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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

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.

On my feminine journey, I am constantly trying on new clothing and changing it around to see how it works. While going through my wife's things, I had try on just about anything that I thought would work. To my delight, many did and are now stashed away before my well-meaning friends and neighbors can send them away. My neighbor, Jeanie, did come yesterday to get a few things for herself. I had invited her to do this as she is a friend as well and has been helpful to me since Sue's death. The remaining items are up for donation anyway. I did give some to Goodwill. I also donated to hurricane relief for Puerto Rico. Jeanie also suggested Women in Distress, and I think the remaining items will go there. Much of what Sue had was either new or practically so. I am glad that someone--besides me--will get some good use out of them. But I digress. Some of the things I purchased myself worked well, and others not as much. I am still learning what sizes to buy, and what works on my frame and what doesn't. I have begun to send some things back that just don't work. I found, however, that some dresses and rompers work as well or better when tried on backwards. For one thing, I am more easily able to zip them up, and they actually look good going the other way. There are times when it would be nice to have a partner, but this works for now. And that's all I have to say about that for now.

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!

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