random conversations & thoughts

[Stephenie G]

The other day at work the subject comes up how some gg's don't look so good with-out there make-up etc on etc, but the reply from the gg's in the room kinda caught me of gaurd as they said atleast they can change their look any time they want & not be so boring as men in there dress. So thinking, i think us men would be more willing to dress it up (make-up etc)if it was more socially accepted.I know I would wear heels every day,make-up way more often & a lot more fem larying. Accoriding to stats Canada that 90 % of men would wear womens unerwear if acceptable & i think it was 60% for other womens clothes if it was acceptable . So who knows maybe men will be able to wear what we want when we want. In another story my wife comes into the living room & says i was cleaning the bathroom drawers the other day & i decided to put your make-up sponges in the same jar as mine(this is the women that said men don't wear make-up when i told her i bought some)strange week for Stephenie g

[JoAnnDallas]

Back in the 1700's and early 1800's men did wear more fem items and was socially accepted. Men wore wigs, lacy clothing, makeup, lipstick, nail polish, perfume, and high heels (2-3").
Then advances in medicene, hygiene, war, and fashions changed all that.
Also conquering the Western part of the USA durning the 1800's changed mens fashions a lot.

[Zarabeth MacAllister]

Indeed they did in the 1700s. One can find references throughout almost all of history that indicate the wearing of what was considered Fem items. So what we do isn't such a big deal

Zara

[Ann Stef]

In the Roman empire, men wore skirts. By 1700's all the frills then. What is the big deal now? Women wear pants and suits. We should havwe equal rights.

[Jennifer M]

I have been thinking about this subject for a very long time now.I have concluded that for the most part we can wear whatever we want.I have been out in the past as Jennifer. I know people read me but nothing was ever said.I read threads about how some where womans clothes all the time with no real problems.Maybe it is more about attitude than the clothes we have on.Maybe I am way off base in this thinking or maybe we have it better than we realize

[ChristineK]

Earings was always one! Men were the first to ever wear earings. I have heard the farce of the left ear is ok but the right ear means you are gay.

I work in a very professional environment for the government and I have both ears pierced and my boss (female) likes it. I have to work in situations that the wrong decision can mean life or death for me and those around me and people respect me at high levels.

Nobody, I mean NOBODY cares that both my ears are pierced and I work in the level of sensitive/secret. I get called into the big wigs office and I have studs in both ears and they listen to what I have to say.

What you portray is more important than the look you have in some office environments. This does not work in every environment and you have to fit yourself to that environment

[Kandis]

What you portray is more important than the look you have in some office environments. This does not work in every environment and you have to fit yourself to that environment

You are absolutely correct on this one. I have hair that falls mid-back length, both ears pierced and currenlty sport a goatee (preparing for the next renaissance festival coming up, need to look the part ya know). I work in corporate sales and I don't have any problems with my appearance at all. I keep my hair neatly pulled back into a braid, and when I walk into the executives office, sure I get the occasional "Uh Oh" look, but once I open my mouth and start talking to them, they realize, "Okay, this guy knows his stuff", and everything goes smoothly. It's a matter of how you present yourself and carry yourself that you are judged by most, not how you look.

[Absaroka]

It' more a question of not wearing what I don't want to wear than of wearing what I want.

Absaroka

[Anita]

From Wikipedia:
"Nearly every human society throughout history has distinguished between male and female gender by the style, color, or type of clothing they wear and has had a set of norms, views, guidelines, or even laws defining what type of clothing is appropriate for each gender"

Wikipedia is not the last word on any subject, but this statement (from the article about crossdressing) seems to fit. I can't quite figure out the exceptions listed in this thread, which we've all heard about--the wigs, make-up, and other femme items in the 1700s, for instance.

One thing that comes to mind is that these wig-wearing men were royalty, lawyers, and diplomats. The common man was wearing his coonskin cap and frontier overalls--no frills for him. It's as if some future generation reads about the "metrosexual" men of the 90s, and thinks that everyone dressed that way.

I'm happy to hear stories like the ones Christine and Kandis are telling. It takes some time on the job and some clout to be able to dress more as you like, but it can be done.

As far as that poll, Stephenie--I have my raised eyebrows about the high percentage of men that would wear women's clothes if it were acceptable. Mind you, I don't doubt so much that it might be 60% in reality. It's more that I doubt that men would be truthful when answering such a question on a poll.

[Lynn Edwards]

i feel it is more a matter of how you are presenting yourself than what you look like or what you are wearing. i find it fairly easy to go out in male mode while wearing items that are clearly meant for a female and not have any noticable reactions. i wear tight low rise jeans most of the time and i have yet to see anyone react to them, other than a small group of 12 to 14 year old girls at a movie. even then i just looked thru them and kept smiling and they calmed down. even my wife often fails to note the difference...

As far as that poll, Stephenie--I have my raised eyebrows about the high percentage of men that would wear women's clothes if it were acceptable. Mind you, I don't doubt so much that it might be 60% in reality. It's more that I doubt that men would be truthful when answering such a question on a poll.

how someone answers a poll is often a matter of how the question was worded and presented. if you are worried that someone would detect how YOU answered that question, you'd surely have reservations on how you answered. and then who asked and their perceived motivation for asking can be just as important to the answerer. in a 'perfect' world i could see 60% to 90% of males not having an issue with wearing female clothing. the real question though is, would they actually wear women's clothing if others knew they had them on? in today's reality many die hard crossdressers may not be able to answer yes to that one.

[CherryLynn]

I enjoyed the HBO series john Adams- there this one scene in France where the noble men are wearing just as much makeup as the ladies. i also love the story of Chevalier d'Eno- who was forced king to dress and live as a lady.