Trying to express yourself in a gender affirming way can be difficult. Finding clothing and undergarments can be even harder — but don’t worry, we’re here to help: 

MALL SHOPPING GUIDE: 

If you have friends who are supportive of your identity, consider recruiting one or two of them to accompany you to the mall. This will alleviate any fear you may have of shopping in a different section than you’re used to, and they can give feedback and advice on what clothing to wear. Better yet if the friend is of a similar gender identity to you. It’s a journey both of you can embark on together. 

If you feel awkward about buying your clothing, there’s always the age-old excuse of your “sibling.” Whether you actually have a sibling or not, store owners and other shoppers will often drop any snide remarks with the simple excuse of “this is for my little sister.” 

Once you arrive home, hiding your new purchases can be hard. Bring a backpack or some sort of casual NON-shopping bag to the mall. That way when you get back home, all your purchases are hidden from your family. In this way, any questions about what you may have purchased can be dodged easily. 

Remember: people generally don’t ask questions if you appear confident and nonchalant. If you loiter or look too unsure about picking out clothing, this increases the likelihood of someone asking about you or interacting. Stay cool! 

ONLINE SHOPPING GUIDE: 

The first thing you’ll need to do is grab a soft measuring tape, the type typically used for sewing. Keep this handy for later. 

Now, time to browse. If you’re already familiar with the world of online shopping, you may have several sites in mind to buy clothing from. If not, look up types of clothing and fashion you think looks cool! Typically, sites to get said clothing will be returned on google. 

Once you’ve found your pieces, measure the parts of your body necessary to choose the correct size. Note whether the site uses inches or centimeters.

The most difficult part is paying. If you’re lucky enough to have a debit or credit card that is unmonitored by your parents, then paying is easy enough. However, if that is not the case, there are several solutions: 

• Have a friend or trusted adult buy the items for you, and pay them back later in cash. 

• Ask for specific items as birthday/christmas gifts from friends, and hide them once you receive the items. 

The same applies for shipping problems — if you are afraid of your family discovering the clothing you have bought, shipping packages to a friend’s house and bringing them home afterwards is always a foolproof plan. 

We hope this helped. And happy shopping!