Feel sorry for young CD's

[Judith96a]

I LOVE 40's, 50's, 60's even 70's fashion (as regards the 70's & early 80's it's mostly the shoes). Yes I have fond memories of women habitually wearing skirts/dresses and "heels" in contexts where today they are much more likely to wear some form of trousers (the current fashion is rather inconvenient for those of us who like to wear skirts/dresses).

HOWEVER, young CDs today have a much wider range of options than us over 50s had back then. The level of tolerance (at least where I play) has changed dramatically for the better. The internet has opened up a level of communication and information that I never dreamed of when I first pulled on a skirt.

So, if I had a magic wand I wouldn't hesitate to wave it and influence today's fashion designers to resurrect 40's etc fashion but I wouldn't go back there as a CDer (or a GG) for all the proverbial tea in China!

[CherylFlint]

It's all in the mind, but I agree with you nevertheless.

[Renee Elise]

Have to respectfully disagree on this one...it's a great time to be a crossdresser! Thanks to the internet you can have whatever style suits your girly self at your fingertips...many options for vintage looks too. And much wider ranges of options for what is now "in style." I just love Ariana Grande...she blends a very nice sexy, elegant look together. Looks like pantyhose are making a comeback...I've noticed Katy Perry wears them often as well. Looking back at my teenaged self I would have been in love with her and her outfits too! ariana-grande-chanel-narita-international-airport-japan-airport-style__oPt.jpg

[LeaP]

In my opinion, today's female fashions and lingerie are so boring compared to what I had in the late 60's and early 70's. It was always intoxicating putting on a panty girdle, long line bra and stockings.

The feel of the stocking tops tugging on your garters as you walked was to die for. And then then to feel a full slip gliding over your nylons. Need I say more.
And of course wearing a dress and heels was considered the norm. No such thing as capris and flip flops.

... true femininity ...

Your, er, preferences are what they are. Personally, I think a girdle is a barbaric device and that garters are kind of silly. But to each their own.

What I really wanted to comment on was the "true femininity" bit. This sort of thing is a common theme among a minority of crossdressers. I wonder if you ever think what a ludicrous thing it is for a man to be deciding what is feminine and what is not?

And by the way, you are wrong on the facts with casual clothes, including capris and flip-flops. My mother, sisters, aunts, and cousins wore both throughout the 60s. And aside from truly dress-up occasions, my mother wore pants most of the time, too.

[Isabella Ross]

What I really wanted to comment on was the "true femininity" bit. This sort of thing is a common theme among a minority of crossdressers. I wonder if you ever think what a ludicrous thing it is for a man to be deciding what is feminine and what is not?

And why, pray tell, is it so ludicrous, Lea? Are you following into the same gender trap as the bigots? That just because I was born with male equipment, I have no valid perspective on what is feminine and what is not? Femininity is entrenched in our personality, and not necessarily our bodies. Try telling KD Lang that she's feminine...

[adrienner99]

While I do not "feel sorry" for young CDS today, and I do think many wonderful styles of dresses and shoes etc. are available today, I was highly influenced by fashions of the late 50s and early 60s. Dresses with nipped waists and wide skirts, crinolines, high heels, evening gloves, red lipstick--oh, God, just the words make me excited. I wore my mother's dresses and heels as a furtive young CD in that era. The swish of a petticoat, the click clack of high heelsa nd the mere sight of a woman touching up here lipstick are what started me on my long, confusing road of CDing....

[Judith96a]

I know what fashions etc. I perceive as being "feminine". And if you ask me I'll happily say so, perhaps even at considerable length! I don't perceive that as being ludicrous; it's called having an opinion (with which you are as free to disagree as I'm entitled to have it in the first place). What I'm NOT entitled to do is to force anyone to comply with my preferences.

[Katrina26cd]

I was born in 82' so the gender equality was already in full swing but its tough going shopping now I walk into stores and get depressed only seeing jeans i have been asked before can we help you find something and i will tell them im looking for a skirt or dress and there answer is usually we dont really have any

[kimdl93]

Yeah, I wish I had been born 20 years ago...in addition to greater societal tolerance, I'd have a young slim body and flawless skin.

[NicoleScott]

What I really wanted to comment on was the "true femininity" bit. This sort of thing is a common theme among a minority of crossdressers. I wonder if you ever think what a ludicrous thing it is for a man to be deciding what is feminine and what is not?

I have no problem with a person defining femininity as they see it. I saw it as an expression of a opinion.
I identify as a male who likes to crossdress for pleasure. I have no idea how females define femininity (but I'm sure they're not all in agreement), nor how males (CDer or not) define it. Heck, I'm a male and I'm not sure how I would define masculinity. Anyway, for me, and just for visual presentation sake, I see as feminine those things which separate a woman's presentation from a man's. Women wear skirts and dresses, lingerie, pantyhose/stockings, high heels, makeup, etc. etc. etc. and men are expected not to dress that way. So as a CDer, I want to dress in the style of "true femininity" as my eyes and brain define it. I know that femininity is more than looks, but not for this CDer for the purposes of CDing. For that, I know what femininity is.

[Angie G]

I was also a teen back then but didn't do much dressing back then. I love some of the styles of the teeny boppers.
Angie

[Adriana Moretti]

I had to log on...and chime in...EVEN on this beautiful holiday weekend. Most of the points have been made already...my big one was going to be that today young cd's have the internet and a great information highway to ride, but that thunder was taken...so I will just say...you just sound old with a statement like that. ...

[Claire_tv_uk]

I was born in 82' so the gender equality was already in full swing but its tough going shopping now I walk into stores and get depressed only seeing jeans i have been asked before can we help you find something and i will tell them im looking for a skirt or dress and there answer is usually we dont really have any

you can't find a shop that sells a skirt or dress?

i find that very hard to believe.

[roxiecd]

"I think a lot of that has changed. So I'm not shedding any tears for young TG people.

Now, as for young people in general, many of whom seem to expect the world served up to them on a platter because of their priviledged upbringing, that's another story... lol.[/QUOTE]"

Here Here, Amen

[GenieGirl]

I actually always thought of this scenario in reverse. Women's fashion is much more sexier these days and stockings are more in now than they were a decade ago. I guess it all comes down to taste and age. I'm glad I am a girl of today as the older crowd might be happier dressing as girls of the past. It all comes down to what style makes you happy

Ginger

[Jessica Keys]

O'yes I too liked the late fifties and sixties fashions.
But, feel sorry for the now younger CD's....NO WAY!
Back when I was dressing you didn't even know if you were the only one in this world that liked to do that. Being born in Nebraska a CD person had no way
to get in touch with anyone else doing this.
I had to sneak around in the adult book stores and look for silly looking men in dresses to have a clue someone else was out there that might be like me.
No, the younger CD's have it made in this small world we find ourselves.
I wish I was twenty in this time now.

[Leslie Langford]

Lots of divergent opinions here on this topic, and as a "Boomer" myself, all I can say is "been there, done that".

Say what you will about the fashions of earlier decades, but at least during those periods, women still predominantly wore skirts, dresses, stockings or pantyhose, and more often than not, heels as well. Office wear was always professional and dressy, and not "schlubby" (a.k.a "business casual") the way it is today.

Any ladies of my generation here remember GG's wearing crop tops, jogging pants, or flip-flops to the office? Nah! didn't think so, either...No wonder that we "old-timers" still pine for those decidedly "feminine fashions" that first triggered our crossdressing urges, as opposed to the largely unisex fashions that are prevalent today.

That said, sometimes nostalgia just ain't what it used to be, either, as the saying goes. There were also some fashions back then that were utterly deplorable...clunky platform shoes, "bullet" bras, bell-bottoms, "muu-muus", ladies' suit jackets with exaggerated shoulder pads, "Earth shoes", the "double-knit" craze etc., etc...

Sure, perhaps GG's don't dress in as traditionally "feminine" a manner these days as we oldsters were once used to, but the flip side is that the younger ones tend to dress more "sexily" (provacatively?) instead nowadays, which gives the current generation of emerging CDers their own benchmark for their crossdressing fantasizing.

In the end, same old, same old, except that some of the details may have been changed along the way.

[Erica Marie]

Imho I think the younger generation has it made. They can dress so diverse and no one really cares. The teens now have so many fashion options. Cute and sporty all the way to digging through gramas closet and digging out things from days gone by. But honestly each generation looks back and I think they missed what was in style "back then" because it is what they were accustomed to.

[Thrymr's Bane]

Clothing styles are indeed way more diverse right now than they ever have been, I think, where styles from the last 100 years and sometimes beyond are commonly borrowed from, and clothing and lingerie can still be as complex and classy as you want it to be. Day to day wear has become more casual, but honestly I think works better for most people. It's nice to get fully dresses up for events and parties but to say that people should go back to doing it for cleaning their house or going out for some milk is a bit absurd.

As a side note, I've noticed that wearing very casual clothing paired with very elaborate lingerie is kind of a trend now.

[Stephanie47]

I won't get into the debate concerning outerwear; dresses, skirts, etc. I have a teenage granddaughter who is very fashion conscious. She looks terrific in any style. I will say the choices for lingerie; slips and nighties, is rather limited these days. Go to any women's department and try to find a slip. If you find a slip it'll be in white, black or nude/beige. There are some e-commerce stores, and maybe a specialty retailer I do not patronize, who have a slip or two in pink or blue. Travel back to the 1970's and 1980's. Actually, travel back to my collection of slips. I always waited for seasonal slips. Red and pink at Valentine's Day. Pastels during the spring; yellows, blues, greens, pinks. Fall colors in autumn; browns, greens. The lace on the bodice and hems were exquisite. Floor length nightgown were designed with the shape of a woman's breast in mind. Now? It's difficult to find much of a selection in the stores. There are some specialty e-commerce retailers who have very alluring gowns. It seems they are for a more "mature" figure, i.e., plus size. The last time my wife and I were in a lingerie department it seemed the lingerie was made for flat chested women. I can only assume the designs were to cut down on labor hours.

Anyway, whatever dresses or skirt a woman chooses to wear, there's a lot of "fun" to be had once the dresses is off and the sexy slip is there. Everyone likes to unwrap a present, no? "Cat-On-A-Hot-Tin-Roof?"

[lynnef]

I feel like it's up to the individual, admittedly many of today's styles are pretty unexciting, although if "$country_and_time_you_live_in" styles aren't exciting or attractive to you, we have the internet, and thrift stores.
That's also not counting all the anime/manga/video game inspired clothes, (some MTF/FTM crossplayers can work miracles with what they have...) yes, there are some young people that wear cosplay in their daily life (I wish I could be one of them, alas)

it really comes down to what *you* prefer, we're all on the fringes of society anyway, might as well enjoy it and be ourselves

[Amanda L.]

My two cents worth!
It is easier to be CD today. There are greater choices, styles, fabrics and specialty items than ever before. The nostalgia lines are still available for those that want them. I do agree that some of the vintage items might be of better quality and the retro fashions are very cute but i adore todays funky fashions and tend to mix between eras.
Also CD lifestyle seems more acceptable by today's generation. They might be the ' I want' generation but they tend to be more accepting and less judgemental.
I agree with Renee, it is a great time to be a cross dresser and as Ginger said "Im glad I am a girl of today" it gives me so much vitality and confidence to peruse my interest.
I can always find what I want online, wether local or O/S. if I can't then I become a very Cross Dresser.
Luv
Amanda

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Diedre, Growing up in the 40s' & the 50s' The women always looked so wonderful and I have a love of the vintage fashions.

The young Crossdressers today are so lucky to have the internet with a wealth of information and forums to
help them understand this program, In my day info. about CDing was few and far in between.

[Kris Avery]

All,

I love the styles from today, as well as all the fabrics. I would, however, tend to agree that there is a growing population of women who slop around in less classy clothes. I'm not worried about that.

I'm more worried how *I* look and am glad to have access to so many styles I can easily "outside under-dress" (when out by wearing feminine styled girl clothes) that don't scream "man in dress".

That allows me my outlet since I'm not fooling anyone. When at home either with SO or alone - well, then the dresses and the hose come out.

I appreciate that everyone has a difference sense of style and what is 'acceptable'.

[Melissa Rose]

While I understand the sentiment of the OP, I believe women (and by default CDs) today have it much better fashion-wise. I have no desire to see women restricted by the fashions and expectations of that era. You may look out of place, but you could dress in older styles today and get away with it. In some cases, it may even be cool to some for being retro. The reverse is not true. There are many fashions today which could not be worn in polite company 30 or 40 years ago without causing a fuss or scandal. Today, the fabric, color and style choices are much better along with ease of care. There is a big differences between clothing being functional and fashionable and it is being fetishized to some degree. There is no way I would want to wear the fashions of the 50s, 60s and 70s to work compared to what I get to wear today.