Photo: By Amy Dickerson
As far as trends go, there are few options more fun -- or functional -- than menswear for women. For both casual and formal dress, the versatility this trend affords the wearer is seemingly endless. Like Anne Hathaway changing into a tuxedo while hosting the 2011 Oscars, menswear can be interpreted for formal evening wear, the workplace or a simple day of running errands and strolling around town. Get advice from the experts and achieve a classic but hip look that's sure to suit your needs -- literally.
Starting with just a basic pair of trousers, either rolled at the ankle or tailored, is an easy way for anyone to test the water.
- Designer Dominique Pearl David
Make the Style Yours
As with any trend, find a way to make the work look for you; be true to your sense of style so that you can be comfortable and confident with the way you look.
Finding this balance between the trend and your natural style is easy with menswear for women because there's something to please just about everyone. You can take your pick from pinstriped pantsuits, tweed vests and camel blazers, boyfriend jeans, collared shirts, Oxford-style boots and loafer-style pumps. If you're game for a hat, you can finish the look with a felt fedora.
A talented upcoming designer and one of the finalists on Bravo TV's "The Fashion Show," Dominique Pearl David says she loves the menswear trend. "It's a great way to casually dress up, giving a look a certain amount of tailoring, even if the piece or pieces are oversized."
David has some suggestions if you're unsure of where to start. "Starting with just a basic pair of trousers, either rolled at the ankle or tailored, is an easy way for anyone to test the water." There's a simplicity in menswear, with its clean lines and fit that's very no-muss, no-fuss. As with any trend, try experimenting with different pieces and see what works for you and your style.
Menswear in the Workplace
There's no better place to start experimenting and having fun with menswear than in the workplace. A professional setting lends itself perfectly to this trend and includes plenty of options: vests, trousers, suit jackets and ties.
"This trend is a great way of adding a little tailoring to everyone's wardrobe without being strictly business. It helps 20-somethings ease into a work space of 40-somethings without feeling so foreign to the formal dress code," David said. She added that this trend can also be incorporated into a casual workplace.
Stylist Heidi Meek encourages trying a tailored vest in a professional setting. "I love how a vest can really show off a great waist, which for most women is the smallest part of their body. It takes something masculine and makes it feminine." Another option for the workplace is a skirt suit worn with heels to get the best of both worlds -- a menswear influenced jacket and vest, perhaps, with the women's skirt and heels.
Stay Feminine
While it's easy to get caught up this trend, don't overdo it by dressing head to toe in menswear. The last thing you want is to walk out the door looking like the boxy male version of yourself. Said Meek: "The way that this look can appear overdone is if the fit looks too manly."
To avoid looking manly in menswear, pick and choose items that accent your feminine shape. Meek advises mixing and matching the menswear trend with pieces that are more fitted and body conscious. "The best way to approach the menswear trend is to incorporate the style while keeping the silhouette feminine," she said.
If you're more of a tomboy, you can rock the look with loose-fitting boyfriend jeans, but keep it feminine with a fitted tank or V-neck tee -- very shabby chic. If you're a businesswoman, you have the option of mixing up tailored suit jackets with a pencil skirt or a vest that flatters your waistline.
It's called menswear for a reason, so it's a good idea to use it as inspiration for your wardrobe, as opposed to a literal translation of the term. An ill-fitting suit can look horrible on a woman just as it can on a man, so keep your look clean and tailored.
David provided some helpful pointers. "It's all about finding a way to make it yours, i.e., rolling cuffs or tucking or belting ... that way you are wearing the look as opposed to the look wearing you. The most important way to wear this trend is with confidence."
