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One of my favorite things to do ever since I came out as a crossdresser is to go shopping. On my last shopping spree, which covered over 20 stores, I decided to take notes on the styles, trends, prices, and atmospheres of stores. It was fun confusing people as I went around the women's sections holding a skateboard in one hand and a clip board in the other. Here is a list that hopefully I will keep updated of my store reviews. They are rated with JTCP stewardess logos (1-4) and are in the order that I visited them during my shopping trip.
  www.gap.com Trends - "Gappy," Preppy Sizes - Medium range Fitting Rooms - Coed Prices - Pricey Online Store - Yes The Gap certainly has it's own look, and most g.g.'s would look fine walking out of the store wearing any of their clothes. However, most of their clothes have nothing feminine to them. They have a lot of shorts and pants, and their shirts require a female form to look good. Generally I like skirts, dresses, and other clothes that are more feminine because they help you look more feminine, instead of just goofy. However, I've put the gap in its own category on the fashion page, because I credit the gap to this nationwide trend. Most of their clothes are plain and kind of boring to me, but again it's the simplicity that makes it a trend. Credit goes to them for having a small but friendly atmosphere and friendly salespeople, though I know that sometimes friendly salespeople can be a bit nerve wrecking when you're shopping for yourself. Anyway, a nice store, but not a place I'd normally shop. |
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www.jcrew.com Trends - Gappy & Preppy but feminine Sizes - Medium range Fitting Rooms - Segregated Prices - Very pricey Online Store - Yes I had a prejudice against J. Crew before I went because their men's clothes are SO unbelievably preppy. However, their women's clothes aren't bad. The styles are similar to Gap's, but generally more feminine. They also have a great selection of skirts, and some nice formal dresses. Nothing they sell is particularly unique, but they do have some clothes made of neat fabrics. Don't expect a bargain on anything you buy, though. Some cute clothes, but maybe not worth the price. |
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www.bloomingdales.com Trends - Everything Sizes - Small to Plus Sizes Fitting Rooms - Segregated Prices - Depends, but pricey Online Store - Yes I was surprised by Bloomingdale's for two reasons--One, it's one of the trendier department stores I've seen. Two, because it's also the most expensive one I've seen. They have every style, and even have them somewhat categorized; That is, when you walk from the women's business suit section to the teen section, the decorations change and you start to hear the thumping of a techno beat. They have a nice leather section, but I looked at a price tag for a pair of leather jeans and it was $480! I had gotten a pair a day earlier for $100 at Filene's Basement. They had some good deals, but watch out for designer labels, which they have a lot of. |
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www.bebe.com Trends - Urban night out Sizes - Medium Ranges Fitting Rooms - Women's Prices - Expensive to Ridiculous Online Store - Yes Bebe is one of my favorite stores, and is what I like to call, "trendy as f*ck." Their clothes are definitely not cheap because you're paying for the design and the brand, but Bebe is the one store that I think it's actually worth it. At least for occasional splurges. :) As you can tell from their website, Bebe is at the forefront of women's styles and fashion. Their website includes a photo gallery of celebrities that wear Bebe's clothes, beauty tips, and even a "fashion forecast." They're most famous for their tank tops, but they also have great range of pants, dresses, skirts, leather, and tops, and everything they sell is fun, fashionable, and distinctly feminine. They have great fabrics. On my shopping trip I walked out with a black T-shirt (shaped extremely femme) and a black tank top, and Bebe is where I'd previously bought my woven black cashmere-or-something skirt, made of the softest material I've ever felt. |
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www.oilily.com Trends - Silk & Cotton Casual, some Hippie Sizes - Medium Ranges Fitting Rooms - Women's Prices - Pricey Online Store - No While Oilily's clothes are certainly feminine, most of them didn't appeal to me. Many of their shirts had imitation hippy flowery patterns that were just ugly. And because they mainly cater to children, their women's section is quite limited. However, they did have some nice drawstring skirts, though they were expensive. Their clerks were very friendly, but I don't think I would buy any of their stuff unless it was a lot cheaper. |
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