How to Look Androgynous: Fashion & Style Tips

An androgynous look is one that ignores gender binaries and embraces both feminine and masculine qualities. Whether you want a more permanent androgynous look or are playing with styles to see what you like, the most important thing to remember is to choose the fashion, hair, and makeup that makes you happy. Plus, we spoke with professional stylist Joanne Gruber to get her best tips for using fashion to look androgynous.

How to Get an Androgynous Look: A Quick Guide

Aim for a balanced look with neutral colors and gender-neutral items like t-shirts, jeans, blazers, and oxfords. Mix traditionally masculine and feminine elements like a fedora and a flowy blouse. Use natural-looking makeup and try gender-neutral haircuts like shags or pixies.

Section 1 of 5:

Androgynous Fashion for Femmes & Feminine-Looking People

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A truly gender-bending look relies heavily on black, white, and shades of gray. While the occasional splash of color can amp up your look, you should typically stick with more neutral tones. ^{[1]
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Tight pants will show off your curves and feminine figure, which is the opposite of what the androgynous look is about. Stick with pants that are a bit less fitted. Boyfriend jeans are a nice option and look great paired with a t-shirt and cardigan. ^{[2]
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Pick an oversized shirt to downplay your feminine figure. Gruber recommends looking for oversized shirts. If you’re shopping in the women’s section, look for “boyfriend” cuts. A loose top will hide your figure better than something super-fitted.
- Get a few men’s button-up shirts in a variety of colors or prints so that you can mix and match them with various bottoms.
- Try wearing a simple white button-up under a cardigan with a pair of boyfriend jeans and canvas sneakers.
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Choose a boat-necked top to broaden your shoulders. As far as necklines go, a boat neck top is perfect for the androgynous look as it is a mix of masculine and feminine. It makes your shoulders look wider and your neck shorter and more masculine to balance feminine features. ^{[3]
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- Pair a printed boat-neck top with corduroy pants and oxfords for a chic androgynous style.
Vests are a great, genderless way to add style to your basic pieces, especially for work. ^{[4]
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Research source} Layer a vest over a plain or printed top and pair it with neutral pants and boots. Add a watch to complete the look.
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Choose a blazer for a more androgynous style. Look for old-school men’s suits – like double-breasted jackets – that have been recut to fit women’s bodies to get the best fit, recommends Gruber.
- Pick a blazer in a fun print and layer it over a plain shirt. Add boot-cut jeans and a canvas sneaker to keep it casual, or pair it with black pants and Oxfords for a dressier look.
- Try a blazer in a neutral color, like navy, to pair with bold or printed tops and bottoms. ^{[5]
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To dress more like a guy , choose some items in traditionally masculine fabrics, like tweed, corduroy, or leather. ^{[6]
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EXPERT TIP

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist
Joanne Gruber is a Professional Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. She has worked in the fashion and style industries for over 10 years, specializing in educating people on the art of re-purposing existing clothing to freshen up a wardrobe. Joanne opened The Closet Stylist in 2007, a personal style service combining wardrobe editing with organization.

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist

Many fashion brands are catering to androgyny. We're seeing changes in how brands are designing their collections and the way they represent themselves in stores. Some brands have stopped separating clothes by gender on different sides of the stores, which creates a really uniform shopping experience.

Section 2 of 5:

Androgynous Outfits for Masculine-Looking People

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Wear fitted bottoms, which are more common in women’s fashion. One way to dress more androgynously is to choose pieces that add elements of women’s fashion. ^{[7]
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Research source} Rather than opting for baggy pants, choose a more fitted bottom.
- Choose skinny jeans or well-fitted dress pants.
- Wear a cardigan over a t-shirt paired with skinny jeans and canvas sneakers for an everyday androgynous look.
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Try harem trousers for a more gender-bending look. Harem trousers have a partial skirt around the waist and taper toward the ankle. It’s a way of blending masculine and feminine elements, which is key to an androgynous look. ^{[8]
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- If you’re ready for a bold look, try pairing harem trousers with a fitted button-up shirt.
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Choose tailored or cropped tops to amp up your gender-bending style. Fitted and cropped tops that expose your midriff are great for masculine-looking people who want the androgynous look. ^{[9]
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Research source} Rather than wearing a loose t-shirt, pair a tailored top with your favorite jeans to look more feminine .
- Add canvas sneakers or oxfords to complete the look.
Blouses are flowy tops that may be gathered at the waist or hips. They are often sheer or made from fabrics like linen or satin. It’s not as uncommon as it once was for men to wear blouses, and even Gucci recently developed a line of men’s blouses. Pair a blouse in a bold color with fitted pants in a neutral tone. ^{[10]
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A floral print can add a feminine touch to your overall look. You can wear floral pants with a white button-down or pair corduroy pants with a floral top. Finish the look with a portfolio or briefcase and a great watch. ^{[11]
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Choose items made from traditionally feminine fabrics, such as lace, silk, satin, and velvet. Pair a velvet blazer with skinny jeans and canvas sneakers, or dress it up with fitted black pants and oxfords.

Section 3 of 5:

Androgynous Accessories

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Add a leather belt to emphasize your gender-neutral style. Gruber recommends buying belts in the men’s section to add a more masculine touch to your wardrobe. Try thinner women’s belts to add feminine energy to your gender-neutral outfits .
- Choose a leather belt in black or brown for a versatile, chic accessory. Wear it in the traditional style, or sling it low around your hips. ^{[12]
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Gruber says a good pair of oxfords is an androgynous staple because it’s typically worn by both feminine- and masculine-looking people. Pick a pair in brown or black, and wear them with jeans or dress pants. ^{[13]
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Try canvas sneakers with nearly any outfit. Get two pairs, one in a neutral color and one in a fun print or with a bit of bling, so you have a pair to coordinate with any outfit. ^{[14]
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You can go for a fedora , newsboy cap , trapper, or even a baseball hat. Try wearing a newsboy cap with a button-up, jeans, and oxfords. ^{[15]
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Wear a watch that challenges gender norms. As a more feminine-looking person, choose a bold, chunky, metallic men’s watch to compliment your androgynous look. Pick one with a bit of bling, or stick to a simple style. Alternatively, choose a wooden watch for a trendy but natural look. Roll up the sleeves on your button-up or cardigan to show off your watch. ^{[16]
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- Pick a smaller, more delicate women’s watch to add more of a gender-neutral feel if you look more masculine.
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Choose a portfolio or briefcase as a gender-bending piece. As far as bags go, a portfolio – a combination of a briefcase and a purse – is the perfect mix of feminine and masculine. Choose a leather portfolio in a neutral color like black or brown so you can use it every day.
- Alternatively, choose a briefcase in a fun fabric, such as suede, or a bold color or pattern.

Section 4 of 5:

Androgynous Makeup

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Use matte powder to create a natural look and hide blemishes. Avoid adding a full face of foundation or bright eyeshadow or lipstick. ^{[17]
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People with features traditionally thought of as masculine can tweeze their eyebrows for a more feminine shape. People with features traditionally thought of as feminine should allow their brows to grow out naturally or brush their brows upward for a bushier, boyish look. Fill in your brows, but stick to their natural shape. Concentrate on the outer ends of your brows. ^{[18]
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A neutral eye shadow can help blur the gender lines. Choose a neutral color of matte shadow or amp up your look with a glossy shadow in a color close to your skin tone. ^{[19]
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Apply eyeliner to either the top lid or the top and bottom lids. Avoid flicking the liner at the corners of your eyes for the cat-eye look, which is traditionally feminine. Choose liquid eyeliner for a bold look and pencil eyeliner or dark eyeshadow for a more subtle look. ^{[20]
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Glossy, subtle lips are a great way to get an androgynous look. Swipe on a clear gloss or choose a rosy gloss to add some color. You can also wear a “your lips but better” lipstick color that matches your natural lip color for a truly neutral look. ^{[21]
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A chiseled jaw is often seen as a masculine feature. Sweep a matte bronzer along your jawline to add definition. ^{[22]
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Highlight your cheekbones with a shimmery blush . Experiment with applying contour to create a slender neck and less-defined jawline. ^{[23]
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Section 5 of 5:

Androgynous Hairstyles

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Though you don’t have to have short hair to get the androgynous look, you may want to go all in. Consider a pixie cut or even a buzz cut or a shaved head. ^{[24]
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Slicked-back hair can ramp up the edginess of your look. Use gel or pomade to create a sleek and shiny style. A slicked-back grown-out pixie cuts look especially chic. ^{[25]
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Your hair doesn’t need to be short or slick for an androgynous look. Embrace your curls and add a bit of edginess to your look by styling your locks into a faux-hawk . You can also shave the sides of your head for a true mohawk.
Androgynous icon Joan Jett was famous for her shaggy hairstyle. Both men and women can embrace the shag look. As a bonus, it’s a versatile, low-maintenance style that you’re likely to love.
Don’t be afraid to add a pop of color to your look by tinting your hair. Add subtle highlights or go for a bold color like purple. Experiment with different options to see which you like best.

Break Out of Gender Norms with this Expert Series

You have the right to dress however you like, and, if you're looking to dress as a man or just look more masculine, we have an expert series just for you. These articles will help you crossdress, present as male, and generally look more masculine.

1

Crossdress As a Man (for Women)

Pass As a Male (For FTMs)

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Do I need to cut my hair to look androgynous as a girl?

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No way! Rock your own style. Don't let anyone tell you how you should dress or how long or short your hair should be. What's most important is that you feel like you. There are plenty of guys with long hair and girls with short hair so hair length does not have to correspond to any particular gender/identity.

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What if I live at home and this kind of thing isn't allowed? My mother won't let me cut my hair and she always makes me wear girly clothes. What should I do? BTW, this really helped.

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Tell her that you feel like you should make your own choices on how you dress, and not have other people decide for you. Explain why it's important to you. Tell her that you respect her opinion, but you think you should dress how you want. She may not come around right away, be persistent.

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How do I become popular if I am queer?

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Be outgoing and kind to everyone, even people you don't like. Get involved in activities - theater and poetry tend to be very accepting of the LGBTQ community, though you can do whatever you like. Embrace your style and queer identity, and be yourself.

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If you’re trying to add more masculine energy , use more confident body language, like greeting people with a firm handshake or sitting with your legs apart.

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To project more feminine energy , speak with an upward inflection when you talk and sit with your legs crossed.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

You don't have to bind if you don't want to. You can have boobs and still be androgynous. Clothes don't always matter either, and you can look however you want and still be androgynous.
Another good way to bind is to wear a sports bra and then put another one over the top, but backward.
Try wearing a beanie or a hat.

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How to Look Androgynous: Fashion & Style Tips

How to Get an Androgynous Look: A Quick Guide

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Androgynous Fashion for Femmes & Feminine-Looking People

Androgynous Outfits for Masculine-Looking People

Androgynous Accessories

Androgynous Makeup

Androgynous Hairstyles

Break Out of Gender Norms with this Expert Series

Community Q&A

Tips

Tips from our Readers

Video

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