My two bob's worth...
On the issue of clothes, go shopping with women who have style sense and TAKE THEIR ADVICE. Women love dressing a man, and if you want to be attracted to women, what better advice could you get? You mention that you have developed friendships with a lot of women - good, pick out the most stylish and ask them to come with you shopping. I abrogated most of my clothing decision making long ago to a couple of women I know have good taste. They know what they're talking about, I don't. I always get compliments about my dress sense.
With regard to your problem of forming friendships but not relationships, you are spending too long in comfort (but I guess you figured that out already). I have had this problem too in the past, and it was coming to this community that helped me fix it. Comfort is vital - that is where the game is won or lost - but you must ESCALATE through comfort. I'm guessing you are getting too comfortable in comfort (pardon the pun). Since you seem to have little trouble getting that far, really concentrate the escalation phasing - the
kino, hook/release, becoming more and more intimate and "sexual". You must be prepared to move on once you feel the game is not on. Keep all women as friends, of course, but don't waste your valuable gaming time on being the perennial agony aunt. Move on and up.
You have done a great job with yourself - I feel you have only small mountains to climb.
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