I enjoy adding menswear elements to my outfits, but I haven’t acquired a polished finesse for it yet.
Lately, I have been indulging myself watching Annie Hall and Katherine Hepburn films for inspiration. It was while I was reading the 30 for 30 RSS that I came across a post from Blue Water Prep that took me to TheStyleBlogger and a guest spotlight on the wonderful Jenilee.
I don’t think I’ve come across anyone that pulls off menswear as stylishly!
She is my latest inspiration.
Click here to check out Jenilee’s feature on how to incorporate masculine pieces into your outfits.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
thank you so much for sharing Jenilee’s link! i’m definitely trying to learn how to incorporate menswear or mens inspired looks into my daily wardrobes so this was super helpful! i’m still a little shy (or maybe conservative is a better word?) on the jewelry side of glamming up a mens inspired outfit, but i’m going to try this soon!
When I came across that post, I knew I had to share it because it was so useful and her styling is spot on! =)
love the infusion of menswear into women’s fashion. its just so chic and uplifting
im a new follower
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Thanks for stopping by! I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy and I think menswear pieces are an extension of that while still looking feminine. =)
I finally debuted my menswear look today (I blogged about it a few posts ago). I switched the tuxedo front white shirt for my new Ann Taylor knockoff, and opted for my Clarks black maryjanes because the black shoe and the black pant elongated my leg. I did curl my hair in an attempt to girlify the outfit. I was fully prepared for my students (high school freshman) to think this was weird looking, but instead I got tons of complements. Boys thought I looked stylish, girls thought I looked cute, and everyone loved the tie. Then later on my best friend (a guy) who also teaches at the same school wandered into my room and was like “what’s up with the androgynous look, who are you David Bowie?”.
I think that as a petite you have to be a little more cautious with menswear. I don’t think I could try what Jenilee did, like opting for socks instead of tights with exposed legs. Socks chop your leg and shorten them. As a petite I want to lengthen them. I also stay away from overly baggy stuff because I get lost in clothes. I envy my girl friends who can borrow stuff from guys and actually wear it (lots of my friends in HS wore guys jeans). I own one pair of dress pants from the little boys section (via Salvation Army) and have tried boys Oxford shirts, but I need something to accentuate my own feminine body because my figure is so boyish. I can’t borrow anything from my fiance because he’s 5’10″. Even though he is a men’s size small, we cannot share anything. He did show me how to tie my tie with a double windsor knot so that it was proportioned to the length of my torso.
Like many styles, it’s important to keep proportion in mind and menswear can be tricky since there are so many ways to go. Personally, I don’t mind borrowing men’s clothes even if they are huge. I used to wear my bf’s XL hoodie…with skinny jeans and flats and I was good to go.
Sometimes, I get sick of having everything fitted and flattering…what if I want to grunge it up? There are days when I don’t want to be pretty. I think classic menswear accessories aren’t the huge issue (ties, bows, suspenders) but it’s the clothing pieces that can be unflattering from boyfriend blazers to jeans, etc…the whole borrowed from the boys look can easily look sloppy but I think it takes a good eye to keep it sharp and interesting. =)
Menswear can definitely be tricky because with certain body types and certain clothing shapes you can definitely look like a man. FAIL.
Gorgeous! I am with you…very attracted to menswear, but do not have the hang of it…yet.
That…was…amazing! Thanks for sharing! I wonder how much of that I can pull off. =P
@Elaine: I agree, but what if that’s the look you’re going for…the man?! =P
@Michelle: I hope I get better at it if I keep on practicing. Baby steps first!
@AlterationsNeeded: LOL. I was flabbergasted when I first came across her post and it’s definitely got me wondering how I can incorporate that style into my wardrobe.
Wow, great post! Such great ideas to try – I think I especially like the pairing of a feminine necklace with a completely buttoned up shirt.
Wow, she’s so cute! I love how even her watch is menswear!
Thanks for sharing about the Jenilee feature. She looks like Camilla Belle. The advice I dig the most was the feminine chunky necklace over the button-up shirt. Looks amazing. I also never button up my shirts all the way at the collar, but now I know how to do it and not look too guy-like or nun-like. Perfect for chilly weather
I’m inspired!
This is a beautiful picture! She has it down to an art! Keep using her as inspiration!
@SewPetiteGal: I love her style since she mixes feminine and masculine pieces so well. =)
@Liz: I didn’t even realize that she was wearing a men’s watch! So cool! =)
@Olyvia: I’m glad it helped. She had such a great post, I had to share!
@annie: Thanks! I’m definitely picking up tips from her!
I LOVE this! LOVE! You have totally introduced me to my next style crush
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