As a male, I find most male fashions fairly similar, and boring.
What has really made this hit home is I've got a few 'posh' do's to go to soon, and I want to buy some nice trousers. But they're all the same!
You girls have so much choice in this one basic item, it's just not fair!
I really like some of my wife's style of trousers that have a bootcut/flare design, why can't we men have the same choice and tastes?

As a male, I find most male fashions fairly similar, and boring.
What has really made this hit home is I've got a few 'posh' do's to go to soon, and I want to buy some nice trousers. But they're all the same!
You girls have so much choice in this one basic item, it's just not fair!
I really like some of my wife's style of trousers that have a bootcut/flare design, why can't we men have the same choice and tastes?

Have you tried looking on ebay yet? Just a thought, because I couldn't seem to find men's flare/bootcut either, except for ebay.:smile:

Have you tried looking on ebay yet? Just a thought, because I couldn't seem to find men's flare/bootcut either, except for ebay.:smile:
I have actually.
Finding bootcut/flared jeans isn't much of a problem, after all they are relatively unisex. But the style of proper trousers I'd like for myself is only available in women's clothes shops.
Should I be worried about my fashion sense?

I have actually.
Finding bootcut/flared jeans isn't much of a problem, after all they are relatively unisex. But the style of proper trousers I'd like for myself is only available in women's clothes shops.
Should I be worried about my fashion sense?

Why don't you find a good tailor that can make you some?:smile:

I have thought of doing that, but I imagined the costs would be quite high.

I'm the opposite. I wish there were as many fashions for women as there are for men! Women's clothing is so revealing that I simply will not wear most of it. If it isn't revealing, it's cut for a shape of body very different than my own, and then I cannot wear it.

I've pretty much given up buying anything in the women's department. That means I can't really find anything formal or business-appropriate.

I have thought of doing that, but I imagined the costs would be quite high.

You'd be surprised. It usually isn't s high as a nice pair of pants from the mall ($40-50). I've had some clothes made for me, and it was never more expensive than buying from a normal store. If you want something really funky or inexpensive, look into finding a grad from your local arts/design college who needs to bulk up their portfolio & resume.

How about trying on some of the women's trousers that you like, and see how they look? Quite a few women I know prefer the jeans that you can only get in the men's section....so they just march right in there and buy them. If you are worried about looking too femmy or girly, careful choices in fabric/color should help - I mean, if someone hung them by mistake on the "men's" rack instead of the "women's" rack, and you liked them, you'd buy them in a heartbeat, yes? I know it's harder on guys to step outside the "gender box"....but why not at least go try them on?


MTC,
Saldana

As a male, I find most male fashions fairly similar, and boring.
What has really made this hit home is I've got a few 'posh' do's to go to soon, and I want to buy some nice trousers. But they're all the same!
You girls have so much choice in this one basic item, it's just not fair!

I thought I was the only who noticed this about male fashion for the most part. There is some variety and spice out there, it just takes a brave guy to actually wear it once he finds it. I always like it when you get to see some fashion variety, for either gender.:bluesmile

You're only a fashion victim if you allow the fashionistas to dictate what you'll wear. Wear what you like.

:lol: Re Fashion Victim.... .....I think I/and other males are victims because of lack of choice.
As for wearing womens bootcut/flare trousers, personally I probably would, but the zip closure is the wrong way for us guys....................maybe no-one would notice?

Mmmm, would that make me a crossdresser? :lol: No offense to anyone who does BTW.

www.internationalmale.com (http://www.internationalmale.com) has alot of mens clothing outside the "norm"

Moonchaser, thanks for the link.
I'll take a good look.

As a male, I find most male fashions fairly similar, and boring.


I find this too. I'm always looking at what people are wearing, but mens clothes...bleh. Boring, colorless, all the same. I actually feel sorry for men because they don't have the huge amount of choices we women have. And at dress up do's, mens suits all look the same to me, I'd rather look at a pretty dress or sparkly top (not that men should wear these :silly:, but maybe some color would be nice)!

Back when I cared about what I wore to work it was costing me a small fortune. Then the "what to wear" syndrome would always kick in.

Then I'd see the guys at work and become envious that they could feasibly wear the same comfy shirt and pants all week long and no one would notice! Not fair! lol :lol: So there's at least one female out there that envies a guy's wardrobe to some extent! ;)

I love flared trousers and I haven't seen any on the rack for twenty years. The men's fashion industry stinks. I doubt very much if men really want the cr*p that the stores actually stock, although I expect I'm not typical.

One word on bright colours. Stores that cater to black men often have a wide choice of bright colours. I doubt if I am going to buy an electric blue suit any time soon, but I will wear shirts in any colour, even to go to work, provided it is the right type of shirt. Since the town I live in became majority black, selection has improved enormously! On the down side of the equation, the kind of casual clothes that the stores stock for black guys don't tend to do much for me, as I don't want to look like either a 'gangsta' or a refugee from a basketball court, but the formal stuff is just great.

Why is it that primary colours are considered to be masculine if you are five years old, but not if you are a grown-up? I still like wearing them! I used to have a great pair of green leather shoes, but they wore out and I have never seen any more. Everyone who saw me wearing them liked them.

But what do I know? I'm just a long-haired hippie weirdo!

PS: I looked at the International Male site, but their flared trousers are $70, which is too rich for me, but maybe OK for a special occasion, as they do have ones that look very smart.

Then I'd see the guys at work and become envious that they could feasibly wear the same comfy shirt and pants all week long and no one would notice!)
:waving: Here's one that decided if they can do it, so can I! As my North Dallas Banker Conservative wardrobe from my last job gradually got shabbier and shabbier (current job isn't quite so picky about clothing and pays considerably less too,) I found myself wearing the same half-dozen suits and not too many more blouses in rotation. It's possible that the folks I'm working with just wouldn't say anything to me, but no one seemed to notice.

When it finally came time to replace them, I decided to go with pants. All black or navy, and I've got just a couple of good suit jackets that I wear with them. Shirts have a little color to them, there aren't too many of those, either.

I feel your pain though, DesM. Clothes you want to wear are a different matter, and way back when I had no butt at all, I had to get my jeans from the men's sections. I kinda miss that. :face: I was grown before someone told me about the buttons being on different sides, and I suppose it depends on the company you keep, but my husband assures me that people do notice. Most of our outerwear is bought in thrift stores these days, and DH insists that the stuff we get for DS8 have the buttons on the right side. :rolleyes:

see if you lived here in town I would send you to Urban Men and set you loose. you'd probably find something you like.

your tastes in clothes aren't unconvential, per se. your taste in clothes is SPENDY. the stuff you want for men is findable, but it comes with a higher ticket.

men who don't care about fashion (most of them) are also unwilling to spend a lot of money on clothes, so you end up with legions and legions of drab anoymous stuff. the "uniform" of khaki pants and check shirts and jeans and t-shirts. the stuff with a little more style costs more money.

So if you lived here I'd send you off with a friend of mine who dresses beautifully and owns a pair of trousers like what you describe (and he got them at Urban. which isn't a chain store, alas.)

I don't know where you are, but have you considered visiting Zara? they sell menswear as well as women's wear. they had some great collared shirts with embroidery on them, i thought they were fabu.

Des,
I may notice the buttons on a SHIRT being on the wrong side (but honestly can rarely remember which side is which, and then it's backwards when you're looking at it straight-on...) but I cannot ever say that I noticed the zipper-fly being backwards; it would not occur to me to stare at a man's zipper-region in a social setting. I would be moritified if caught doing-so, and imagine most women would also be more self-aware than to be spending an inordinate amount of time pondering your fly. ;) I honestly don't think it'd make a difference, and that noone would notice.

Check with a few tailors and see what the price would be for what you want. Even if you buy a pair of the women's trousers and take THEM in as an example of what you want ("in the man's version of this"), maybe the tailor could tell you that no one would notice and you'd have the garment ready-to-wear...

Hi all, in the pic below is a style similar to what I'm looking for. Sorry it's not a better/clearer picture, but you might get some idea.
I've included the 'fashion advice' that was written next the online pic!!
http://www.women24.com/Woman/Content_Display/E-Cards/DisplayImageBlob/0,,10549,00.jpg
Wide-leg trousers
Think menswear and masculine styling. This shape has an exaggeratedly wide leg and should almost hang to the floor, with the tip of a shoe peeping out.

Pic and text taken from Here (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.women24.com/Woman/Content_Display/E-Cards/DisplayImageBlob/0,,10549,00.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.women24.com/W24/Display/w24Article/0,,1-6-8-42_3392,00.html&h=250&w=200&sz=13&tbnid=q_szL2Q3VCwJ:&tbnh=106&tbnw=84&hl=en&start=13&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblack%2Bwide%2Bleg%2Btrousers%26svnum %3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN)

I have a pair of pants like that! hee. and they are pretty manstyled, and by that i mean, Hey have pockets. nothing irritates me more about women's clothing than the fact that they don't have pockets. even when they look like they have pockets, they don't.

they're also slung low on the hip, and have belt loops. they're wide legged, and fully lined (since they're wool.) it took me a bit of hunting to find them but I did. the zipper is reversed from menswear, though. you could probably find a pair pretty easily.

It's funny that you have trouble finding fashionable clothes cuz it's the opposite for me - my DH has the best fashion sense and I'm jealous of all the nice clothes he gets, but I can never find styles I like. The styles in the stores are too crazy these days. Where did all the normal button up blouses and v-neck vests go?! I also have trouble finding my size cuz I'm really small.

Anyway, you should check out Brooks Brothers and Limited for men. Also, Gap sometimes usually some good stuff for men. For winter styles, I really like LL Bean clothes for men and women: llbean.com

Good luck!

Hi everyone, thanks for your input.
The real problem I'm having (albeit a small problem) is that for far too many years now, men's trousers have either been straight legged or ever so slightly flared, and all look very similar!
But I'm after a pair of trousers that aren't from the 70's with the tight thighs and bell-bottoms but slightly looser on the thigh and that flare out to a width at the bottom. A style that my wife can buy all so easily for herself but not for me, unless we buy from a woman's clothes shop, which I am beginning to think I will do.
I keep thinking to myself that maybe what I'm after is too far away from the 'norm', but why should I worry, I have long hair and that is considered outside of the 'norm'.
But to actually wear women's trousers would that be pushing the male/female boundary a little too much? I've discussed this with my wife and she's not in the slightest bit concerned about the possibility of me wearing trousers from a women's clothes shop, so any hang ups I may have might only be in my head? So is any stigma I may or may not encounter just be in my head or should anyone notice that the style and zip opening are women's cause me any embarrassment?
I think I already know what the members of this board will say (thank you to all my new friends BTW), I guess I'm just after more encouragement than what I have already received.
Lastly, I do apologise for keeping this thread going, but the more I read of your advice and support, the more confident and sure of what I'm after will not be a problem for much longer.

Thanks again.

The jeans I'm currently wearing are womens', but they zip up on the right, if you keep an eye out, you could find womens' trousers with the right-fastening fly, and then I doubt anyone would know the difference.

I do think most of your issue over mens/womens clothing is psychological though. You wouldn't be effeminate or a crossdresser because you wore womens' pants, because you're not intending to look like a woman.

One word of warning if you do decide to look for womens' pants - check the leg length carefully. Most womens' inseams are between 28 and 30 inches, unless the trousers are designed to dangle on the ground. If you're of average height, you'd probably need a womens' long inseam, which is 32-34.