diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 03ccde388b..fcbf3805b9 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -408,8 +408,6 @@ void NpcAnimation::updateParts()
             if (bodypart.mData.mType != ESM::BodyPart::MT_Skin)
                 continue;
 
-            if (!mNpc->isMale() != (bodypart.mData.mFlags & ESM::BodyPart::BPF_Female))
-                continue;
             if (!Misc::StringUtils::ciEqual(bodypart.mRace, mNpc->mRace))
                 continue;
 
@@ -435,6 +433,20 @@ void NpcAnimation::updateParts()
                 }
                 continue;
             }
+
+            if (!mNpc->isMale() != (bodypart.mData.mFlags & ESM::BodyPart::BPF_Female))
+            {
+                // Allow opposite gender's parts as fallback if parts for our gender are missing
+                BodyPartMapType::const_iterator bIt = sBodyPartMap.lower_bound(BodyPartMapType::key_type(bodypart.mData.mPart));
+                while(bIt != sBodyPartMap.end() && bIt->first == bodypart.mData.mPart)
+                {
+                    if(!parts[bIt->second])
+                        parts[bIt->second] = &*it;
+                    ++bIt;
+                }
+                continue;
+            }
+
             BodyPartMapType::const_iterator bIt = sBodyPartMap.lower_bound(BodyPartMapType::key_type(bodypart.mData.mPart));
             while(bIt != sBodyPartMap.end() && bIt->first == bodypart.mData.mPart)
             {