Catalogues

Shopping By Catalogue

By Diane Kaye


Shopping by catalog, for many in the transgender community, is the only way they feel comfortable. Many of us do not want to go to a store and buy clothes off the rack. For this reason, we find that catalog shopping is a part of our safe zone. After all, we can say convincingly that, we are buying them for our wife of girl friend, when ordering over the phone. What ever the reason, the catalogs offer just about everything a girl needs.

There are clothes, shoes, jewelry, wigs, breasts, lingerie, and accessories. With all this at our finger tips, a girl can go wild and blow her budget at the tip of her phone dialing finger. Looking at all those gorgeous models wearing those lovely clothes is enough to make any girl want to buy, buy, buy! Alas, reality sets in and we realize that we will never look as good as that girl in the catalog, so we search for the styles that we look best in. The more the clothes cover, the better we look.

Loose fitting clothes generally look better than tight fitting ones, unless you have the figure. If you have a pronounced Adams Apple, then turtle necks and mock turtle necks are the choice. Us older gals need to dress more conservative to pass than the younger ones. With this in mind, there are some general rules I follow to help insure a fit when I open the package.

Remember, the clothes in the catalogs, for the most part, are for the average sized woman of 5" 4" to 5' 7" in height. This means that the sleeves, pant leg lengths, and hem lines will fall to the proper level for that height woman. If you are taller, or have long arms, then you will find the outfit too short. Now I realize that tall woman have the same problem, but we want to look our best. There are special "tall" catalogs for women over 5' 7", but I've found their selection limited.

Some catalogs like Lerners have some sizes in Tall. As an aside, if you buy off the rack, measure the sleeve with a tape measure from the middle of the neck to the end of the sleeve holding the tape over the shoulder. Compare this to the same measurement of your body. Add one to two inches to your dimensions and look for that length in your size for your best fit. For catalogs, stay away from long sleeves.

Sleeves of the 3/4 length or short sleeves are your best bet. I occasionally will find a long sleeve the proper length in my size 14 for Misses sizes, but I am taking a chance when I order it. Know your women's size when you order. Getting to this point is the hardest, as it requires some trial and error. Measure your body according to the catalog's charts to find your size. Be honest. Here is where good hip pads, such as the Classic Curves, come in handy. Your upper torso and waist dimensions may fit into one of the charts ranges, but your hips won't.

To make the clothes fit properly, you need hips. As an example, my torso is 35", my waist is 30" but my hips are 36". I would fit a size 14 except for my hips. With pads out to 41" I am a perfect size 14. My clothes fit well and don't sag or fall off. While many women fall short of this perfect size, and as a result have that eternal baggy look, we can better control our size, hence get a good fit. Watch out for the materials also. Pure cottons are nice and not too expensive, but they will wrinkle easily and require ironing. Blends are your best bet for an easy to manage wardrobe. If you can't keep your clothes hung up, then definitely stay away from cottons.

Typical Clothes Chart Found In a Catalog

The following size chart for clothes gives you an idea.

Size Bust* Waist** High Hip Low Hip
10 (M) 36 28 35 38
12 (M) 37 29 37 40
14 (L) 38 31 38 41
16 (L) 40 33 40 43
18 (XL) 42 35 42 45
*Measured around fullest part of bust
** Natural waist line
Misses or Averages fit 5'4" to 5'7"
Talls fit 5'8" to 5'11"

Brassieres

Bra Sizes are from the chest size measured just below the breasts. Add about 5" to this measurement to get your Frame Size (according to Fredericks). Cup size is your choice obviously, unless you have naturals! Personally I'm a bit skeptical of this technique, as my chest size is 35" and a size 36 bra fits me perfectly. Size 38 is a bit loose. So you figure.

Shoes

So much for clothes. Shoes are another problem area. Most women's catalogs carry sizes up to 11 but only in medium widths. Some carry narrow, medium and wide widths. These are women's sizes, not men's. To find out your women's size you need to add about 1 to 1 1/2 sizes, watching out for overall length of the shoe as well. You may want to first measure your foot on one of those shoe gauges found in shoe stores to determine if your foot will require any unusual fitting requirements. Widths are about 1 to 2 letters different.

A men's narrow will usually mean a women's medium. A men's size 10 will usually mean a women's size 11. At least that's my experience, and I measured my foot on a women's shoe scale. My men's A was a women's B. The catch is that from shoe brand to shoe brand, there isn't a precise size uniformity. You may find a size 10 1/2 in one brand fits as well as a size 11 in another brand. Same for widths. Open toe straps will generally require going down one notch in width to keep your foot from sliding out. Here again, once you know your shoe size, you have a starting point. I usually prefer to buy off the rack while dressed. This way you know they will fit. Most places have a liberal return policy so your risk is minimal. Remember to wear the type sock you would normally plan to wear with the shoe. For heels, a nylon or very thin sock. For casual mall wear shoes, a knitted sock.

Wigs

Wigs are easier to fit. Again use the provided charts and your head measurements to select to size. Style and color are another matter. You want one that looks good one you and portrays the image you want. This may require the purchase of several wigs before the perfect one is found. I'm still working on this one, although I've narrowed it down to a gray medium length with some curls. The last time I wore a short straight hair wig out, a toddler called me a man.

Jewelry

Jewelry is the easiest. First, go to your friendly jeweler and have your fingers measured, and write this information down. Most jewelry catalogs do not carry half sizes in rings, so you may end up with a loose fit on some fingers. Don't despair, buy a ring guard or use tape wrapped around the underside. When selecting a size, always get the next whole size up ring (i.e. if you wear a size 9 1/2, get a size 10). Most costume rings have metal that will not stretch well without breaking or cracking. Bracelets and necklaces come in lengths. Measure your arm and neck circumferences with a cloth measuring tape (the one you got for sleeve measuring). Decide how far down you want the necklace to hang. Measure this approximate length by hanging the tape around your neck to the approximate level you want the necklace to hang. Now you have sizes for all your jewelry.

Coordination's & ETC.

With this the following catalog companies can be contacted. Call for your catalog and order until you drop, get tired fingers, or run out of money. This list should supplement the fineproducts already listed in TG Forum. You will note that there are common addresses (almost) for different catalogs, as well as common styles throughout the catalogs. Some are expensive, and others are a good buy if you don't plan to wear them more than a couple times a year. I try to select colors that can be easily coordinated across my clothes. Blacks and whites go with about anything. Reds also work with many other colors. When shopping, I try to plan my outfits completely, so I have several coordination's with each purchase. The same goes for jewelry, and other accessories. Remember, the consignment stores can be used to fill in the gaps.

Remember, you get what you pay for. If you plan to wear something often, then be prepared to spend extra for that quality. Shoes, especially are important. A cheap pair of shoes won't last. I've found that cheap shoes will stretch more than quality ones, meaning they will become loose. They also break quicker. Most of the catalogs listed offer middle of the road quality and reasonable prices.

CATALOGS

Jewelry

Windsor Collection
6836 Engle road
Cleveland, OH 44101-4549
1-800-800-0500

Merlite Industries
114 fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011

Lerner
6400 East Rogers circle
Boca Raton, FL 33499
1-800-767-5622

Hats

Paula's Hatbox
PO Box 935
South Easton, MA 02375
1-800-332-HATS

clothes

Anthony Richards
6836 Engle Road
PO Box 94503
Cleveland, OH 44101-4503
1-800-359-5933

Roman's PO Box 8360
Indianapolis, IN
46283-8360
1-800-274-7130

Willow Ridge
421 Landmark drive
Wilmington, NC 28410
1-800-388-8555

Bedford Fair
421 Landmark drive
Wilmington, NC
28410
1-800-964-1000

Chadwick's
One Chadwick Place
box 1600
Brockton, MA 02403-1600
1-800-525-6650

Lerner*
Midwest Distribution Center
PO Box 8380
Indianapolis, IN 46283-8380
1-800-288-4009

Spiegel
PO Box 6105
Rapid city, SD
57709-6105
1-800-345-4500

Blair
220 Hickory St
Warren, PA 16366
1-800-458-2000

Newport News
Avon Lane
Hampton, VA 23630-1291
1-800-688-2830

Sue Brett*
PO Box 8384
Indianapolis, IN 46283-8384
1-800-784-8001

Old Pueblo Trading Post
Palo Verde at 34thSt
PO Box 27800
Tucson, AZ 85726-7800
1-520-747-5000

Lew Magran
414 Alfred
Teaneck, NJ 07666
1-800-624-7267


Tall Sizes Catalogs
(* Also Carry Tall sizes)

Tall Classics
12680 Shawnee Mission PKWY
Shawnee Mission, KS 66216
1-800-345-1958

JC Penny (Especially for Talls Catalog)
PO Box 2021
Milwaukee, WI 53201-2021
1-800-222-6161

Long Elegant Legs
5 Homestead Road Ste 9
Belle Mead, NJ 08502-1912
1-800-344-2225

Tall Girl
22795 Heslip Drive
Novi, Michigan 48375-4144

Wigs

Christine jordan
PO Box 953
S. Easton, MA 02375-9803
1-800-884-9447

Paula Young
PO Box 483
Brockton, MA 02403
1-800-343-9695

Lingerie

Fredericks of Hollywood
PO Box 229
Hollywood, CA 90078-0229
1-800-323-9525

Victoria's Secret
PO Box 16589
Columbus, OH 43216
1-800-888-8200

National Wholesale**
400 National Blvd
Lexington, NC 27294
910-249-0211
(Clothe also)

One Hanes Place**
PO Box 748
Rural Hall, NC 27098
1-800-300-2600

** Sell clothes Also

Shoes

Comfort Corner
PO Box 649
Nashua, NH 03061
1-800-442-8730

Coward
Palo Verde at 34th Street
PO Box 27800
Tucson, AZ 85726-7800
1-800-362-8410

Misc.
A little bit of everything

Dr. Leonard's
42 Mayfield Ave.
PO Box 7821
Edison, NJ 08818-7821

Fingerhut
11 McLeland Dr
St. Cloud, MN 56395
No Phone #

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