all that different in price from those either. Surprisingly, it fit me incredibly well straight out of the box. This is despite the fact that Indochino warns that the first suit you order may need tweaking and that I’d read many reviews that complained that most suits need a bit of tailoring even despite being made-to-measure. Indochino will reimburse you for up to $75 dollars in tailoring fees, so I wasn’t too concerned about this, but I feel pretty lucky that I probably won’t need to visit a tailor at all (I’m not sure yet, I need someone with a better eye to take a look and try the pants on while I’m actually wearing shoes). 

Based on my experience so far, I’d definitely recommend them. Like I mentioned earlier, this isn’t made of premium quality material and isn’t intended to stack up against something you’d get at a high end store or a bespoke suit. It also isn’t cheap, although for a well-fitting suit it’s pretty reasonably priced. It looks great (in my opinion), feels great, and fits comfortably AND it didn’t require any interaction with a salesperson (a huge plus for a lot of trans* guys who’d be uncomfortable shopping for a suit if they aren’t always read as male). We’ll see how long it lasts and how it holds up, but for now I’d say it’s pretty good! 

Opening up Submissions for Fashion Friday

We’re going to start opening up submissions for Fashion Friday! As many of you already know, we generally post something every Friday written by someone in the community about their personal style with pictures included as well as information about where they got their clothes in the picture (check out examples of this from Eli, Andy, and Harrison). So, are you ftm/a trans* guy/transguy/man of transsexual experience/trans*masculine/FAAB genderqueer etc.? If so you should send us a Fashion Friday post about your personal style! We’d particularly like representation from people of color. 

So, if you’re interested, type up a post and hit the submit button. 

Fashion Friday

Here’s a fashion friday from our good friend Andy: 

Mustard V-Neck Sweater - Old Navy, $20
Shirt - H&M - $15
‘Brick’ Color Slim Fit Chino Flat Front Pants - Uniqlo, $39
Brown Leather Timex Watch- Kohls, $23
Braided Brown Leather Belt - $10-15 anywhere
Knockoff Red Wing Boots - $25 at some random department store

Ash Wool Overcoat - 200 (worth it), Uniqlo
Navy Polo Scarf - Found in a pile of laundry in my closet/available at Marshall’s
Prescription Reading Glasses - Anthropologie

So, Zak has been asking me to submit to Fashion Friday ever since I first explained to him that yes, tucking your shirt in is, in fact, cool. And, I was feeling like making ridiculous model faces the other day at work anyway, so here it is!

I usually start with one item in a solid color, then break it up with a patterned layer, and mix in another color or two from the same palate. You can also apply the same logic to black/grey/white for your goth days. This sounds kind of silly, I know, but if you’ve taken elementary school art you have the basic knowledge of complimentary colors necessary to do just that.

There are a few basic items I think are worth sinking money into, other than that, I basically thrift, wait for sales or borrow from friends who know they are not getting things back. A good coat, a few good pairs of pants and some sweet boots are completely worth investing in, and since you’ll be bundled up most of the winter, it’ll pay off. I’ve worn this overcoat with jeans and over a three-piece suit. The boots are a simple, cheap alternative to dessert boots, and they go with literally anything.

So, here is my secret fashion weapon you guys - Uniqlo pants. I don’t understand why all trans* guys in the NYC area/with internet access aren’t shouting to the heavens, thanking the pants gods for Uniqlo pants. They’re hip, affordable, come in almost every cut, fabric and color imaginable, and here’s the kicker - THEY TAILOR THEM FOR YOU, FREE, IN THE STORE, WHILE YOU SHOP. I am 5 foot 4, and I’m not a skinny dude - they fit like a charm. Seriously y’all, drop what you’re doing and buy these pants, you will be in Corduroy heaven in no time. I have like 5 pairs and it’s a daily struggle to keep from buying more. http://www.uniqlo.com/us/mens-clothing

Primarily, I’m interested in clothes that you can wear for any occasion, mix and match with almost anything and still look classy. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it either, you could find most of this stuff at Target. Just try shopping with the wardrobe you already have in mind. That way, you’ve got plenty of options you only have to do laundry like every three weeks or when you run out of underwear.

Fashion Friday

This week’s Fashion Friday is brought to you by Rae!

Hi, I’m Rae, and I’m a bit of a bargain shopper. And by “a bit” I mean I will only purchase things that are on sale. So for this Fashion Friday, I wanted to put together an outfit that was simple, stylish, and most of all- inexpensive.

Robert Wayne Boots from Nordstrom Rack: $20.00

Levi dark wash jeans from TJ Maxx: $12.99

Remo Tulliani brown leather belt from Nordstrom Rack: $8.99

Old Navy white undershirt: $4.00 ($8.00 for two)

Merona grey cardigan from Target: $19.99

Maroon bandana from Hobby Lobby: $1.00

Total: $66.97

• These boots have a little bit of a heel on them which give me an extra half inch (when you’re a short guy, every inch helps).
•  Adrian mentioned it before, but dark wash jeans help to make your legs look longer, and also skinnier.
• As a bigger chested guy (pre op) I find that my 997 Underworks binder creates a weird bulge about an inch below my collar bone - That bulge makes it nearly impossible for me to wear a crew neck T shirt on its own. This maroon bandana not only provides a pop of color in my outfit, it also hides that awkward bump on my chest.
•  Cardigans are a simple and stylish piece that offer a lot of addition benefits aside from warmth. When I stand up straight, this cardigan wraps around and drapes down over my hips. They also hide my love handles in the back and my under arm pudge that forms when my binder is doing its job. Cardigans and sweaters in general are awesome for hiding extra pounds. Just make sure to buy the correct size. Clothing that is too small or too large will actually add pounds onto your look!
•  Lastly, own your look; nothing completes an outfit like confidence! 

Fashion Friday

Fashion Friday

Here’s Zerofailure’s outfit for Fashion Friday and what he had to say about it:

Blue oxford shirt was $30.00 from moderntailor.com (including shipping and customization) and was completely made-to-measure. 

Reversible brown/black belt was $20.00 from Target.

Khakis from American Eagle, $40.00. 

Shoes are Dexter brand. 

Unfortunately when creating the shirt I got the arm measurements wrong so the sleeves were too short. Since I don’t really like long sleeve button downs much, nor do I like short sleeves, I roll the sleeves up. I also asked not to have collar stays. Bad choice.

Fashion Friday

Hey all, it’s Adrian, one of your moderators of AOT and it’s my turn to do this week’s Fashion Friday! This week you can purchase this entire outfit at Kohls for under $80 (minus the shoes).

This is an outfit that I wore to work on Monday. It’s quite simple but could work both in a semi-formal work setting or a coffee date or class. I buy most of my clothes on the cheap and shop off the clearance rack whenever I can.

From the top down I am wearing:

A Marc Anthony sweater from Kohls. His clothing line seems to be tailored to a trimmer smaller body-type which works out perfectly for those of us trying to find clothes that fit a smaller frame while avoiding the little boys section. The bottom of the sweater is cuffed, which makes the body of the sweater billow-out, concealing my hips and making my frame look larger. This sweater is from his 2011 line, and I have recently found it in this cream color off the sale rack for $20. I also own it in black.

You can check out his entire collection here.

A close up of the front breast pockets. This is a solid-knitted cotton sweater, but the pockets make it interesting, and the shawl-neck makes it formal in the right context.

Underneath the sweater I am wearing a cheap blue and white vertical-striped button down. These can be found anywhere and do not need to be name brand. I exclusively wear this button down under sweaters, as it doesn’t fit me perfectly well, but no one knows any better when it’s worn under something else. I believe this particular shirt was made by urban pipeline, also a Kohl’s brand.

The pants are a Dockers D1 Slim-Fit, specifically the “Alpha Khaki Slim” navy pant that I bought at JCPennys. You can find these pants at many stores including Kohls, JCPenny, Macys, DockersOnline, Nordstrom, or online on Amazon. This is the most expensive piece of the whole get-up but I personally believe there’s no price to pay for a pair of pants that fit perfectly. I’ll wear these for years.

A closer-up of the blue and white striped button-down, the and waist of the pants. The belt I am wearing is a multi-brown toned leather braided belt with gold buckle. I wear this belt with everything, you can find one for probably $20 at any department store. These braided leather belts are pretty timeless and go with pretty much anything.

The shoes I am wearing are the Clarks Originals - Jink Oxfords, Chesnut Suede color. These are extremely simple and lightweight shoes. I worn you though, they are suede and they are not by any means water or snow-proof. Walk through a puddle or in the rain and you’re socks will get wet I assure you. That being said,  these are still my favorite shoes, they’ve got a super low manmade crepe sole and can be worn even in the warmer weather without socks. And since they are Clarks, you can be sure they will last for a long time.

If you have any questions about any of the pieces in this outfit, send us a message! If you would like to participate in our weekly Fashion Friday post, message us!

Fashion Friday

This is Ashton (transformfeminism) and his outfit for this week’s Fashion Friday. Here’s what he had to say about it: 

“This was my first-day-of-fall-quarter outfit. I decided to go with neutral colors, which I think played well together. I actually stole my roommate’s button-up which I ended up loving with green pants and a brown belt.”

Messenger bag: Barnes & Noble

Shirt: Roommate’s wardrobe

Pants: WESC 

Shoes: Target 

Fashion Friday

Hey there! My name is Eli (Eliintransit)! I’m 24 and currently live in St. Louis, MO. I’m a cook at a local restaurant here. I am eight months on T and have not had surgery yet (but hopefully will by the end of the year!). T has definitely helped me fit into men’s clothes and find men’s clothes a LOT easier now! Fashion has always been a huge part of my life, though you might not realize that if you see me at work. 

I don’t think I have a particular style, but I can say that I’ve been influenced a lot by GQ, Esquire, and things of that nature. I’d have to say that my style definitely changes depending on my mood….and the weather. 

This particular outfit was from yesterday, when I went to court to change my name! (YAY!)

Bow tie by Countess Mara was purchased at Nordstrom Rack

Navy blue button up shit (small) from H&M

Vest purchased at Savers (thrift store chain in the Midwest…maybe beyond)

Watch purchased at Fossil

Belt purchased at Value Village (thrift store in St. Louis)

Khaki pants purchased at Gap. Women’s size 29

Socks by Happy Socks from Nordstrom Rack

Navy blue Clarks Desert Boots purchased from Nordstrom Rack (size 8)

I am definitely a bargain shopper. I rarely care what store my clothes come from or what section (men’s or women’s), and I usually buy things on sale. I always say, “it doesn’t matter where your clothes come from, it’s all about how you can rock the fuck out of them.” So, that’s what I try to do. I guess you can say I’m ballin’ on a budget.