Oh, yeah: T-shirts also come in different fabrics. A very fine-gauge knit, especially with a bit of “stretch” (Spandex or similar) will help create a more femme silhouette. Oversized men’s T? Not so much. And even Walmart/Target/Kmart/whatever other cheapie stores carry women’s tees in smaller sizes. I often find tops for my daughter on clearance for a buck or two by looking for the extra-smalls at Walmart.
And shopping for jeans that fit/suit her style/suit your sister’s budget can be a real pisser. I don’t remember when I stumbled upon the exact “right” jeans for me: The Gap, misses size 6 Tall, straight leg, classic fit. Maybe I went to the retail store and tried on for a while? But now I know exactly what to look for when I’m scouring thrift stores, so it turned out to be worth my time to go searching for EXACTLY the right jeans for me.
The vast majority of her jeans fit her quite well. In spite of her size, she does have a nice butt and the proper bra makes her droopy 3 years of breastfeeding boobs look good.
I have told her many times that her pants make her ass look great, her waist look tiny, and her legs look endless.
I have to say that I don’t think she looks butch. I think she’s beautiful and that all her clothes look great on her. I think she’s just going through a phase, which hopefully will pass.
As for shirts, the majority of her shirts fit her very well and accentuate her figure. The problem is that they’re either very plain or they are Patriot’s/Red Sox shirts. Her shirts range from stretchy fitted material to regular cotton t-shirts. I don’t think she has a single shirt that is too big for her. She doesn’t wear sweaters often. If she’s cold, she’ll generally throw on a hoodie - also properly fitted.
She has the kind of body that looks awesome in anything, as long as it fits.
She doesn’t much like skirts or dresses. She doesn’t have to dress up at work except when important customers visit so it’s not really an issue.
I’d like to know who told her she looks butch so that I can drive up there and bitch slap them.
Now, in all fairness, back when she was about 16, her hair was lightened, the top half was varying lengths and the underside was shaved. She wore combat boots with everything, even shorts. She typically wore cut off jeans or cut off scrubs, large t-shirts and x-large flannel.
She was big time butch.
Thankfully that was 17 years ago and she has grown out of it.
The Gap occasionally does have nice tops. They tend to run small (at least they seem that way to me!), so she may want to re-check that.
I second Target. I went there recently and got stuck with their clearance rack. Oh, if I had more money to spend on clearance (and non clearance) items… But their racks contain a lot of feminine, girly tops that work well with someone with a boyish figure.
Also, nobody has commented on accesories… If she has her ears pierced, does she wear nice earrings? What about a cute necklace? She could go to Claire’s and get a lot of fantasy stuff for cheap. Just an accent, something that would draw attention (and definitely signal “not butch”).
If quality is not an issue, Newport News (online) has a decent clearance section and sells things in petite sizes (and they’re girly), and she might find things on Amazon on Fridays (the Friday sale).
**Under **$10 per item!? Seriously? Other than Walmart, thrift stores or (if you’re lucky) things on clearance, I don’t know where she thinks she can find jeans for less than $10.
It is definitely possbile. We’re talking tiny shirts here, not heavy well-made jeans. I hadn’t remembered to mention the not pants part of that price range until after I said it. Sorry about that.
Even I can find shirts for under $10 each and my clothes use up probably 10x as much fabric.
The last time she went shopping, my sister spent about $15 and came away with 4 things.
The key is to start with stores that are inexpensive and then shop sales.
I remember shopping at a thrift store in Worcester MA that charged $2 per pound for clothes. They had contractor size garbage bags at the entrance. I loved that place. We shopped there all throughout our childhoods.
Maybe that’s why we have such a hard time paying a lot for clothes.
Wow. I am embarrassed to admit that neither my sister or I thought of this. We both love eBay and I have bought clothes from them in the past.
Thanks. I will definitely remind her of that option. If we could find a skeleton selling a lot of clothes, she can probably even save on shipping.
We used to have Marshall’s but I’m pretty sure it closed. We do still have TJ Maxx though. Sadly, she does not. If I can ever get her to come back down for a visit, we’ll go shopping.
She did say she’d be here when I get married. Maybe we’ll plan to get married in June so she can take advantage of the sales you mention.
Lacunae Matata speaks truth about Land’s End. Their new stuff is pricey so I always look at their Overstocks section first. If you’re small, like me and your sister, you can find shirts for less than $10. Land’s End has the only knits I’ve found that don’t stretch out of shape. I have some shirts that I’ve worn for 5+ years, and they hold up great. They have all sleeve lengths and neck styles, and their “try it on” feature lets you see where a shirt falls on your hip. And they’re great about returns. And they have a great selection of pants and jeans in all sizes.
When I do manage to make it to a mall (not often), I can usually find something on the sale racks at Christopher & Banks.
But their racks contain a lot of feminine, girly tops that work well with someone with a boyish figure.