Over the past two years, my wardrobe has changed a lot. That’s partly because I lost weight, it’s also because I started taking an interest in what I wore. I guess the realization hit me: I don’t have to wear what other people tell me. I don’t have to like the dull colors and styles of men’s typical wear. I don’t have to endure the invisibility of fear any more. Once you notice the shackles, you can remove them.
So these days I wear a lot of colors, a lot of different items, including many that are traditionally not men’s. Like this shirt. I’d wear that any day. Why? Well, these shirts are a valuable asset in my wardrobe:
They’re typically insulating on a cold day so you can wear more layers but the clothes don’t feel as bulky. Large knit sweaters can feel cold, even though they’re wool. The stitches allow colder winds to blow through. Adding an insulating layer helps a lot.
On hotter days, the long sleeves can help to cut down UV on arms. So I typically wear them over a lighter T-shirt so they can be removed. I also sometimes wear them under a T-shirt, if it’s cooler. The T can be long- or short-sleeved, as well.
Some of my light shirts like this have a high collar, which is useful when I have a bad throat. This unfortunately is one of the results of being a teacher. Even wearing a light wrapping around my neck helps a lot! It’s surprising to me.
The color can also be an asset as it can offset a darker color quite nicely. So there you go. A woman’s item in a man’s wardrobe. It can work. Clothes really don’t have a gender. Why do we think they do?
There are only a couple of problems I have with these items:
#1 Washing. Sometimes the colors of other clothes run so I’ve ruined a couple of shirts this way. Fortunately I wear them under clothes and they weren’t expensive.
#2 Sizes. Some of the designs I really like are only available in smaller sizes, and finding the right size can be hard. On Shopee, as my friend said, the sizes are ALL OVER THE PLACE. I have bought items marked as M/L/XL/5XL… so it’s hard to judge.
Of course, that combined with women’s sizes generally being smaller makes it hard to find suitable sizes for me. Such is life.