Let's face it--you were never a clothes horse, and you actually believed it when the other kids on the playground said, "You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny!", especially when you may have been forcibly subjected to wearing knee-highs and frilly dresses.  Well if you're here, then you've obviously broken away long ago from that nightmare, but the question is, what do you do now?  In this section, no matter what stage you're in, I'll give you some tips on how to dress like a manly man--strike that, a respectable man.  No, strike that too--a well-dressed man who need not spend what he should be saving for surgery on a pair of elevator shoes.

Okay,  you've bound yourself (or have already had the fortune of having had surgery), you've shaved and slapped on the aftershave & cologne, and you've had your T shot (or even if you haven't, again, this is for guys in all stages).  What next?  Shopping!  Ahh, the smell of commerce and sweatshop-made garments in the morning.  Hold on a sec, guy--you say you have a budget the size of the change in MC Hammer's wallet?  Not a problem.  I can take you to several places where you can get the goods.  But first, we've got to decide exactly what you want and need.  Let's start from the bottom up (Dale's favorite way to go).

Shoes (plus socks and underwear):  If you're a tall transman, your biggest worry is getting shoes that fit your growing feet (your feet have a tendency to grow once you're on testosterone, and it's not unlikely that you could go up a half size.  Captain Johnathan did.).  For some short guys, transmen and biomen alike, their vertically challenged bodies are a source of frustration and low self-esteem, and they'll do anything short of a Bobby Brady stunt to appear taller (The Artist Formally Known as Net Unfriendly wears huge heels to add to his 5' 4" stature).  The way I look at it, you can either do one of two things:  get over the dang hangup because you've got bigger (no pun intended) things to worry about, or do something and find a way to soothe yourself by actively modifying your height through your shoes.  Either way is work, but for this page's sake, let's try the latter.  Onward and upward...

Pants, Jeans, Dress Slacks:  Again, if you're tall, no real worry.  If you're short, though, you may have trouble finding pants with an inseam that fits (ones that you don't have to cuff or hem up).  What's an inseam, you say?  Well, unlike women's pants and stuff (measured in a ridiculous system of "Size 5" to "Size 13" and so on), men's pants are measured by your waist size--the first number--and your inseam length (the inches from the bottom of the crotch to about the ankle or so).  A very common measurement is 36W/34L.  Short men, however, measure anywhere from a 34L to 26 or 28L.  This can be a plus in some ways and a boon in others:  sometimes the sizes that are produced by some companies (like Levis) are so unpopular that they get shipped to discount department stores (a plus), but other times the sizes are of such little value to the clothing manufacturers that they don't even bother making them (a boon, sort of a slight [sic] against the shorter man).  Well, enough of this, let's get to it...

Shirts, Jackets, Coats:  Well, picking up the size lingo here is also alot like learning how to read pants tags, as men's dress shirts aren't as simple as S-M-L-XL anymore.  Men's dress shirt sizes, namely the ones embroidered on that little tag just under the brand name go by the size of a guy's neck.  Yep, you heard me.  A 15 1/2 will fit a guy whose neck measurement is 15 1/2" around.  Simple, eh?  Of course, be wary of the "LONG" tag (which means if you're a regular guy who buys a 15 1/2 LONG, you'll end up with sleeves dragging along the floor) or anything that says "One Size Fits All" (as many heftier guys will attest that one size does not fit all).  Keep your shirt on...

Ties, Accesories:  What male wardrobe would be complete without at least one tie (save for Charles Manson's...or Marilyn Manson, for that matter).  Even Dale has a crapload of ties.  The matter is picking the right tie to buy or wear, and not something that looks like you could use as a potholder (basically, a throwback to the wild bright psychadelic WIDE ties of the 60's...unless you're striving for the look).  Of course, you don't really want to go 80's either, with the thin "Is that a tie or a belt you're wearing around your neck?" look.  Okay, tie me up.

Now that you've explored those links, I hope you can keep in mind and put to use what I've suggested here, but this is by no means a definitive rulebook on what you should do.  Heck, if you have the cash to go spend at Macy's or Saks Fifth Avenue, go forth and spend...just make sure to remember that Dick sent you, and wouldn't mind seeing some of that trickle-down economy at work...