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What do you think is the most masculine t-shirt color?


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On 2/16/2020 at 3:31 PM, Dawning said:

I don't think men in general make that big of a deal of the color of their shirts, they just buy what's available that other men are wearing… I remember a male comic saying that men love it when they look like other men, because it means they haven't made a mistake, LOL. But whether we're consciously aware of it or not, we have an idea in our subconscious minds about what colors are worn by which genders; I've been talking about this to anyone who would listen, and I've had people tell me that not only have they never seen a woman in a brown t-shirt, they can't even IMAGINE a woman in a brown t-shirt… and anything that is unimaginable for a woman to wear is first in line to be seen as masculine. 

 

That's a good point, that men tend to wear their shirts baggier. In my case, my boobs are way too big to ever have the same look, because they'll always hold the shirt out in front... I'd just look heavier.

True men wear basically the same thing just look at formal wear ie tuxedos basically all the same for men. the lapel might be wider or thinner and a Black Bow Tie, unless you are going for the extreme look  in formal dressing for men which would be called a "White tie "affair ,  White tie and tails t but who really wears tails ?  lol  Since my breast aug wearing baggy tee shirts now makes me look heavier HMMM

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DuranDuranfan
4 hours ago, Dawning said:

The differences in male and female cuts only contribute to a more masculine appearance if they work with the body that's wearing them. Because I have large hips and breasts, I have to wear a really big size, especially if I want to be able to button it up without gaping and pulling across the bust, and believe me, it doesn't give me a more masculine shape, it just makes it look like I'm wearing a really big shirt.

Sometimes button ups will say “Regular” or “Slim” fit, etc. Because I have to do the same thing, go up a size(either L or XL) to accommodate my hips, going for a slim fit still accommodates my hips, fits across my chest, and still gives me that streamlined appearance.

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10 hours ago, Dawning said:

The REALLY interesting thing in his lists, although outside the scope of this specific discussion, is that basically nobody in the UK wears purple! If I ever make it over there, I'll have to be sure to not wear any purple, so I don't stand out immediately as an ugly American.

Interesting statistics but as for purple, I have quite a few purple things and it's my neighbour's favourite colour. In fact, I'm wearing a purple top now, so I wouldn't worry too much 🙂

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On 2/14/2020 at 4:42 PM, Alejandrogynous said:

If I saw someone who looked like a woman in a pink t-shirt, I'd read them as a woman. If I saw someone who looked like a man in a t-pink shirt, I'd read them as a man. Maybe gay, depending on the style/fit of the shirt, their body language, the rest of their appearance like hairstyle, etc., but all of those factors would matter equally if not moreso than the color itself in making that assumption.

 

I agree that if you're AFAB and are trying to add hints of masculinity, pink probably isn't the most effective choice, but there's no color that'll automatically make anyone who wears it suddenly more masculine. There are too many other factors that affect how people will see it. A mens style pink (or salmon, as they like to call it) shirt will almost always be more masculine than a tapered womans style shirt in blue.

 

What about a mens cut shortsleeved buttondown? I feel like something like that in any color is going to make a bigger difference than strictly only wearing certain colors in making that little part of peoples' brains pick up a masculine cue. Otherwise, I agree with what others said that darker/desaturated shades are probably better than bright ones, which will give you more options than just wearing brown because it's brown.

 

 

For what it's worth, I do understand the spirit of your struggle. I'm AFAB and I aim for an androgynous presentation but it has made me give up certain things I still like (skirts, certain boot styles, some jewelry) because, on me, they read more feminine than I'm comfortable with. For example, a male presenting person can wear a necklace and it wouldn't take away from their masculinity at all but if I wore that same necklace, it would only seem to affirm my femininity. I care less the older I get but it still sucks, so I do get it.

If you spot someone who you are 100% unable to determine the gender of, no physical cues at all, but they're wearing a pink shirt... would you do what nearly 100% of people in Western culture would do, and assume the person is female, or would you be 100% uncertain as to their gender?

 

The more research I do on the topic of t-shirt color, the more certain I am that there ARE colors that a woman can wear that will automatically make her be seen as a little bit masculine, in the same way that a man in a pink or lavender t-shirt is seen as a little bit feminine: brown, reddish-brown, dark red and dark green. A shirt being in an obvious masculine or feminine style could certainly overrule the color cues... but all that I'm talking about in this thread is t-shirts, plain old rectangles with sleeves. The more people in the wider world tell me that they don't think brown t-shirts even exist for women, the more it's clear to me that that is the most masculine t-shirt color.

 

The problem with a men's cut short-sleeved button-down shirt on a woman with wide hips and large breasts is that, for it to be big enough not to be stretching and pulling, and gaping between the buttons over the chest, it has to basically be a big tent held out in front by the breasts, and all that looks like is a curvy woman in a huge shirt... neither masculine nor attractive in anyone's book. I'd literally look more masculine in a boyfriend or menswear style women's shirt, that could give me that rectangular shape because they're designed to do that while accommodating hips and breasts, rather than just making me look like I'm swimming in a larger person's shirt. I can circumvent the issue by wearing it unbuttoned with a t-shirt underneath… white would get me the retro blue collar male look that I admire… but wearing 2 layers like that in warm weather with hot flashes is just not going to happen anytime soon.

 

Certainly, someone who looks masculine or feminine enough can do almost anything without that changing; if Arnold Schwarzenegger put on a pink t-shirt, he'd still look like a hyper-masculine man... and while I'm not Dolly Parton, I'm conceptually similar as an AFAB. I'm not binding my breasts, cutting off my long nails or mid-back-length hair, or giving up putting makeup on a feminine face… so no matter what I wear, I'm not going to look masculine or even androgynous, ever. All I can do is add some masculine elements, unexpected things that will make people take a little bit of a mental double-take, maybe. I think it would be cool to be able to do an androgynous presentation like you do, but I have to work with what I've got. I'd love to see some pictures of some of your looks, of course with your face cropped out to preserve your privacy, just to see what your style is. :-)

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On 2/16/2020 at 10:18 AM, Starbogen said:

Haha fair enough. But I wouldn't say I wear them because they're seen as more masculine, I just genuinely prefer dressing in those colors. Like before I knew I was trans on the rare occasion I had to dress in feminine stuff I always went for those same colors. 

 

Well there are a couple different teals I like.. A brighter kind that I think looks good paired with navy blue (basically the color of Perry the platypus, this happened to be the color of my high school senior uniform shirt and I loved it), a somewhat desaturated medium to dark shade, and a darker one similar to navy blue but you know, half green. I think as long as it's a balanced blue-green it counts as teal. 

 

Yeah I really like heathered shirts actually. More of a subtle texture than a very stark one though.. I have a hoodie that's partially like that, some joggers, and maybe a sweater or two. I do think it has a masculine vibe but idk how much women might wear it.. it does feel like I've seen it more on men though.

Not sure about ringers. I think those come across as more neutral to me. Maybe slightly more like something guys would wear, but as younger people/kids in particular. 

 

Oh but something I do think gives a very "this is a thing guys wear" vibe is maybe not having just a t-shirt by itself, ringer or no ringer, but wearing an opened button down shirt over it. 

Is it possible that you just always liked those dark neutral colors because you were always male? :-)

 

Teal can give fabric a rich and expensive look, and there are many shades that I find attractive… like this one: 

 

r_em1.jpg

 

I think heathered shirts are a definite option, at least in the blues and grays that I've mostly seen on men.

 

When I looked up ringer shirts, I saw a lot of white shirts with colored rings… not what I was thinking at all! I'm remembering light blue shirts with dark blue rings, and heathered red shirts with solid red rings... Is that not done anymore?

 

Zine-Ringer-Heather-Red-T-Shirt-_259927.

 

I'm all for the opened button down shirt,  specifically a retro shirt, or a bowling shirt, or a classic blue collar work shirt… but the combination of warm climate and hot flashes makes that problematic. I'm looking forward to being able to do it, though… along with jeans folded up the bottoms, Converse All-Stars, and white socks. :-)

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On 2/18/2020 at 8:46 AM, Alejandrogynous said:

You misunderstood me (actually I think you misunderstood almost everything I said which is fine, I wasn't actually trying to debate you, only offer advice), all I meant was it's your style so it's your choice. I don't think changing your t-shirt color is going to have the effect you want but if you think it will, that's all that matters. Wear what you feel is best.

 

I will say if the changes you're making are in a direction that makes you feel less comfortable and happy, you might want to rethink the way you're going about it. But again, your body, your clothes, your choice.  

It's easy for people to misunderstand each other online; hopefully, we'll have a greater understanding.

 

The feedback I've gotten from people in real life 100% supports the idea that a brown t-shirt would be seen as masculine, as only a man's shirt, and therefore will fulfill the requirement to add some maleness to my presentation. In this one area, it actually DOESN'T matter what I think; if I want the public to see some masculinity in my presentation, all the matters is what the public thinks. In this forum, I can put whatever I want about my gender, it shows up under my name, and everybody accepts it. In the real world, if I say anything about my gender, no one knows what I'm talking about, and if I explain it, I'm seen as a special snowflake… NOT as a demi-androgyne. However, if I make my presentation a little bit more masculine, people will subconsciously view me that way, and that gets me where I want to be... I hope that makes more sense.

 

I've been wearing the clothes that I'm most comfortable and happy in for decades; any change that I make in my clothing would automatically be in a direction that was less happy and less comfortable. If I never change anything, though, there will never be any alteration in my gender presentation… and then I'll be unhappy because my presentation doesn't represent my gender. There's a tradeoff here; less happy and comfortable in one way, to eventually be happier in another way... I don't know if it will be more comfortable as well. I guess time will tell!

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On 2/21/2020 at 3:35 AM, Starbogen said:

Damn really?? X'D I don't get that vibe at all from flamingo patterned shirts.. I just think it's a cute and fun pattern in a nice color cause flamingos are cute and fun looking animals and pink is a nice color. 

I'd totally wear a flamingo shirt if I found one and I'm nothing like what you described there. The opposite really, I don't like alcohol at all, I'm quiet and shy, most of my fashion choices are very toned down and neutral with only the occasional hint of color. And those prints exist so clearly some people like them and would wear them, but it's a matter of personal taste.

Though tbh I think it might also have to do with where you're from. I live in a tropical island so men's shirts with colorful patterns are a lot more common here than in other places from what I've heard. 

 

But seriously I'll mention again that wearing an opened button down shirt over a tshirt looks very typically masculine, so that sounds like the kind of thing you're looking for. 

You're right that different kinds of things are "normal" to wear in different places; in Texas, men wear cowboy boots as part of business wear, but that's not done, in other parts of the country. In general, I don't think most men look for cute or fun patterns for their clothing; for casualwear, men mostly don't wear patterns at all, and when they do, it's mostly stripes. I can't remember the last time I saw a man with even a Hawaiian shirt outside of a pool party or tiki party; men usually like to blend in with each other, and anyone who's wearing an unusually bold or bright print is either the biggest party animal, or maybe the most obnoxious. Maybe it's a generational thing? In any case, I already wear a lot of colorful patterns, and a lot of pink, so a pink flamingo shirt probably wouldn't read any more masculine on me. A Hawaiian shirt in deeper blues probably would, though!

 

I agree about the open button down shirt over a T-shirt; for me, it's just an issue of warm climate and hot flashes.

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Alejandrogynous
23 hours ago, Dawning said:

In this one area, it actually DOESN'T matter what I think; if I want the public to see some masculinity in my presentation, all the matters is what the public thinks.

Again, you've misunderstood me. I'm not arguing that you should "wear frilly pink dresses because it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks and they'll read you as non-cis anyway because you're not cis." I'm saying that we - you and I - have different experiences/opinions on the impact of t-shirt colors so I'm yielding to your experience. You know your life and environment better than I do so I'm not debating with you, I'm saying you're probably right, lol.

 

Does that make more sense?

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1) Colours literally dont matter when it comes to gender especially if its just a plain t-shirt. The cut and fit style of the shirt would make a lot more difference. 

 

2) why not just wear what makes you feel comfortable? Im probably missing something but why change if you’re comfortable?  

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On 2/21/2020 at 8:58 AM, DuranDuranfan said:

Sometimes button ups will say “Regular” or “Slim” fit, etc. Because I have to do the same thing, go up a size(either L or XL) to accommodate my hips, going for a slim fit still accommodates my hips, fits across my chest, and still gives me that streamlined appearance.

I must be misunderstanding what slim fit means; how does slim fit give MORE space for hips and breasts?

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DuranDuranfan
9 hours ago, Dawning said:

I must be misunderstanding what slim fit means; how does slim fit give MORE space for hips and breasts?

Well, maybe it’s because I’m a smaller build. The way I wear button ups is with the shirt tucked in slightly so I still get a rectangular appearance without it being too baggy. And for me, there’s still enough room up top for either wearing a bra or a binder.

 

What I should’ve said it’s, it’s smaller than a regular fit, but not too small. 

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On 2/24/2020 at 9:33 AM, Alejandrogynous said:

Again, you've misunderstood me. I'm not arguing that you should "wear frilly pink dresses because it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks and they'll read you as non-cis anyway because you're not cis." I'm saying that we - you and I - have different experiences/opinions on the impact of t-shirt colors so I'm yielding to your experience. You know your life and environment better than I do so I'm not debating with you, I'm saying you're probably right, lol.

 

Does that make more sense?

No, that doesn't make more sense, given what you've said in your other posts. I find it hard to believe that I've misunderstood you so many times; at best, you're giving very mixed messages. I think we just need to give up here, sorry.

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On 2/25/2020 at 4:24 AM, K.I.N.G said:

1) Colours literally dont matter when it comes to gender especially if its just a plain t-shirt. The cut and fit style of the shirt would make a lot more difference. 

 

2) why not just wear what makes you feel comfortable? Im probably missing something but why change if you’re comfortable?  

1) A plain t-shirt is all I can wear right now, so the only way to add an element of masculinity to my appearance is via the color of the shirt. I've been questioning everyone I know in real life, and every single one says that shirt color DOES matter as to how they would judge a person's gender. I have no idea why so many people on this forum have different views from people in the cis-het real world... I think it would be a fascinating thing to study... But THEY are the ones I'm trying to inform about my gender,  so I've got to go with THEIR opinions in this area.

 

2) Wearing what makes me feel comfortable will make me look 100% feminine. I don't want that. I want to have a little bit of masculinity in my appearance. The only way to do that is to change what I wear, which will be less comfortable. If I don't accept being less comfortable, then I'll be less happy... and more importantly, I won't be dressing to reflect my gender.

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What about T-shirts with patterns, writing or drawing on them that are considered masculine? A T-shirt of a heavy metal band is likely to be read as masculine, if I were to give a rather extreme example... 

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Alejandrogynous
7 hours ago, Dawning said:

No, that doesn't make more sense, given what you've said in your other posts. I find it hard to believe that I've misunderstood you so many times; at best, you're giving very mixed messages. I think we just need to give up here, sorry.

When I said it only matters what you think, I was talking about THIS conversation we're having. Between you and me. If your experience and all the people around you say the color of a t-shirt matters in gender expression, it doesn't matter that my experience is different. Wear brown if that's what you feel will make people see you as more masculine. You do you! Live your life! Be happy! Express yourself and your gender in the way that feels right for you! That's literally all I was trying to say.

 

Cheers.

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On 2/26/2020 at 8:36 AM, DuranDuranfan said:

Well, maybe it’s because I’m a smaller build. The way I wear button ups is with the shirt tucked in slightly so I still get a rectangular appearance without it being too baggy. And for me, there’s still enough room up top for either wearing a bra or a binder.

 

What I should’ve said it’s, it’s smaller than a regular fit, but not too small. 

Sadly, there's no part of MY body that's smaller than average, either for a men's shirt or a women's shirt. All I'd accomplish by tucking a shirt in slightly is accentuating my middle-aged spread, LOL! I have large breasts that I won't be binding; there is no cut, fit, or style of shirt that can make my shape look like anything other than a woman with large breasts... and that's OK, because I'm not trying to create a masculine shape, just to add an element of masculinity to my overall appearance… just enough to make people think.

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DuranDuranfan
4 hours ago, Dawning said:

Sadly, there's no part of MY body that's smaller than average, either for a men's shirt or a women's shirt. All I'd accomplish by tucking a shirt in slightly is accentuating my middle-aged spread, LOL! I have large breasts that I won't be binding; there is no cut, fit, or style of shirt that can make my shape look like anything other than a woman with large breasts... and that's OK, because I'm not trying to create a masculine shape, just to add an element of masculinity to my overall appearance… just enough to make people think.

Not even a XXL mens? 


Hmm, I wonder if a regular fit in that size that accommodates can be tailored so it’s not baggy. Sorry, without a picture for reference it’s hard to give suggestions so that’s the best I can think of.

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12 minutes ago, DuranDuranfan said:

Not even a XXL mens? 


Hmm, I wonder if a regular fit in that size that accommodates can be tailored so it’s not baggy. Sorry, without a picture for reference it’s hard to give suggestions so that’s the best I can think of.

There's 500 pound people of both genders, with clothing in their sizes, right, so certainly there are shirts big enough that my boobs can be contained inside of them, but the shirts aren't just big across the chest, they're big everywhere... and it's worse in men's shirts, which have wider shoulders and longer arms for a given chest size than women's shirts do. Any shirt can be worked on by a tailor, but I can't remotely afford to do that… and even if I could get a shirt tailored for free, it still wouldn't be masculine-looking on me no matter what the cut or style, because it would still be held out in front by big boobs.  That's fine, though, because, and I'm sorry to keep keep repeating myself, I'm not trying to create a masculine body shape, LOL! All I'm trying to do is add masculine elements to my appearance, and the only one that I'm working on now is t-shirt color; a different-color t-shirt is something anyone can do! :-)

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On 2/26/2020 at 11:43 AM, PoeciMeta said:

What about T-shirts with patterns, writing or drawing on them that are considered masculine? A T-shirt of a heavy metal band is likely to be read as masculine, if I were to give a rather extreme example... 

I love a pattern… but men as a whole tend not to, or so I assume given that there are almost no men's t-shirts with patterns. I see the occasional man in tie-dye, but that's a pattern that women wear more than men; I wear it myself. Other than that, the only patterned t-shirts I can ever remember seeing on men are the occasional horizontal stripes, and stripes are not really masculine... And let's just say that horizontal stripes are not my friends, LOL! Is there some t-shirt pattern that I'm missing that would be considered masculine?

 

What kind of writing or drawing on a T-shirt would make it masculine? There are certainly t-shirts that only a man would buy, saying stupid stuff like "I love beers and boobs," or with sexist artwork like the Swedish bikini team, but I don't think such a shirt would make me anyone see any masculinity in me, it would just seem like a joke. Again, is there something I'm missing?

 

I've had heavy-metal t-shirts since the 80s, so… I guess there might be some genres of modern metal that only men listen to, but wearing t-shirts for bands I don't listen to would be like wearing t-shirts for sports I don't watch, or beers I don't drink; it'd make me look ridiculous, and fake, not in any degree masculine.

 

I hadn't really thought about it, but men wear pretty boring T-shirts! Just plain solids, or with some kind of supposedly clever or funny line on them… and that's really it for the most part!

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I think this would qualify as a masculine Hawaiian shirt:

 

 

tumblr_p2z8y5isCX1qm2e7zo1_1280.jpg

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  • 9 months later...
On 2/21/2020 at 10:02 AM, Albine said:

True men wear basically the same thing just look at formal wear ie tuxedos basically all the same for men. the lapel might be wider or thinner and a Black Bow Tie, unless you are going for the extreme look  in formal dressing for men which would be called a "White tie "affair ,  White tie and tails t but who really wears tails ?  lol  Since my breast aug wearing baggy tee shirts now makes me look heavier HMMM

I agree that there is very little variety in men's tuxedos. But, in my opinion, the main drawback is the search for a tuxedo of good quality... But I found a solution to this problem :) You just need to find a good store. My friend had a wedding and I had to buy a tuxedo for this big holiday in his life. And I ordered a tuxedo from here https://matohash.com/collections/mato-hash-referee-shirts . The fact is that my friend and I wanted to be in the same tuxedos

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