Classic menswear to fit the smaller female frame

By Sonia Oram

So you have a rehearsal dinner and you know you can’t get away with wearing your ripped Ani DiFranco T-shirt. Combining men’s suits, shirts and ties with women’s oxfords will give you a well-fitting formal outfit that makes your honey weak at the knees while also showing her family what an upstanding choice you are for their baby munchkin-sugar-cutie-pie-doll-face. Topman is one of the few stores that carry men’s clothes small enough to fit female-bodied people with smaller frames like myself, as its sizes go smaller than other men’s brands.

Topman Dark Sand Tailored Peak Suit: Topman’s suits, such the one pictured above, come in a variety of female-friendly sizes, including short-legged pants. You might need to get the shoulders taken in a little, but since it’s already a slim fitting suit, it conforms to women’s bodies better than most men’s suits I’ve seen. Available at Topman for $320.

Topman White Premium Dress Shirt: Pair the suit with a variety of dress shirts—Topman’s dress shirts have sizes ranging from XXS to XXL. A good tip for making men’s shirts fit over hips is to have a tailor take up the length of the shirt. Available at Topman for $56.

Joseph & Feiss Black Satin Tie: A simple black tie can go a long way. The solid color allows the richness of the dark sand suit to speak for itself. Available at Men’s Wearhouse for $19.99.

The Frye James Oxford: Matching the dark lapels, The Frye James Oxford in Black Vintage Leather is among the few men’s style dress shoes made for women. These well-priced old-school style classics will last you well beyond your rehearsal dinner. Available at ShopStyle.com for $198.