Some Clothes Encounters With Men

Many women open their closet and select an outfit for the day. Others open up their closet, then open up their husband’s or boyfriend’s closet to find a few items.

While the menswear look isn’t as popular as it was last year, there are still a number of men’s items that work well with women’s clothes.

“Vests are a good choice,” says Stephanie Grani of Stephania’s in San Juan Capistrano. “Suspenders are as well. It’s going to depend on the kind of dresser your husband is. If he has a lot of clothes that go with what you wear, you’re in luck.

“Of course, the biggest drawback is fit. Men’s clothes and accessories are made bigger,” says Grani. “Some things, like suspenders, can be shortened; however, ties cannot.”

Because of their length, men’s dress shirts are often a favorite.

“A long dress shirt can be worn under a vest,” says Grani. It can also be worn over a pair of leggings.

“Men’s polo-style shirts are good for the same look,” says Cassie Piasecki of Body Issue in Irvine. “And you can wear a dress shirt tucked in as well, especially white shirts with black pants.”

If your husband or boyfriend has a suit he no longer wears, you might take a long look at the jacket.

“You may be able to wear it with the sleeves rolled up, or after a few alterations to give it a better fit,” says Grani.

Flannel and sweat shirts in men’s sizes can be comfortable accessories in the winter or at the beach, and jeans can also work, “as long as you’re both relatively the same size,” says Piasecki.

Many women wear men’s watches, but these are often too big.

“With some watches, the metal band is too big and the watch just clumps around under your wrist,” says Piasecki. “Watches that have a leather band can be adjusted for a smaller wrist.”

Old watches that had ticked their last tock were never considered much of a prize--until lately.

“You can take a length of ribbon, fasten a special bow and then suspend the watch beneath the bow with a pin backing, which you can find at craft stores, which makes it look like a watch fob that you can wear on a jacket lapel,” says Grani.

One form of outerwear that is often reported as filched from men’s closets is the leather jacket.

“I’m always stealing my husband’s motorcycle jacket,” says Piasecki. “There are many jackets that are styled so that men or women can wear them.”