A Simple Question...

[busker]

If you take a brief glance at the history of clothing, it is obvious that everything that women wear, men have worn first. In the 1350's men wore what today would be tights. Largely throughout the history men have worn fairly tight breeches or pants (cloth is expensive, difficult to make). Kings wore breeches, silk stockings, corsets, wigs, makeup and all sorts of things that are now reserved for women ONLY.
To a large extent, we have "fashion" designers who have influenced what society wears and considers to be gender appropriate. There are modern designers who have tried the androgynous look (see Pejic in a dress, he wears no forms or bra, but is impressive looking as a model). Over thec enturies, design changes, what is in fashion goes out of fashion, the everyday work has become so much more different that simplicity becomes the norm. When I first went to college, I wore a coat, tie,slacks, shoes socks and yes, even underwear. Today, the kids who go to that same college wear clothing that is either black, torn, exceedingly small, dirty, they wear chains, hobnailed boots, purple hair, you name it--but very few women wear dresses!
So a guy in a dress not only sticks out, he doesn;t conform to society's current fashion on an everyday level. The pervert part we already get. It may get even more difficult is coming years as more and more women wear "mens' fashions" to the exclusion of their fashion which could easily disappear. blending is about the only real way to do it on a daily basis for crossdressers.
There is always haute couture in NYC or LA or SF or London, but is not the norm these days.
If fashion designers are able to turn around what the average joe wears, things might happen, but looking at the number of people who seem to be les and less educated, I have no great hopes. The predicament for crossdressers is also worldwide, so perception is a great part of the problem. If we were to succeed in more public dressing, it could be that we would get what the glbt are getting, some acceptance, out of sight, out of mind kind of acceptance.
Just having a look at what people react to polically and the sorts of people that make the news these days, should give everyone a clue about how they are going to be accepted as crossdressers. Don't think for a minute that someone like Sarah Palin wouldn't be having a field day with crossdressers--it's UNGODLY, what we do.
We have a number of memebrs here from around the world, and pretty much it is the same story--we are if not hated, certainly despised for the creeps that we appear to them to be.
The lie we've been told over and over again they we are sophisticated, rich, the greatest nation in the world, was simply a lie from the ministry of propaganda (aka the WH press office). We made assumptions that educated people would be more open intellectually and more accepting of alternate anythings, but I rather doubt that many of us sexigenarians (that's people over 60) will live to see the day.
So, keep dressing in your closets, run to the malls when you can, and enjoy you time on earth. THe journey's the thing, not the destination.