Michelle,

It is certainly challenging to find the style(s), colors, fabrics, and let's not forget... shoes! that work for us. It is trial and error. Keep your eyes open and look at other women both in public and in magazines and the web to see what grabs you. Last, since women generally wear much closer fitting clothing the size and fit really matters and all too often an L is just right for me, but sometimes an XL is too small. I like stretchy fabrics since my overall size is 12 or 14 but my waist is an inch or two larger than a cis woman's natural waist so the dress or top needs to accommodate that.

Have fun with it!

Emma

Sizing can be tough as it can vary from designer to designer (or even within a designer in some cases) - that's why I like the Jennifer Lopez collection @ Kohls, I always fit in large with her 😛

With my men's clothing I ended up donating almost all of it to an AIDS organization in NYC. Nice tax break!

Everyone is different, for instance if you have no hips some dresses will not look right then there are dresses that fit right everywhere but the chest region etc. I've found that for me PattyBoutik items work well for me but someone else they may not. Good example (for me) I just purchased the following which was designed for having some hip, I do so it works for me plus it suits me well overall. 

Dear MichelleLea, Emma, Chrissy and Karen,

Am a big believer in letting nothing go to waste.  Every Spring and Fall, I do a deep clean, and I try on all my clothes.  Anything that doesn't fit, I promptly give away.  Don't wait to "grow into or out of" anything, anticipating a weight gain or loss, because by that time, there might be a stain or stains forming because of long'term storage.  My mother taught me this, may God rest her soul.  She really knew how to take care of her clothes.  She used tissue sheets in between her better bras, panties and slips in her dresser drawers to keep the wrinkles out.  She did this from when she was young to her old age, and did not slack off when she got married.  My mother dressed beautifully, and made sure her husband (my father) did, too.  One of my best memories was when they went square dancing, especially during the holidays.  Wish I had pictures to prove it!

About shoes - I recall my roommate had FIFTY pairs of shoes.  I used only 12 inches of the closet (hanger and floor space), while she used the rest!

Thank you for donating your unused clothing, as I do, too!

Your friend,

Monica

I'm a firm believer in evaluating clothing. I go through my closet every several months to see what stays, what goes. Usually for what goes (which is never that much as my weight is fairly constant) are items that are not age appropriate e.g. a top that shows skin between the bottom of the top and the top of my pants/leggings/jeans.

On a side note, have not worn anything but dresses in the past three weeks other than shorts for exercising. I've acquired ten ten dresses which prompted purchases of thigh highs and of course several new pairs of heels and earrings (getting to be high maintenance). While starting this new phase I did a valuation of older garments, not much to speak of in the realm of dresses or skirts as in the past two years I wore nothing but jeans and leggings. What is great, people noticed and received compliments at work, a patient at a spa and also in a mall (woman sitting down looks at me, I noticed, she says "you really look elegant") told me. So now my closet is really getting full and see in the near future a purge per-say and when I do so the first on my list are crossdressers who can't afford garments such as the ones I;m tossing from the closet. I tend to purchase in a fugal and sensible manner e.g. high heels tend to be under 60 dollars but when I see that 120 USD pair I can't resist (damn my daughter's best friend for pointing them out to me)  out comes the credit card. Yes I just did that yesterday and these are keepers.

Thinking of parents, my father instilled in me to dress smartly like always tuck my shirt in at an early age, when seeking out a suit get it custom tailored. My mother (currently 94) has drilled into me I have great fashion sense since transitioning and keeps schooling me on "before tossing something" generally speaking if it still fits now and not in style likely it will be back in style in several years. I remember peeking into her closet at say 10 years old then say at 18 and she still had shoes that where there at 10 years old and sure enough she would not wear them for sometime then years later she would.

Guess I'm just rambling on here and believe it's time to stop here.