How to dress more masculine as a girl/AFAB person

Whether you are trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, queer, masc or none of the above there should be something on this list that can help you dress more masculine.

When trying to dress more masculine, a thing to keep in mind is that female and male anatomies tend to have a few differences. Of course, they do not apply to everyone but in general there are key differences. This might make it harder to shop for clothes but understanding the differences can help to dress more masculine.

People with Male anatomy tend to have broad shoulders, longer torsos, and narrower hips than people with female anatomy. Then there is of course the obvious private parts that can easily create dysphoria too.

If you are a girl wanting to look more manly and masculine, you can think about what parts of you that you want to highlight and which parts you might be more discrete about. In this thread I will do my best to give tips and tricks to highlight or draw attention away from certain features. Keep in mind that it takes a lot of trial and error to get to a point where you are comfortable where you are, and since everybody is different it is hard to give tips that work for everyone. I’ll try my best to include as many tips for as many people as possible.

(Stay tuned for unisex/androgynous dressing tips, tips for gender dysphoria, how to dress for your body type and how to find your body type. Coming soon!)

Here we go:

1. Find style inspirations

- Go to Pinterest, google, Instagram etc. and find people whose style you like, outfits you want for yourself etc. This can help when looking for clothes for yourself, at least it will narrow down your search.

2. Wear loose fitting clothes

- Loose fitting clothes are a great way to look more masculine as they can hide curves easier than form fitting clothes. I would recommend not wearing clothes that are way too big as that can make you look smaller, finding the sweet spot of oversized but not too big can involve some trial and error, it also depends on the fabric and fit of each item. If you want to hide your chest for example you can try using a binder, trans tape or a sports bra under the shirt. Also look at tip nr 5 ;)

3. Try layers

- Jackets, vests, button ups etc. Specially boxy fit jackets can help the masculine look. Try a denim or leather jacket from the men’s section, they tend to have a boxier fit. Be prepared for the possibility of needing to tailor it, as they can often have a weird fit for our bodies. I would recommend trying different jacket lengths and figuring out what works best for you as different lengths give different results. For someone with a short torso you might want to try a jacket that falls below the hip, and the opposite as someone with a long torso. Same thing with button ups.

4. Baggy pants

- Jeans, slacks and joggers are all a great wardrobe addition if you want to dress more masculine.

- Jeans – you can try mid waist, loose or baggy fit, straight cut jeans, what works best for you depends on your body type. Jeans are perfect as a day to day pant. They are versatile and can look good on everyone.

- Slacks – perfect for days you want to look more put together. Personally, I bought mine a bit high waisted as not to draw attention to my hips. Just try and see what works best for you.

- Joggers – grey sweatpants are often in men’s wardrobes and can also look good on everyone, perfect for the more casual days, if you feel like grey is too revealing try black, black works with everything and can help hide curves better than lighter colors.

5. High quality clothes

- If possible, it is smart to buy higher quality clothing items. They last longer, so you do not have to buy new clothes often, which is better for the environment and can pay off financially in the end.

- Higher quality clothes also often have thicker fabrics. Which specially for t-shirts can be beneficial as they keep their shape easier and don’t hug your curves.

- If you cannot afford the high-quality clothes and you don’t like clothes that hug your curves. you can try thicker fabric like knit sweaters, vests and hoodies. Of course, layering also helps.

6. Jewelry and accessories

- Accessories can help express your style, give that little extra oomph to your outfit. Necklaces for example can draw attention away from your chest, which if you struggle with dysmorphia because of your chest can really help.

- Try chains, necklaces, hats, a watch and belt (personally I love a pearl necklace even though they are traditionally seen as feminine. You can throw on a couple of chains to make it look more masculine as well) you can even try earrings. Silver is often viewed as more masculine than gold, so maybe try that too.

- I also love adding lots of chunky rings, they make me feel more masculine.

7. Graphic tees

- Graphic tees are a great way to add a pop of color to your outfits, and showcase your interests. They work great with jeans and some accessories for a simple outfit.

8. Neutral colors and monochrome outfits

- When finding your personal style, it can be easier to focus on neutral colors and monochrome outfits. When you feel more comfortable with your new style you can try adding a pop of color. Personally I love as good statement piece.

- Today’s society often views colors as feminine. Even though I personally love a pop of color, I can’t argue with the fact that darker or more neutral colors can help with presenting masculine. Especially since darker colors can hide curves easier then light or bright colors.

9. Cologne/perfume

Trying unisex or men’s perfumes can really help, pick a cologne or perfume you feel smells good and wear it, it can both help to appear more masculine, and help your confidence ;) this brings us to the last tip.

10. Confidence is key!

- Now this is not an outfit advice but it’s an important note. You can wear damn near anything, if you have a masculine attitude, you look masculine.

- The people who appear confident are most of the time the people that are 100% unapologetically themselves. They are not afraid of being loud, taking up space, ‘manspreading’ etc.

- If you want to, there are things you can do to become more confident.

- One, change how you talk to yourself, instead of focusing on your flaws, focus on at least one thing you like about yourself, say it out loud to yourself in the mirror. Then one more thing, and another. I know it sounds weird (I’ve been there myself) but I also know it worked for me, maybe it won’t work for you, but it can’t hurt to try. I mean worst case scenario it won’t work, best case it does.

- Two, fake it till you make it, start small, act confident at that one store you visit once a year. Then in your regular store, and just build it up, at a pace that feels comfortable to you.

- Three, remember that nobody cares, you know how much you think about yourself, and how you think everyone is thinking about you all the time, well, everyone thinks the exact same thing. Everyone is the center of their own universe. Try to remind yourself of that from time to time. (Btw if someone does care, congratulations, you have a fan! Use it as an ego boost ;))