How do I dress more androgynously?

[serpentyne]

As the title goes, I've been getting the urge to dress in a more androgynous fashion and it's becoming more and more appealing to me to do that. My gender is currently unlabelled (because I have no idea what it is but that's a different can of worms), all I know is that I want to look less like a girl and more like something in between. However, I am against doing things like cutting my long hair, which makes things more difficult. How should I go about making myself look more androgynous without compromising my comfort zone too much?

[Monke Jimmy]

I should not be answering because I'm very unqualified for this lol. Except for the fact that I have long hair. 

Basically, just shop in the men's section. Men's glasses and shoes go a long way towards androgyny. 

[illumi]

2 hours ago, Monke Ilahi said:

I should not be answering because I'm very unqualified for this lol. Except for the fact that I have long hair. 

Basically, just shop in the men's section. Men's glasses and shoes go a long way towards androgyny. 

i agree with this as someone who dresses androgynously. to me being androgynous is just not showing your physical curve in any way allowing others to assume your gender

i usually go for short hair and more masc clothes and i cover almost all parts of my body except my legs to hide my body

 

idk if these will work for you but take it as a grain of salt as this is a subjective suggestion. might not work for everyone

[Guest]

 

T-shirt and sweat pants - the clothes that have no gender and are the most comfy (that's what I always wear lol)

[Fraggle Underdark]

Frequently when people think of "androgynous looks" they think of women in masculine styles and guys in dresses, and almost always thin. And if you want that look then there's nothing wrong with that, and if you want people to fit their expectation of androgyny then that'll probably work best.

 

But true androgyny just means the combination of masculinity and femininity or the lack of being clearly one or the other. And it can be done (and conveyed, if you want to convey it) in more than just dress but a lot of different things in how one speaks, moves, sits, stands, etc. So if you just do and wear whatever you want, and it happens to have a combination of masculine and feminine features, then you succeeded, even if other people don't see it that way due to pretty limited ideas of androgyny.

 

But of course it can be nice to be seen or not seen as genders you want or don't want to be seen as. It sounds like you're AFAB and adding more masculine elements is the way you want to go. Masculinity is often conveyed-with/associated-with/consists-of (take your pick) directness, durability, strength, solidity, rough work, and that general vibe. Clothes for men are usually trying to give at least subtle masculine vibes, and they do so pretty deftly (otherwise that brand wouldn't be successful) so men's clothes can be effective as people have said. You can also try adding more of those masculine focuses to the way you speak, move, sit, etc. And by removing certain things that work against those vibes, e.g. clean painted nails that would chip if doing rough work with the hands. As people have said about hiding curves, most people think of breasts and wide hips as feminine, so hiding those reduces the perception of femininity for most people.

 

Of course can also browse online images of masculine women, possibly including butches, and AFAB nonbinary people (who can dress however they want of course but the online results are usually androgynous) and see if anything catches your eye, even if you don't adopt the whole look.

[Phalena]

Hoodies are always good to feel comfy. Or loose shirts in general. If it should be more dressy then suits (with trousers) with flat shoes are a good way to go, I think.

[ElloryJaye]

For the hair in particular, if you want to keep it long, try pulling it straight back in a low tail—that's one of the few generally acceptable styles in Western culture for long hair in men, so it's less likely to be read straight out as feminine.  Make sure it doesn't cover your ears, since that's been rare in men's hairstyles since the 1970s (and therefore, again, is likely to get read as feminine).

[AyyJayy]

Keep the long hair. Everybody looks better with more hair.

I like ElloryJaye's advice.

I came of age in the early 70's and I really miss the massive keritin. I hate skinheads and crewcuts. Afros and hair down the back make me nostalgic.

I thought we were headed for a more feminine time. Maybe a tad, but the men are still dorks and women have tightened up (I can't think of the phrase that really fits, sorry).

I'm glad to see all this self exploration and self acceptance but it seems to cause so many people on all sides (sometimes even the people on no side) to go over board. A new widespread source of tension. Still, I think we may be progressing as a culture. A little less suffering, a little more information.

Maybe even a little more feminine.

[Ceebs]

1 hour ago, AyyJayy said:

men are still dorks and women have tightened up

Lol what?

[AyyJayy]

(Only second post on AVEN, and still a noob on Twitter. I've avoided social media as a time suck until recently.) 

Anyway, as for 'tight', I did say I couldn't think of a better phrase. Maybe tense would be better.

It's too late to elaborate or explicate or excavate or gyrate.

But I appreciate what you were getting at (I read your profile).

When I read 'Lady Telecaster', I thought of a black electric guitar with an white ash neck. But I'm guessing 'presenter' as the Brits would say? CBC and all that. I hope this is all OK to say; I'm not familiar with PM's and IM's and DM's and whatnot.

 

So late.

[Ceebs]

I think I'm a bit more confused now... 😅

 

Umm anyway, ok. Without necessarily agreeing, I think I understand what you're trying to say... maybe. The 'men are still dorks' thing is weirder, actually. I mean, some of them are lol, and I use it as a term of affection. But I'm curious about your wording choice.

[Skycaptain]

Accessories can be considered here as well. A rucksack (backpack) rather than a handbag or briefcase for carrying stuff around. If you wear headgear, then ,say, a baseball cap is common wear for all genders. 

 As others have suggested, looser fitting clothes. Trainers (sneakers), walking shoes etc are typically gender neutral.

[Lysandre, the Star-Crossed]

There are two ways to approach androgyny, in my opinion. You either mix gendered cues or choose options that only minimally align to either gender. In my case I prefer the latter in mixed company and the former in more friendly spaces. 

 

For example, I wear a lot of very plain v-necks and jeans or jean shorts in public. Same with polo shirts and khaki pants. Both of those outfits can be seen on people of either binary gender regularly, there's no clear gender association there. On the other end I'll wear a longer black skirt at my natural waist (which means almost to the bottom of my ribcage) so that it still covers most of my legs with a polo shirt or pocketed T-shirt tucked into it. Another good heavily mixed-gendered option for me is to pair femme accessories and a purse with nicer black or blue jeans and a buttoned up plaid or solid long sleeve shirt. 

[Karst]

If you want to try out some new wardrobe options, I always recommend checking out your local thrift store/charity shop.  The clothes are cheap enough that you won't go broke if you decide you don't like your new look. 

[nanogretchen4]

If the goal is to look less like a girl, you probably want options that deemphasize your chest and your hip to waist ratio. Something like a T shirt and jeans is so casual and unisex that people will not be able to tell that you are deliberately going for an androgynous look. If you dress up a little bit it will look more intentional. A loose fitting men's dress shirt could be a good option and is something you could thrift. If you wear it untucked it will leave your waist undefined, which could make your chest and hips appear less prominent. But you could also do a half tuck if you like that look better. A woven shirt also conceals the shape of the chest better than a T shirt or knit top. A men's blazer could go a long way to create a boxy and broader shouldered upper body shape. Vests can be chest concealing and obviously menswear inspired. You could experiment with hat styles. If you find a hat that suits you, you would have the option of tucking your hair into the hat.