While your friends’ closets may appear to be tempting treasure troves of new-to-you clothing, borrowing can be tricky. Multiple friendships have ended over stained cocktail dresses and ripped jeans. Your boyfriend, however, will probably not break up with you over a tiny juice stain on his flannel; in fact, he will probably never even notice, so think menswear and start digging!
Here are some of my favorite menswear items that I love to borrow:
The Blazer: Yes, we all know the boyfriend blazer was a hit in the fall, but did you ever think to actually borrow your boyfriend’s blazer? Almost every guy has some sort of sport coat he keeps on reserve for dinner with the relatives twice a year. Although you may have to be careful that the shoulders are not too broad, the boyfriend blazers look great when worn over spring dresses and skirts or paired with jeans and a t-shirt.
The Button Up:
If your boyfriend is a size or more larger than you; his button ups will be a perfect fit. Men’s shirts are cut straight and are often several inches longer than female button ups, This roominess allows for a more comfortable fit. Cuff the sleeves up to or past your elbow and wear with denim cutoffs for a casual summer look. If your beau’s button ups look more like dresses on you, try wearing them as light weight bathing suit cover ups.
The V-Neck: If you want a cute v-neck, but are worried about excessive cleavage, the men’s v-neck is the way to go. These solid stand-bys are often sold in 3-packs and come in a variety of colors and styles. The v ranges from just a small dip at the collarbone to a deeper v, which goes a few inches lower on the chest. In my experience, these shirts are often comfier and less expensive than women’s v-necks and provide a middle ground between the crew neck and the deep v.
The Jeans:
You may have thought men’s pants were entirely off–limits, but they are totally doable. Size is a more important factor here than with shirts, and sometimes translating your size into men’s sizes can be confusing. My brother, for example, wears jeans that are W31 and L34. To give you a rough idea of the size translation, I usually wear a waist of 28 inches in women’s jeans or about a size 6, and can easily wear my brother’s jeans. Pull on his jeans (if they fit!), peg the legs to just a few inches about the ankle, tuck in a cute feminine top, slip on flats and you’re totally cute, comfy and ready to go.
Of course, not all of us have boyfriends, but many of us do have brothers and other close guy friends who may be willing to let us raid their closets, or at least pass along some of their unused duds. Considering that menswear has been a consistent inspiration to female fashion designers, it’s a safe bet that it will keep popping up on the runway, so get inspired, start raiding, and try a new look!