First of all, the classic fashion tip for relieving dysphoria is the iconic ‘dysphoria hoodie’ - really this is any baggy hoodie or sweater that you feel comfortable enough to throw on at any point.
This links well with the next tip : Layering is your best friend!
Be it jackets, button ups, sweater vests, waistcoats, hoodies or even ponchos, stacking clothing layers over breathable, thin bases is a great way to explore styling options while maintaining a good headspace throughout the day.
Other layers that could be experimented with are scarves, poet’s shirts ( baggy pirate-esque or academia look) and thin turtleneck tops ( which basically work under anything).
Not everyone can afford to completely uproot their entire wardrobe to explore their personal style, especially if they are still unsure about how they want to present themselves. This is where altering or repurposing clothing can be useful.
You can alter clothing whether you are experienced in sewing or entirely new to the practice. For example, old or unused t-shirts can be turned into cropped tops or muscle tees for the summer months with a couple of easy cuts using a pair of scissors.
Simply by cutting off the sleeves of a t-shirt at the shoulder seam, you have a typically more masculine, boxy look. This can then be cropped by measuring where you want the end to go to and cutting off the bottom of the top or you can cut the shoulder section thinner for a typically more feminine strappy or halter top. Optionally, you can cut a V or crew neckline to adjust the shirt to your personal preference.
Be careful to lay out the fabric flat and measure how wide and long you want your final item to be - you can even use an existing one to ensure you have the desired size.
Another useful item for more temporary alterations are safety pins. These provide an easy, non-permanent way to make alterations when you're unsure about a certain look or if you're not ready to commit to sewing. You can pin up skirts for a fun additional layer, crop hoodies or sweaters and even use them to keep other things like scarves in place. The possibilities are endless, all you have to do is experiment.
No sew or sew on patches are also great for adding a personal spark to your clothing, as well as accessories like fingerless gloves and jewellery.
Even small changes like this allow you to feel more in control over your wardrobe and express your gender identity in a way that feels authentic to you.
Finally, a key factor in how your outfit is perceived is silhouette. There are certain fits of clothing that lend to different silhouettes and you can use this to your advantage by knowing what to look out for.
The main clothing piece I’m going to talk about is of course trousers/ jeans.
Skinny jeans are known for their tighter fit - often leaning towards a more feminine, curvy silhouette especially if they are from the women’s section. You could embrace this or use layers to style around the fit and make it your own.
Typically, women’s section trousers tend to fit the thighs more and have a smaller or higher waistline whereas the men’s section trousers often have a wider, lower waistline with overall thinner legs. This can be useful to keep in mind when figuring out what to buy/ keep an eye out for your ideal silhouette and wardrobe.
Recently, wide leg jeans and baggy trousers have been popularised. These are great for dealing with dysphoria as they can be styled in almost any way and can be found in lots of different styles for example parachute trousers or patchwork star jeans. Trousers like this are also easy to read as androgynous as the shape of the body underneath is less readable than if you were wearing more fitted trousers, and the overall shape is quite similar across both the men’s and women’s clothing sections.