It’s not uncommon for women to feel like there’s nothing to wear even if they have a wardrobe that’s bursting at the seams. And quite often, the solution is to shop for a few more pieces. Now, if you’re not keen on purchasing new pieces, your next best solution is to borrow from someone else. If you have sisters, this should be easy. For sure, they have clothes that you can borrow to refresh your style.
But if you don’t, consider borrowing from the man in your life. Wearing masculine pieces is all the rage in the fashion world. You can see impeccably dressed women high up on this trend during fashion week.
So, why not start shopping in the clothing stash of the significant man in your life? Do you need some ideas on how to put together outfits with pieces from a man’s closet? Here are eight to get you started.
1. Pair his T-shirt with a dainty skirt
Pick out your boyfriend’s favorite comfy and cool Afro shirts and start wearing them with the most feminine-looking skirts from your own wardrobe. You might think that’s there’s really nothing much to the look, but this is perhaps the easiest way to make you feel sexy in an outfit.
There’s just something about wearing your boyfriend’s favorite shirt that feels intimate. Also, you would find that the typical bigger neckline and baggy sleeves work wonderfully in enhancing the elegant lines of your neck and arms.
2. Create a shift top with his baggy button-down shirts
One of the best things about wearing men’s clothes is they’re often loose on a typical female frame. Therefore, they’re easy to shift around to create a new style.
You can easily turn a man’s baggy button-down shirt into an off-shoulder or asymmetrical blouse. Likewise, the volume of extra fabric at the bottom of the shirt makes it perfect for tying around the waist for a figure-flattering cropped top.
3. Turn his oversized button-down shirt into a dress
If you are a petite lady with an incredibly tall man in your life, you’re in luck. Men’s oversized (on you) shirts are the perfect casual dresses for you. If these go down to your knees, you can cinch them around the waist with a belt to make them less boxy and hug your small frame better.
Another thing that you can do is to wear a tight crop top over the shirt for a more feminine silhouette. Just make sure to pleat the shirt nicely to control the bulk. And to make this style even more polished and deserving of a chef’s kiss, work in a few more details. Wear masculine spectacles like those big Aviator Ray Ban sunglasses, and use cufflinks as bling.
4. Wear men’s trousers like Annie Hall
If there’s a true female style icon who pulls off men’s wear exceptionally well, it’s definitely Annie Hall played by Diane Keaton, and the close second is Annie Lennox. Both women are quite tall, though, so if you are 170 centimeters up, it shouldn’t be too difficult to put together more outfits using men’s trousers.
You can easily pair these pants with any top. These will look great with a crisp classic white blouse, a flowy Havana shirt, a feminine cropped top, a sexy spaghetti strap top, and really most of the shirts you have in your closet.
5. Accessorize with his ties
If you wish to push the style card every now and then, the accessories in your man’s closet present various opportunities for you to do so. One piece of men’s accessory that offers versatile uses is a necktie. You will find that it can also function as a stylish belt or sash to cinch the waist. Or, you can wear it the usual way, again, just like Annie Hall.
If you’re young and you like punk fashion, you can try wearing a tie loose around your neck with a casual tee or tank top, ala young Avril Lavigne. And if you like adding a masculine touch to your classic white blouse, try experimenting with everything from an Ascot tie, to a bowtie, the Bolo, and other necktie styles. Plus, don’t miss out on the opportunity to accessorize the tie as well by attaching a brooch to it.
6. Layer your favorite dress with his heavy jacket
Men’s heavy jackets actually look quite nice when worn over dresses. Take a cue from Haley Bieber, who seems to fancy wearing her husband’s big and bulky jackets.
An oversized denim jacket looks quite nice over a body-hugging sweater dress. Meanwhile, a bulky bomber jacket can make maxi dresses more street chic.
7. Hold your bottoms in place with his suspenders
Scour through your father’s closet to see if he has some suspenders that you can borrow. Suspenders are the best alternatives to belts for keeping bottoms in place. But, what’s nicer about them is that they can create a different silhouette for outfits.
If you are all about making small changes to your outfits, the switch from belt to suspenders is a very easy one you can make that can have a huge impact on your overall style. Suspenders work with all kinds of bottoms, and you can wear these for casual and professional ensembles.
8. Borrow his waistcoat or vest as a layering piece
Men’s waistcoats and vests are fantastic layering pieces for everything — from plain white tees to silk dress shirts and even dresses. If the ones you can borrow from your father or husband are loose, you can create a grunge look by layering it on top of a vintage dress just like Mayim Bialik in “Blossom.”
On the other hand, if you have those waistcoats that are designed to tighten silhouettes, they’re the best to wear over skin-tight dresses and frilly shirts.
There you go, eight easy ways to pull in pieces from a man’s wardrobe to refresh your feminine style. You can create so many new looks without spending any money. So, which ones are you most eager to try?
Author Bio
Ethiopian-born and Dubai-based fashion designer Feiruza Mudessir discovered her curiosity to mix the traditional with contemporary at a young age, and this has become the trademark of her designs for Finchitua today. With her unique style standpoint, she served the VIP Color Forecast Panel 2017 for Al Jazeera Paints Company and VIP Color Forecast Panel 2019 for Asian Paints Berger. Ms. Mudessir is a shortlisted nominee for the prestigious Fashion Scout London 2018.
