The Secret ASOS Section the Coolest Girls Are Shopping

Dressing uniquely on a high-street budget is entirely feasible. Admittedly, it's a case of being armed with a little know-how, and we're here to provide such invaluable guidance on a regular basis. One hot tip the team at Who What Wear UK is willing to (finally) reveal is this: The ASOS menswear department is a veritable shopping haven for girls who like to mix things up a little, and we have the proof. 

Clearly, au fait with raiding the boys' rails is one of the brand's insiders, Debbie Shasanya, pictured below. She constantly shops from these lines and has kindly shared a few of her favourite outfits so you can see how this mix and match approach is done by a pro. In addition, we also received intel from the e-tailer that the men's and women's design teams are merging to work on some products together, putting a definitive stamp on fashion's move towards genderless style.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of ASOS)

On Debbie Shasanya: Lazy Oaf rugby top.

"I am not much of a minimal dresser, so I like to switch up my normal bold, colourful and print-clash outfits, and I find menswear gives me a break—whether that's in a super-oversize white tee or a simple beanie hat," Debbie says. "I also like a boxy camo jacket and have a few from reclaimed vintage (exclusive to ASOS) that I love pairing with some vintage jeans and a pair of heels."

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(Image credit: Courtesy of ASOS)

On Debbie Shasanya: Vintage Reclaimed jacket.

"Womenswear is looking more and more to the men's arena for inspiration due to the urban sports and '90s streetwear trends. Casual dressing is increasingly important, and this naturally houses genderless, oversize silhouettes, which haven't been in womenswear for quite some time," explains Sian Ryan, head of womenswear design at ASOS.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of ASOS)

On Debbie Shasanya: Patagonia men's tee.

There are some real gems hidden away in the categories your male friends have claimed for years, and much of that is thanks to the fact that ASOS's design teams have a) noticed loads of women shopping from the men's sections, and b) that men are more willing to step outside of the traditionally masculine sartorial parameters that they have been penned into for so long. So before you assume we're simply talking about bog-standard boyfriend knits (we've all been "temporarily borrowing" those for years), think again.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of ASOS)

On Debbie Shasanya: Carhartt shirt.

Looking for that all-important velvet choker? Surprise! We just found your new favourite one in the boy's department—it's £6 and emerald green. "We are seeing great reactions to unisex product on menswear (e.g., chokers, velvet, lace and kimonos) that originated from womenswear, so we are encouraging teams to work together on these," says James Lawrence, head of menswear design at ASOS.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of ASOS)

On Debbie Shasanya: ASOS menswear military camo shirt.

Check out the menswear pieces girls have been buying on repeat by going through the gallery below.

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.