How to dress like a guy, but look like a girl

Dude-inspired clothing and accessories for women is definitely hot right now. From boyfriend jeans and military jackets, to stealing a white tee from your main squeeze, all that smells like after shave is gold.

What they (magazine editors and the Rachel Bilson's of the world) do not tell you is that wearing clothing originally designed for men can, in fact, make you look, well, manly. Since we are not all cut from the same paper as Miranda Kerr and Jen Aniston and don't have personal stylists, we can look dowdy in our hip and trendy plaid shirts and converse sneaks.

Here a few tips to help you still look like a sexy woman when dressing like a man:
1. Don't go all man. Wear your boyfriend jeans with sexy pumps or throw on a boyfriend blazer with fitted, low v-neck t-shirt and funky necklace.
2. Yes, this style is lose-fitting. But it's not baggy. You shouldn't look like you are swimming in clothes. If you are, don’t wear the piece or find a great way to fit the clothes to your body. For example, if your man's plaid flannel tee is a large and you're more like a small, roll up the sleeves and throw on a skinny belt, some sexy legging, thigh high, flat, black boots, mascara and shimmery lip gloss. Oh, and don't forget to brush your hair. The look is "hipster chic", not "I need a shower".
3. Be confident about what you're wearing and don't let the look wear you.
4. If you're not sure about the "boyfriend" look, then ease into it. Buy one male-inspired piece at time and, for the love of Michael Kors, don't wear all your dude items at once (see number 1).
5. Follow your fashion instincts. If you think you're going a bit over the top, you probably are.
6. Don't forget to wear some make-up. Wearing your man's clothes isn't an excuse to not touch up your already lovely face. Go ahead and wear pink lip gloss when you're donning the military jacket. And please, (as I said in number 2) don't forget to brush your hair.
7. Accessories will save you from going full on dude. Invest in a great, long necklace, some geode earrings and a big, jade ring - and wear the hell out of them.

This look is all about the balance between masculine and feminine - balance is the operative word. Here are some suggested pieces that I think work deliciously well together: