Written by: Ange McDonald | She/Her | Instagram: @wearboysclothes

I like to wear boys’ clothes. I always have. As a young child, I hated wearing dresses. They were flouncy and impractical. I distinctly remember stripping off a frilly white dress I had been forced into for some special occasion to go and play football in the backyard with my cousins. Boys’ clothes, by comparison, were fun and free.

Why there is a need for gender-binary divisions in clothing, particularly for children, is a question worthy of a PhD thesis, rather than an article of this length. Gendered terms are used in this article as they, regrettably, reflect the reality of retail clothing stores. But this is a reality I hope we can change.

As a kid, acquiring boys’ clothes was simple. My mum worked in a clothing store and would just bring me home the clothes she thought I would like. What I liked was largely dictated by whether it was emblazoned with the Mighty Ducks logo. At the time, I didn’t realise what a great gift this was. Not only did I have a wonderfully understanding mother, but she relieved me from the anxiety of shopping in the “wrong” section of the store.

However, that anxiety emerged as I got older. I remember going shopping with my female friends and feeling like an alien. I had no interest in the clothes and stores they loved, but I started to experiment with a more feminine style to try to fit in. Sometimes I felt good in those clothes. But I never felt like me.

In more recent years, I have embraced my “tomboy” style. I love to wear suits, ties, bow ties, suspenders and dress shoes. I have never felt more comfortable. It helps that the wearing of suits is a requirement of my profession. I also love casual boys’ clothes. Button-ups, tees, chinos, jeans and sweaters are staples of my wardrobe. I feel very comfortable in both my sexuality and my style. However, it can be challenging to shop in the “wrong” section, or worse, the “wrong” store.

Much of my wardrobe has been sourced from the “boys’” section of department stores. I am a petite woman, with the apparent portions of a 14-year-old boy. Discovering this has been empowering. While I long coveted men’s styling, I was too small to fit into most men’s clothes.

When I am shopping in the boy’s section, I don’t tell anyone that I am shopping for myself. I’m always shopping for “my nephews” who “happen to be around the same size as me”. As a woman in my mid-30s, this is an easy sell. Although, I still feel a level of anxiety.

Stepping into a menswear store to buy my first tuxedo was a whole different level of anxiety. I feared I would be told I was in the wrong place and that the staff would be condescending or, worse, homophobic.

But I was pleasantly surprised by the openness and willingness of the staff to accommodate me. They helped me select the suit and accessories, and gave me recommendations for tailors where I could have the suit altered to fit my more womanly features (that is, my hips and chest).

I have also found wonderful services, like Shane Ave, dedicated to people like me who love to wear suits. They make custom suits, pants, vests and shirts for lesbians, trans men and non-binary folks that actually fit!

I have the privilege of living in a big city where people are pretty open-minded. I suspect others in my position have had more limited options and less-than-favourable experiences.

For those who aren’t so lucky to live in a big city, online shopping is an excellent option. There is so much variety in what you can buy, from practically anywhere in the world, all from the privacy of your own home.

While I’ve had some hits and misses with sizing, most online stores allow returns and refunds. My online purchases have allowed to me buy the clothes that I want to without the anxiety of being told those clothes are not for me.

Now that I have reached a level of comfort with my style and myself, I want to celebrate all the tomboys, lesbians, trans men and non-binary folks who like to wear boys’ clothes. I’ve created an Instagram account with the intention of doing just that, and would love for you to share your experiences of wearing boys’ clothes — be sure to tag @wearboysclothes.

Together, I hope we can build a resource to help more people feel comfortable wearing what makes them feel their most authentic.