In my last article I talked a lot about, well, the same thing I always talk about lol.  So, clothes and gender identity.  The article focused on what is commonly called 50/50 mode.  This is, essentially, wearing "girl clothes" in male mode.  I put those two words in quotation marks because clothes don't have a gender.  Nothing is off-limits when it comes to what you can wear. Of course, there are those who have very opinionated, uh, opinions when it comes to what boys wear and what girls wear.

This is a good reminder that humans invented gender norms and there is really no reason someone can't wear something.  In fact, these gender norms have even swung back and forth over the years.  I'm sure we've all heard that high heels were traditionally worn by men and it was tradition to dress boys in pink until they were a certain age.  

But for the purpose of this article, I am going to use the phrases "girl clothes" and "boy clothes".  It's more succinct than repeatedly writing "clothes that are typically worn by those assigned male/female at birth".  

Now, I LOVE girl clothes.  I wear girl clothes when I am en femme (obviously) but I also wear girl clothes when I am presenting as male.  I could give practical reasons for this, such as girl clothes tend to be softer or I wear girl clothes because I hate pockets (I don't hate pockets, this is meant to be funny) or they are simply more interesting than boy clothes, but like so many things when it comes to explaining this side of ourselves, I just love girl clothes.

In the last article I talked about how terrifying 50/50 mode can be.  I mean, when we think of girl clothes we tend to think of skirts and dresses.  The thought of being in male mode while wearing something so obviously feminine takes a lot of courage as I elaborated previously.  But there are ways we can incorporate a cuter, more feminine touch into our wardrobe in a more subtle way.  Let's chat about how we can do that.

Now, a disclaimer.  None of what we're going to chat about here is going to be stealth. It's very possible (and in some instances very likely) that someone will clock what you're wearing as girl clothes.  Like almost everything that relates to this aspect of ourselves, it's up to you to decide IF you care that someone knows.  The only guaranteed way to avoid someone from figuring out that you're wearing girl clothes is to never wear girl clothes.  And of course, what's the fun in that?  

Oh, one more thing.  There's really no right or wrong way to be in 50/50 mode.  You can be 90/10 if you want.  There's not a mathematical formula that we have to adhere to.  It's not up to anyone else to decide if you are "transgender enough" or "non-binary enough".  You should be living your life for yourself.  You do not have to do anything beyond wearing what you want.  It's not like you HAVE to go to the office wearing nail polish and a suit or grabbing a beer with the guys in a cute pair of leather leggings.  You don't need anyone's approval.

Ready?  Let's get started.

It's not up to anyone else to decide if you are "transgender enough" or "non-binary enough".  You should be living your life for yourself.

First, let's chat about what I consider male mode/presenting masculine.  Essentially I look at this as whenever I am not wearing my wig or have my makeup done.  It's when I am using he/him pronouns as well as my legal name.  

Secondly, this is not going to cover EVERYTHING femme you can wear in male mode. After all, if it fits then of course you can wear it.  Want to wear a bridesmaid dress in male mode?  If it fits, you can wear it.  But remember that it's up to you to decide if you care that someone notices it.  Of course, if you are home alone then the risk of someone else seeing you is pretty minimal.  Rather this is going to cover girl clothes that I wear in male mode, mostly when I am home.

Let's start with nightgowns.  I stand by the statement that I've made in the past about how if anyone tried sleeping in a nightgown, regardless of the gender you were assigned at birth, then you would never go back.  The sheer variety keeps me adding to my collection.  Nightgowns can be short, long, long with a sexy slit.  Different fabrics, and different styles to suit your mood.  Even if I wasn't non-binary I would absolutely still wear nighties.  Ironically nightgowns (typically called nightshirts) were also commonly worn by men, similarly to how heels were designed for men.  Sure, nightshirts are nowhere as cute as many nightgowns, but the principal is the same.

Leggings are another wardrobe item that are also arguably unisex.  Running leggings/tights are made for men, but most men would never bring themselves to wear them outside of going for a jog, which is a shame.  I own leggings designed for both men and women and there's very little difference between the two of them.  Leggings are soft and breathable.  Certainly more comfortable and much easier to move in compared to jeans.  Of course, leather leggings are insanely sexy.   

Speaking of jeans, I also wear femme jeans.  There is a lot of variety when it comes to girl jeans and some are more obviously feminine than others.  Again, what you wear should also take into consideration how much you care that someone might notice.  Femme jeans can be very frustrating to find a pair that fits, regardless if you pick a pair that has sparkly rhinestones in the shape of a heart on the back pocket or a pair that is a little less fabulous.  When I buy jeans for male mode I can find a pair that has two measurements on it.  One for waist, the other for length.  Easy peasy.  But femme jeans?  Oh my God.  Most styles are not that straightforward.  Femme jeans are usually just a size for your waist and heaven help you find a pair that is long enough.  The variety of femme jeans is also overwhelming:  high waisted, boyfriend, wide leg, slim, straight, flare, skinny....  and there's more that I just can't think of.  If you can find a pair that looks cute, fits, and is long enough then you've hit the jackpot.  I love wearing femme jeans in male mode and I tend to go for a more subtle, feminine style.  A tiny hint of a flare under the knee, but nothing too crazy.

But jeans are not the only option.  Capris are super cute, and there are so many colors available for pants.  A sleek pair of black dress pants is also a must.  

Just as there are a ton of femme bottoms (not like that), there are also a lot of femme tops (again, not like that).  I have femme shirts that I wear in male mode, but honestly not too often.  Just as jeans can be a challenge to find a pair that is long enough, many femme tops that have sleeves aren't long enough.  Of course, some sleeves are not meant to stop at your wrist and there are a lot of cute styles that go just past your elbow.  But broad shoulders can ruin this effect and they look just a little silly on me.  My shoulders can also make the shirt too short on me as well.  A lot of femme tops are meant to fall a little higher than men's shirts, so it's rare when I can find a femme top that is flattering when I am in male mode.  The femme tops I have aren't too obviously femme.  I have tops that I wear en femme that gather at my bust to draw attention to, well, my bust as well as tops with sheer sleeves, for example.  But femme tops for male mode then to be solid colors with only a differently cut collar compared to boy shirts.

But I do wear a long duster-style cardigan in male mode.  It's super comfy and super cute when paired with leggings.

If it fits, you can wear it.  But remember that it's up to you to decide if you care that someone notices it.

So, that's really the extent of what I wear in 50/50 mode.  But there's more options than just the items I've listed so far, such as jumpsuits.  Jumpsuits look so freaking cute but challenging to find when it comes to a flattering fit.  Finding a top that fits AND looks cute is one challenge, finding a pair of jeans that accomplishes the same goals is also a challenge.  But finding a jumpsuit that does both?  Oh my God.  I can find jumpsuits that work for my shoulders but they are also too short for my long legs.  If you can find one that fits and that you like, then I'm jealous of you lol.  Of course, jumpsuits are a lot less subtle than some of the other options I've discussed so far.  I mean, outside of maintenance workers you don't see a lot of men wearing them.  So, be prepared to be clocked.

Finally, let's discuss rompers.  Summer creeps in and all of a sudden I want to wear nothing other than a cute one-piece.  I mean, can you imagine a more perfect outfit to wear in this horrible, unbearable heat?  Rompers tend to be thin which is a blessing in this oppressive weather.  But like jumpsuits, be prepared to be clocked if you wear one.  Of course, you may not care if this happens.                 

There are probably other items that I haven't covered here, and we didn't even broach things like nail polish or eyeliner or accessories or shoes!  I am always looking for ways I can embrace (and flaunt) my non-binary identity and I would love to hear your style tips that bring some feminine energy to an otherwise masculine look.

Love, Hannah