“It is almost to the point, not quite, but almost, that when women get all dolled up in ultra femme finery that they are crossdressing. They are dressing as crossdressed men. Who would have thought that the ‘backwardization’ (new word alert) of clothing would be happening this fast. Seems like it's right out of Fictionmania.”
Indeed! Angel makes a good point.
Today, a woman is more likely to wear slacks than a skirt or a dress. Go anywhere and most of the women you encounter are wearing some kind of bifurcated bottom wear. Even at formal events, where you might expect to see women in skirted clothing, women are wearing formal jumpsuits rather than evening gowns and cocktail dresses.
The only place you are likely to encounter women in skirts/dresses are in professional settings like law offices. And even then, they are likely to wear masculine-inspired skirt suits so as not to appear too feminine.
On a personal note, I cannot recall the last time I saw my spouse or my daughter in skirted clothing. Nor can I recall the last time I saw my spouse wearing makeup. I guess they are depending on the man of the house to represent the “feminine” side of our family.
And what’s “feminine” anyway?
Dictionary.com defines it as “pertaining to a woman or girl.” Therefore, with regards to appearance, if women choose to wear slacks, flats, short hair and no makeup, then who’s to say that isn’t “feminine?” And if men choose to wear skirts, heels, long hair and makeup, who’s to say that isn’t “masculine?” It’s not feminine or masculine by old school standards, but the old school is closed and boarded up.
What you see on the runway, on the red carpet and in Vogue is not what you will see on the street or in the mall. A woman who is dressed to kill according to old school standards may be a male-to-female crossdresser or she may be a woman dressing like a male-to-female crossdresser – she certainly does not represent the average 21st Century woman.
Where does that leave the 21st Century male-to-female crossdresser? Does she adapt and dress like a 21st Century woman or does she become an anomaly by continuing to dress like her mother dressed in the 20th Century?
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| Wearing DressBarn |
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| Sadri Alisi and Izzet Günay femulating in the 1964 film Fıstık Gibi Maşallah (a Turkish version of Some Like It Hot). The film was remade as Fıstık Gibi in 1970. You can view the original here. |
Stana, when was the last time you bought a skirt or dress for your spouse? After all, you are choosing womens clothing for yourself. I buy dresses and tops for my wife, as I shop for myself. She loves my fashion sense. And yes, she likes to wear what I choose.
ReplyDeleteVelma 06:05Z 02/21/2020
The last time I bought a dress for my spouse was circa 1980 (I kid you not). My wife is VERY FUSSY and almost all clothing gifts she has received over the years either goes back for a return/exchange or goes unworn. I learned not to gift her clothing unless she picks it out first.
DeleteI no longer buy any clothing items for my wife either. They are typically returned. Maybe I am buying something I think she'd look fabulous wearing? Perhaps I am buying something that more suits my likes and fashion sense. My wife too is Fussy.
DeleteSorry to hear about your best efforts at couture landing with a thud.
DeleteOTOH, 'my inner gurl' NOW has an intrinsic sense of 'what' goes with 'what'. I buy clothing and jewelry for my wife quite often now, and I am 'batting about 98% on 'her' colors, as well as size! She loves my taste in womens clothes, for the both of us. This whole matter is something we can share and enjoy! Coincidentally, my wife and I share a common hair color,as well as skin tone (We both use Maybelline base #130!).
Most people need a simple graphical guide for determining which colors and shades work for each individual.... Me too!
For those who have not been made aware of the books: "Color Me Beautiful", for women, and its companion, "Color for Men" offer graphical whys and hows certain colors work for some skin/hair pallets, and not others. Dozens of copies of these books sell for pennies on the dollar on EBAY. Invest in both, and fret not about your selection of clothing and hair (wig)colors for either gender mode.
The beauty of these books, is that once you 'get it'; you 'got it'.
Soon you will know which stores have 'your colors', as well which stores to avoid.
Sorry about the 'fussy' thing with the wife. I used to have similar misguided 'sense of self' issues with clothing. Now, as a crossdresser who regularly goes out in public, I have abandoned my 'inner critic', regarding 'outrageous gurl wear', as should most persons who view themselves incorrectly in mirror as well inside their 'minds eye'.
'Friday is Thai-day'--
Today my wife and I (both dressed 'pretty') had lunch in our favorite Thai restaurant. Across the aisle and facing just me, was a 25-ish woman, sporting a short buzzed, spiked haircut, (another gender outsider?) silently mouthed to me -"I love you"- as she apparently approved of my look-- A bright, brassy blonde wig and an off-white turtleneck sweater under a black bomber jacket with indigo jeans and black high-heeled boots... All thrift store finds, except the boots.
Quite a nice comment to receive if one is a 66 year old femulator...
Velma
Dearest Stana , I still Love looking back at your old Posts.
DeleteThanks for keeping them up ,and I still love the dress -Wearing DressBarn
Rica Seas
Wearing a skirt, dress, heels and hose I see as a privilege.
ReplyDeleteby wearing jeans and slacks, they are foregoing the opportunity that only woman can do, wear a skirt or dress
I am female you can't do this
I might point out also that trousers are really ill suited for the male anatomy. There is the wedge of cloth jammed against the external genitals.
ReplyDeleteTesticles are in a sac to keep them cooler than body temperature. Trousers defeat that feature.
The only reason I can see men standardised on trousers is they rode horses
Great post based on a very insightful comment. We cross dressers do tend to dress nicer than the female population at large and if they want to compete, in many cases they have to up their game to our standards. I enjoy dressing and going out to eat or sometimes just to a bar for a drink or two. Most women, out and about, will be wearing black slacks which has become the new uniform. While you will see heels you rarely see hose or dresses or skirts. We need to get out and about to serve as style inspirations to the women of the world. Perhaps we are morphing into the world of "As the worm turns".
ReplyDeleteThe other part of the female uniform is the ath-leisure look, leggings and tops with lots of spandex. You see it everywhere on women. In the 1980's men, that were runners and tri-athletes wore the look when working out in colder weather. How it got appropriated by women as their look I will never know. Now, I never see a man in leggings as it would be considered women's attire. Life ain't fair as I would love to wear leggings when presenting as a male. Instead, I wear them when presenting as a female.
DeleteAngel Amore
I work out weekly....4 days a week, and not only do I wear tights (compression tights), many other men in my class do also. When cycling in cold weather, tights are still the norm as well (ex triathlete)....but in the past when those tights we wore in th e80s were wild colors, they are now pretty much just black.
DeleteIt's amazing how times have changed. My wife does not own a skirt, a dress, or a pair of heels, while I own more than I can count, and love wearing them.
ReplyDeleteIt would be so nice if everyone was able to dress as they pleased, without the constraints of clothing being "male" or "female"
Carolyn xx
What I don't get is women in FB makeup groups with the outlandish eye makeup looks! Almost looks like they are trying to imitate Drag Queens!
ReplyDeleteI was always taught as a CD to blend in and look normal!