Jenifer asked, "What do you think will become of femulate, when there is nothing female left to emulate. We all seem to be in jeans and T-shirts these days. As a 40-something girl, I find it very had to pass or blend in with my female counterparts as they are either slobs in leggings and baggy tops or trying hard to be 18 again in skinny jeans and crop tops. A few of my female friends don't even own a dress or skirt. There is just no elegance left."
I guess this is where we separate the girls from the boys who just want to dress like girls.
The boys who just want to dress like girls will continue to seek out and wear the feminine styles from the last century. In the future, it may become difficult to buy those styles off the rack and the boys will have to resort to buying from specialty shops to buy their dresses, skirts and shoes just like the sissy crowd does today.
On the other hand, the girls will dress like cisgender girls no matter what cisgender girls are wearing. That is, to a point; tastes vary and some girls will not wear certain styles no matter how popular they may be. And whether all girls will abandon "feminine" styles completely remains to be seen.
Personally, I have yet to femulate in jeans and a baggy top because I seldom femulate in scenarios calling for very casual wear. However, if I lived full-time as a girl, I am sure jeans and baggy tops would be a part of my wardrobe.
And for what it is worth, I have shopped for women's jeans, but could not find any that fitted properly. Also, I do own and wear woman's slacks in a variety of styles, so I do not shun bifurcated womenswear per se.
Actor Sean Bean femulates in British television’s Accused, 2012.
Wearing Equipment (sweater), Current/Elliott (pants), Rag & Bone (belt),
Diane von Furstenberg (shoes) and Golden Lane (clutch).
Stana,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I accept the basis of Jenifer's questions, at least in the parts of southern New England and New York where I frequent. I see more young and older women in skirts and dresses than I seem to remember just a few years ago. I went to Mass last night and I was not the only one in a dress or skirt among the 30 or so women present. I also see a number of mid- to late-teenage girls in skirts in what would be considered casual situations.
So there is still hope for those of us who do prefer a skirt or dress over women's bifurcated clothing.
Leann
I see it too Leann, Not as common up this side of New England, but When the right crowd from NY or CT come up to do their shopping, you can clearly see they stand out, even in their sport casual. There is also a "Boots and Bling" fund raiser put on by the local fashion conscious girls up here, that sort of mix up the rural and city looks. It's quite fun.
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If you google boots and bling, you'll find many photos of this kind of event around the country. It appears the ladies are "dressing up" Just not as June Cleaver any more.
I was at a support group meeting last fall in jeans and a top, and one of the girls -- who I hadn't known all that long -- asked me, incredulously, why I wasn't in a skirt, and I told her "because it's cold."Women wear pants, leggings, etc. when it's chilly, and of course everyone shoukd be able to dress however they like. But biological males who try to emulate females have a choice: to dress like real women or some male fantasy thereof.
ReplyDeleteCome to thimk of it, that's the choice biological females have too, what with the fashion industry being chained to the male gaze and all.
Love the blog, Stana!
Dear Stana,
ReplyDeleteI suspect indeed we are looking at the end of feminine, at least for older women and "women"(us). Young women can't help looking feminine but women of a "certain"age are dressing more and more like, I was about to say like men but a in certain style which while not quite masculine is lumpen and as attractive as your average sack of vegetables. I must explain,te difference in dress between is so narrow that it is really difficult to establish a femonine niche. Why bother. As you say/imply go for the elegance of yesteryear. I always have and it will always wow.
Luv, Carolyn.
Jennifer must have been talking about my wife. She ensures that I don't wear her clothes by dressing like a slob; god-awful shorts and camp shirts all summer and jeans and sweatshirts all winter. I found a couple pair of jeans that fit and I have two pair of crops. I femulate the women in the neighborhood. Sometimes they wear skirts and dresses; sometimes they wear crops and jeans. The only time I dress like my wife is when I'm bumming around in guy clothes.
ReplyDeleteFashions are cyclical - they will be back....
ReplyDeleteWhen ever I dress "feminine" my Dee typically makes the point, "your going to stand out, no one dresses like any more.", (I was wearing a simple skirt, blouse and heels with a light sweater draped over my larger shoulders. we were going to a nice restaurant here in the valley) Of course part of this is, she consciously knows "I'm a guy in a dress!" She thinks I stand out anyway. In actuality though, I get many many more compliments when I "dress up" then I do when I just have on "baggy tops and leggings", (I like that look too! I am "a presenter", not "a passer" anyway). I really think more women would "dress up", if their peers thought about taking the time and did so. What I think happened, around some where in the feminist movement, we shunned the social pressure to "look your best".
ReplyDeleteWhen was the last time you heard any mother say, "Make sure you have on clean underwear!"? "Those are play clothes, not school clothes!" Or "Tuck your shirt in, you look like a slob!"? "It's not right to judge a book by it's cover, but people won't pick up the book unless the cover catches their eye!".
I don't think we'll ever really loose girls wanting to be feminine. Looking around we do see it in certain places, weddings, theater, special events. But, if a person doesn't have a need to put on "something special" they sink to the lowest common denominator, "comfortable"! I do think though in the distant future, we will see many many more feminine guys, making up for the loss of femininity in women, (the world has ways of balancing everything out.
I like your distinction between being a presenter and a passer. I have been using the term blending as opposed to passing. At my height, weight and age I think that passing is not a reasonable goal. I like the concept of dressing to "Look your best". Along those lines I think that the more CDs that get out and about looking like nicely, neatly and appropriately dressed women the better things will be.
DeletePat
Thank you Pat, I think Stana has used and written on this subject in the past. (she comes up with some great verbiage in her writings) I have just adapted it, as I believe the need to "pass" as a woman is some what fraudulent. (If I were a transsexual that would not be the case). Those of us whom do not desire to go through that much of a life change, I believe are just feminine bois. And the only problem is that it conflicts with society constructs. My thesis is that between male and female there are many degrees of masculinity and femininity, that have more to do with a persons feelings emotions and expressions than it does their birth sex. Anyone who can "present" themselves as their chosen gender expression well in presentation with out need to "pass", does a service to the concept that we are all beautiful and unique individuals and can be so with out threat to the group think. It's always been my experience that when in public and I present my best image either as a boi or a girl I get greater responses then I do when I don't care what I look like.
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