Why?

[Erica Marie]

Is it my imagination or do most crossdressers prefer skirts and dresses over girls pants and a top. Dont get me wrong I like the look of a pretty top and skirt too, but for most practical purposes jeans and a basic top is the most common thing worn by ggs where I am.
Maybe I should say at least for photo reasons. I notice in most of the photos that are posted a good percentage of the girls here go with fancier cloths. Maybe Im just a plain jane? I guess if I was born a girl I would have been a tomboy.

[ShriekCassandra]

Not me. I don't give a lick about dresses or skirts. Pair of tight leather jeans on the other hand....

[Jeannie]

Before everyone jumps down my throat. This only my opinion and that's all it is.

No you are not a plain jane. I have noticed the same thing here where I live. I think ggs dress that way because there is less worry about things like shaving your legs for one. Pants are also a way that allows a woman to sit without some jerk looking up her dress/skirt. But probably the biggest reason is because they are just more comfortable. We being men also tend to wear dresses and skirts because it is such a wonderfully different feeling. Shaving our legs is also different than the way we were use to. My wife would wear pants a lot but now I have her wearing skirts more often and she has rediscovered how cool they are in the scorching summers we have here on the Gulf Coast. I see a lot of ggs here going around in jogging outfits and shoes. Others wear jersey cloth shorts and things like that. Lately I have been seeing some women wearing PJ bottoms which is totally ugly and gives me the impression that they really don't care how they look however, there are a number of other reasons that they have for wearing them. I like the jeans over the heels look myself and when the jeans are pressed it can look very neat and clean.

[Jean 103]

Me I wear jeans everyday for work, so when I dress as a woman I prefer a skirt. If I were living 24/7 as a woman it would be different. I try to blend in , and have worn shorts , jeans and leggings., but if I am not putting on a skirt why bother.

[Requal Jo]

Tend to agree Erica. Where I am the gg's are more into slacks and jeans. I am finding less skirts and more slacks and coloured and floral jeans in the stores. (Even more shorts to now that summer is approaching "down under")

[sandra-leigh]

Product differentiation. :D

I have now lost track of all my "male" clothes except for one non-gendered sweat-shirt. But even with my long hair and earrings and modest bust (38B at most), people who see me in girl jeans or pants are likely to take their major cue from my face shape, and so would most likely gender me as male. Less so with skirt or dress.

And yes, women around here do still wear skirts and dresses. Not the majority of them, but it is not uncommon.

[Diversity]

In my area, I see women wearing jeans, skirts, and leggings. It's all varied.
I like the lot. I wear what I feel like wearing on the day. It is great to have the choice of skirts, jeans, and leggings. Just enjoy and wear what you feel good wearing!
Di

[biggirlsarah]

personally I prefer to wear skirts because that is what my interpretation of the female image is in my mind, I look at women who don't really take a lot of time over their appearance or choice of clothing and think why do you choose to wear something like that when you have such a large choice of pretty clothes at your disposal, although many years ago being a confirmed skirt wearer was persuaded by my wife to try trousers, so I did and they really looked and felt good so I now have in my wardrobe trousers jeans and leggings and they look and feel very feminine especially with the right pair of shoes as well.

[Barbara Ella]

Being a child of the fifties, the skirt thing is firmly implanted in my mind as what every woman should wear. I do wear slacks and jeans at times, but with two very different sized legs, the fit always leaves me looking kind of lopsided with one leg being too tight, and the other being too lose. Just my own inner self-consciousness still haunting me.

With a skirt, there is no give away, except for the two different sized shoes......Can't escape it.

Barbara

[Connie.Marie]

Erica,
I for one definitely prefer skirts & dresses. In fact, that's all I own.
I agree that they make me feel more feminine. And if I'm not going to feel feminine, why bother??
Hugs

[Vickie_CDTV]

My female persona is a traditional woman, so she always wears skirts or dresses.

On a practical level, I don't need pants in either gender. Of all of the various jobs I have done over the years, all have been done indoors, sitting, and I don't ride a horse or a motorcycle. I don't really need anything between my legs... other than what is there naturally.

[Janice An]

When I grew up girls wore dresses or skirts and boys wore pants.

If a female is showing off a great shape in pants or jeans thats nice to look at but she is still a Crossdresser.

For me as a male to crossdress its dresses and skirts.

[Robinsinclair]

I can wear pants anytime. A skirt or dress - that's a different thing!

[Maryesther M.]

CD-ing to my mind is getting away from wearing trousers/jeans. Lovely slinky tights and a flowy skirt that swirls as I walk and I don't care a toss for the legions of GGs who prance about in leggings or jeans.

M.

[Marcelle]

For me, I would most likely dress to blend with the venue. For the most part on the occasions/venues I have been to, I wore jeans and nice top as that is what most women are wearing (grocery store and malls). My last trip out, I travelled in a denim dress, denim jacket, scarf and calf length boots. When I stopped at a busy rest stop along the highway to get gas, a coffee and use the bathroom, I drew a lot of stares. Not because I was stunningly gorgeous (okay in my mind I am :)) but because my outfit was so far removed from the sweat pants, jeans and hoodies that most women were wearing and people looked. The worst were guys . . . we see long hair, dress and calf length boots and we look :heehee:. On the way home I was dressed in jeans, boots, coat and scarf and stopped at another busy rest stop. I got a few looks but for the most part people went about their business and never even glanced my way.

If I were going downtown in the summer months, a lot of women dress in smart business skirts and sundresses so I would most likely dress in a similar fashion. If I were going out to a restaurant or bar, I would most likely dress to suit the venue. For me it is about blending as I cannot pass so I prefer to be dressed like the women around me so as to deflect any "why is she dressed like that" stares.

Don't get me wrong, I love dresses and skirts but I truly believe a well accessorized outfit of jeans/slacks or even shorts can be very feminine as well.

Hugs

Isha

[stephNE]

I have noticed the same. Most GG's wear pants or jeans most of the time. For myself I prefer skirts and tops as I like to mix and match what I have, though I usually wind up in either my black skirt or my jeans skirt.

[Cynthia Anne]

I guess I'm old fashion! I prefer skirts and dresses! It's been five months since I wore slacks or jeans! I have some health problems also that make wearing skirts more practical!

[Beverley Sims]

Just look how many skirts are on sale at Walmart.
Jeans top the list, and have done so for a while.
Simpler to put on, no hose needed.
I even go for shorts in the summer or capris.

[Rabecca]

Erica, I know want you mean. GG's are all about pants and dressing down. But for me it's all about dresses and skirts. It's what I see in a real women.

[kimdl93]

I probably wear slacks 90 percent of the time, but if I want to really get dolled up, I go with a skirt or dress. Dresses are intrinsically more feminine.

[Kate Simmons]

I think it's mostly just a matter of personal preference. Also, some don't get to dress that often so go the whole 9 yards to get more bang for their buck. I prefer long skirts and dresses but quite honestly if I decided to dress 24/7 or to transition I would no doubt wear pants more for comfort and practicality.:)

[Jillian Faith]

I dress to blend in and can feel every bit as girlie in a pair of capri pants or tight girlie jeans as long as I'm wearing cute shoes (with painted toes nails if open toe), a feminine top and carrying a nice purse. Of course with hair, make-up, appropriate jewelry and a nice feminine cologne also help with my overall feminine mind set.

[Melissa Rose]

Is it my imagination or do most crossdressers prefer skirts and dresses over girls pants and a top......Maybe I should say at least for photo reasons. I notice in most of the photos that are posted a good percentage of the girls here go with fancier cloths.

I do not think it is your imagination. There is a difference between being able to dress on occasion and dressing most or all of the time. Even if you get to have your favorite food all of the time, you still want some variety especially when other factors come into play (e.g., convenience, mess level, cost, place and time). Having to eat your favorite food all of the time would change your desire level and you would crave some change after a little while.

I work in an office environment 3-4 days a week and have a moderately desk-bound job on most days. I rarely wear a dress or a skirt for comfort and practical reasons (1-2 times a month), and I wear heels a little more frequently. I work with about 20 women including the executive director and department managers and the frequency is about the same with a few minor exceptions. Many associate femininity with dresses and skirt which is understandable; however, I can still feel very feminine in dress pants and a nice blouse or sweater. One of the joys of shopping is finding work suitable outfits that are not plain and boring.

[vallerie lacy]

Hi there Erica. Let me start by saying that I thought the majority of crossdressers, were crossdressers because we enjoyed wearing clothing of the opposite sex. I will be the first one to defend anybody's right to wear anything that they wanted to. If you "girls" want to wear a pair of Carhartt coveralls and call it crossdressing than so be it. I don't consider it feminine but who am I to say. The fact that a GG is wearing slacks is from what I've heard, crossdressing on her part. If you want to wear womens slacks than that is your right and I hope you get the same thrill, that I would get from wearing a dress like my avatar and profile pics. If only I could look like them. What I'm trying to say is that I am surprised at the amount of "girls" who do enjoy wearing female jeans and slacks. Perhaps I'm just old fashioned due to the fact of growing up in the fifties and sixties. I hope no one feels that I am critical of their dressing choices.

Now for Jeannie. I am one of those jerks who love to get a look up a dress or skirt. The day that I stop looking at women's legs and up their skirts, is the day I want to die. If women were so offended by the male looking, they wouldn't wear anything above ankle length.They know we look and they're proud of what we see.

[CarlaWestin]

I own one pair of 501 Levis, my work uniform pants are all the same khaki and I have two pairs of Carhartt shorts.
In the fem wardrobe, I have 40 dresses and about 30 skirts. In my perfect world, I'd have no need for pants.

[PretzelGirl]

It is certainly going to vary among each of us and our tastes. I love to dress up too. A lot of women do also. It doesn't mean they do it every waking minute. Since I do dress probably >90% of my non-work time, it isn't going to be all skirts and dresses. There is a lot of enjoyment in putting together outfits that work for all occasions and environments. I would also think that another factor is going to be if and how much one of us gets out and about. You most certainly can wear dresses and skirts all the time and be fine but it for those who want to, it is easier to blend in some situations by being in pants.

The key from all of this? Be yourself and enjoy. Life is suppose to be about being yourself and being happy. The rest is noise.

[CarlaWestin]

It is certainly going to vary among each of us and our tastes. I love to dress up too. A lot of women do also. It doesn't mean they do it every waking minute. Since I do dress probably >90% of my non-work time, it isn't going to be all skirts and dresses. There is a lot of enjoyment in putting together outfits that work for all occasions and environments. I would also think that another factor is going to be if and how much one of us gets out and about. You most certainly can wear dresses and skirts all the time and be fine but it for those who want to, it is easier to blend in some situations by being in pants.

The key from all of this? Be yourself and enjoy. Life is suppose to be about being yourself and being happy. The rest is noise.

Reading this just made me feel so good about myself. Sue, thank you so much for your kind validating words. Deep down inside we are all beautiful.

[bridget thronton]

Skirts and dresses are cooler year round than pants (which always feel too warm). I no longer feel compelled to wear hose or slip (unless the fabric is very sheer) when I am wearing a dress to be comfortable.

[Jenniferathome]

Erica, I think pants are just too close to what we have as men, so for a cross dresser, it barely crosses. I have often wrote that cross dressers tend toward the stereotypical female image. Also, women's pants tend to make it difficult for us to hide our junk. We have to wear a tunic or such to help coverage. It's part functional and part stereotype that gets most of us in skirts and dresses.

[TxCassie]

I can relate to the discussion because I've often thought the same thing. Many GG will wear jeans, shorts, pants, etc for comfort, ease, convenience, etc... I wear trousers everyday in my male mode. I like them, but for now, I want to dress in skirt, dresses because I haven't done it so much. I also don't have to tuck as much, so it's easier for me. My body shaper, and pantyhose tuck enough for a dress. Eventually, I do want to wear shorts, jeans, slacks, but I will need to learn how to tuck properly. For me, I know it's just a part of the journey. Baby steps for me.

Cassie :love:

[Missy]

I like to wear skirts around the home and jeans when I go out into the world. having a skirt on just gives me a better feeling and more freedom

[lisa_cd]

Well that's a good question.
I guess you describe me to a T. I do prefer wearing skirts and dresses. I suppose that right now I'm at a phase where I want to be ultra-femme, and let the pink fog really roll in and envelope me completely. Skirts and dresses really do that for me.
I have bought a pair of women's jeans, and some leggings, and I really like them a lot, too. But maybe I just like baring my legs...smiles...
But you are right...most women do wear jeans now a days....
Good post...makes me think....

[Michelle789]

I think a lot of it is because we as cross-dressers dress just on occasion, be it once a week or once every few weeks, so we want to glam it up the few chances we get. A GG on average will probably wear a skirt and glam it up as often as we cross-dress.

You can definitely find outfits that include slacks, jeans, and leggings that are pretty, stylish, and definitely not boring. There are plenty of choices of pretty tops. You can also find leggings with different colors and patterns (such as animal prints). I see it all the time. A good choice of shoes (there are plenty of stylish flats), makeup, a bracelet, or other accessories can make all the difference too, and of course attitude.

If I were to live as a woman 24/7, I'd probably go for slacks/jeans/leggings sometimes and skirts/dresses sometimes, but I'd always try to look my best. I'd never go for the pajama bottom or ripped jeans or something that's just too plain or boring. I would probably wear hose more often than the average GG, but not daily.

The one exception to the rule I notice is summer dresses. During the summer months, GGs wear summer dresses more often than I see skirts and hose in the winter.

For the record, I used to work with a GG that wore hose every day during the winter, fall, and spring, and she was around 40 (hint that you're never too old or too young for hose).

My only other pet peeve is people dressing according to the calendar and not the weather. This annoys me because we often have Indian summers in California and I see GGs dressing for fall in early October and it's 95 degrees outside, just because the calendar says it's officially fall, and yet I'll see women wearing summer dresses on a cool July day just because the calendar says it's officially summer. Yes October can be warmer than July in California, especially in coastal towns. The further away from the coast you go, the more the weather starts to look like other places and stays in line with the calendar, but I can guarantee you coastal California towns weather does not conform to what the calendar says.

[Pandys]

For me, dresses and skirts partly because of a very limited wardrobe, but mostly because I don't look very fem.

[Karren H]

I loath womens jeans.... not hot or sexy.....

[Georgina]

I don't care what women wear. I wear skirts and dresses because I like them. I also love slips and petticoats and they don't work with jeans.

[reb.femme]

I can't or don't dare to wear a skirt in drab so when I go femme, preference is definitely for skirts, dresses and soft tops. My preference is and always has been toward the floating and soft materials.

However, as you quite rightly say, the standard GG doesn't seem to wear them, which is a damn nuisance. Maybe I could start a campaign for GGs in the UK to get into regular skirt and dress wearing as an underhand way of serving my own clothing preference, thus allowing me to blend more readily when done up to the nines :heehee:.


........... Also, women's pants tend to make it difficult for us to hide our junk. We have to wear a tunic or such to help coverage. It's part functional and part stereotype that gets most of us in skirts and dresses.

And I couldn't have put it better than that.

Rebecca

[Siobhan_Cross]

For me, being an extreme newbie to the whole CD world. I never have even given any thought to wearing pants or slacks. For now it's going to be all about dresses and skirts. Probably somewhat on the conservative end. However, I will have at least one "****ty" outfit. ( it's part of my DNA, LOL). It's really nice to see so much conservative dressing, I for one thought it was all about dressing in a flamboyant manner. I dunno if that is some kind bad stereotype and if it is shame on me for that. But I'm here now and I love what the future looks like. And when I said dressing ****ty I meant a tasteful ****ty and not the flamboyant ****ty LOL.

Also I think most of the time around the house I'll probably wear some lounge wear or nightgowns. And I'll save my other dressing for the weekends when I'll have much more time to dress myself and make myself look as pretty as I can

[Dani0948]

Working in retail I see about 100 gg's every eay. Only about 10% wear skirts or dresses. IMHO a woman wearing a skirt always looks better than one wearing pants.

[Mssusan]

It's so interesting reading what you observe and think about what we wear. I guess I'm the only GG reading or inspired to weigh in....

Your average middle class GG will dress for comfort and mobility, and adjust the polish and femininity to her personal taste. I know this is a generalization, but I think it's pretty accurate. Bottoms with divided legs are easier to wear than skirts and dresses, not to mention a lot warmer in winter. Then of course there's the attention factor. Sometimes we don't want to have our legs admired, so no skirts or dresses. Sorry guys ;-)

Plus, from what I understand about cross dressing, it satisfies a need and helps you relax. So, a GG who is not a FTM dresser won't get any satisfaction or relaxation from dressing in a skirt or dress. We might do it to feel pretty, but not in quite the same way as MTF dressers.

Yes, you will see more skirts and dresses during warmer weather, especially in areas like mine (Chicago) where our summers are brief and glorious. And yes, when there's a special occasion or an event calls for it, many GGs enjoy or feel compelled to wear more traditional female clothing.

Ok back to your regularly scheduled musings.....and I hope I didn't intrude.

[raven_crosdresser]

I love dresses and tights, but I have taken a liking into skinny jeans.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Erica Marie, Skirts Rule !!

[Alice B]

I think that for many of us it is in the legs. We want to show our legs and for many of us we see our legs as our best feature

[sandra-leigh]

Bottoms with divided legs are easier to wear than skirts and dresses, not to mention a lot warmer in winter.

Consider: Mittens are warmer than gloves because the heat generated by each finger and the palm gets to circulate around and warm the other fingers, whereas with gloves the fingers are isolated from each other and need to warm their own immediate area. Likewise, with jeans the heat from each leg is confined to a narrow area around the leg, whereas with long skirts or long dresses, the heat from each leg can warm the other.

The time that long skirts or long dresses can lose out is if you have a sharp wind near ground level, in which case the wind can blow up from underneath :(

Yes, I have put this into practice myself, at -30C (-22F)

[AimeeG]

Ironically I didn't wear jeans for ten years (male) and earned the nickname "jeans"! Now I look forward to wearing jeans, but I like skirts and dresses too, sometimes they're not as convenient.

[Jocelyn Quivers]

Making up for lost time consisting of the first couple of decades of denial where I tried resisting wearing anything female related. It's probably going to take a few more years of getting the dressing very girly phase out of my system before I'm at the point of copying the standard GG non professional business attire or dressed to the nine's attire.

[lingerieLiz]

Years ago skirts and dresses. Today shorts mostly and some jeans in the winter months.

[EnglishBeth]

I like to wear tight jeans with high heels. The shoes make all the difference

[Marleena]

Is it my imagination or do most crossdressers prefer skirts and dresses over girls pants and a top.
Maybe I should say at least for photo reasons. I notice in most of the photos that are posted a good percentage of the girls here go with fancier cloths.

Hi Erica when I first joined here I wasn't much of a CDer and had to learn the ropes from square one including makeup. You quickly learn that if you want action on your pictures you need to dress sexy and look convincing. I also think CDing can be a projection of how you would like to see your "dream girl" dress. Or it could be as simple as making up for lost years ( approaching 60 It was fun to post pictures of me in a minidress). As I progressed I posted a picture of me in casual wear (jeans and blouse) and the response was lukewarm at best compared to me in a short dress showing a lot of leg. I used the photo gallery as a sort of confirmation that I was doing okay and it was a slow progression. My current avatar is what I'd wear to an upscale restaurant. It's a knee length pencil skirt but looking at it now the hose need to be a darker shade.

If you're going out in public say to a mall, you'd want to dress down ( casual) like the other women. Being out in public you need to blend more unless you really want the attention, obviously.:) In the privacy of your home I would think anything goes. For a CDer it should be about fun and excitement (I think).

[Cheryl T]

My closet contains almost as many jeans/slacks as skirts or dresses. I'm comfortable being me in either style. I don't NEED a skirt to feel feminine, nor do I feel unfeminine in my slacks. I wear what I feel like wearing and what fits with where I'm going. I just can't see myself shopping at the mall in a cocktail dress and heels when all the other women are in jeans and capris.

[Judith96a]

Erica, I think pants are just too close to what we have as men, so for a cross dresser, it barely crosses. I have often wrote that cross dressers tend toward the stereotypical female image. Also, women's pants tend to make it difficult for us to hide our junk. We have to wear a tunic or such to help coverage. It's part functional and part stereotype that gets most of us in skirts and dresses.

All of the above. For me, getting to wear a dress or a skirt is a rare and welcome treat. For the mall, casual skirt and lowish heels; for dinner - dress or fancy skirt and 4/5 inch heels.

[julia marie]

I love the feeling of a skirt, particularly in summer (or a dressier skirt with nylons in colder weather). True, more women wear pants these days, but watch them (still fun) and you'll see two key things. First, they have the option of wearing skirt, dress or pants, and most do mix up their choices. (The mall is a good place to see this, but look at women coming and going from office buildings and skirts become more common). The second key thing you will notice is that even when women wear pants they dress them up, maybe with low heels, maybe a colorful top, or dangly jewelry or a scarf. For the most part they don't just present in pants and blah shirt the way guys do. They present a special look.

[Jaymees22]

Hi, I think when posting a picture here we want to look as feminine as possible so a dress or skirt makes sense. To go out and about or do certain chores then slacks or jeans are probably the best bet. Jaymee

[EllieOPKS]

I love the feeling of a nice skirt and freedom of air flowing around and through the skirt. Yet on the other hand, I tried on some girl jeans at a thrift shop. They were the most comfortable and best fitting jeans I have ever worn. I bought a pair of mint green capris and love them as well. The things that are taboo for me are short shorts and mini skirts. I like looking fem but at my age short shorts and mini's aren't appropriate.

[Janet Bern]

I really dont see any poiint to dressing in pants and shirt...
A load of makeup and a wig and feel like a guy,, Why bother?

[sl-Stephanie]

As of know I don't go out. So I wear skirts and heals. if I am going to dress only at home then I want to do it sexy. But I hope to go out one day. Then I think I would have to wear pants just to blend in with most of the women around me. I do how ever love long skirts and open toe heels.

[Michelle51]

I simply feel more femme in a skirt.

[jennloves55]

I simply love the feel of my nylons rubbing together when I walk.

[MissLiz]

I wear jeans all the time as a male, so when I dress up, I like to wear a nice skirt or dress. It makes me feel more feminine.

[Dianne S]

I prefer skirts and dresses because they are unambiguously feminine (kilts notwithstanding.)