A "what if" thread. Move on it you hate them! Clothes that don't flatter.

[Alice Torn]

This might not make much sense, but sometimes i wonder, if fashions for women suddenly went back to several hundred years ago styles, and modern fashions were no longer available, or if we went to middle east standards. No make up or wigs either! Modern dress, which flatter the figure and legs, and face, no longer available. Would you still find it fun dressing in long robes, with scarves, , or 16 th century dress? Some of you love to wear the pre modern wear, and renaissance dresses, i know. For me, it would be a little disconcerting , but, maybe if actually in such straits, might be ok.

[AllieSF]

I think that it would depend on if we were actually born during that time period and never had any idea about modern fashions. I like the older fashions sill today. I do not think that burqas, long plain robes and the like would do much to encourage me to dress as a woman.

[Alice Torn]

Allie, Thanks for your reply. I know it is not safe to crossdress in some countries and cultures. Being born several centuries ago, is the only way we would know, to be sure.

[Kate Simmons]

I prefer modern stuff but can pretty much work with whatever resources I have available like I did as a young child. I once saw a Sunday comic strip with Winnie Winkle. She was held prisoner in a dank cell in Russia. When her trial came up, she and her friend had made presentable clothes and makeup from the things available in their cell. :)

[Rachael Leigh]

The only far back fashion styles I like are the late 40s and 50s so yeah it would be ok but the early times maybe not so much

[StarrOfDelite]

I don't think that being androgynous/Third Sex, or whatever, has much to do with clothing styles. Look how many crossdressers on this website pine for the era between 1930 and 1965, and lament that women today aren't as sexy and mysterious as the glamour girls of yesteryear. The history of crossdressing goes way, way back, and if I am correct in my belief that it is hardwired into people, then I would guess that the answer would be, I'd crossdress, and I'd probably be bisexual, too.

I don't know how accurate the representations of female clothing are in the old epics like Ivanhoe, or even newer ones like Excalibur and Camelot, but I think that clingy in the bosom and waist, and full flowing at the hips and legs would be great for my figure. I'm sure that the thought of being ravished by a brave knight during the night wouldn't be all that repulsive, either. Did anyone here ever listen to the lyrics of "Fie on Goodness, Fie!"

[Alice Torn]

Leigh, Yes! those 1940's dresses with shoulder padding (not football type) were so classy, in the old movies and photos!

[claire_hollinger]

The clothes might not be comfortable, but those corsets were to die for.....and I won't lie.....those hats were awesome too :)

[Alice Torn]

Claire, You are so right! The big hats! On westerns, love those hats, and the long dresses, and tight fitting torso parts of the dresses. Maybe puts modern dresses not so great!

[Natasha V]

Oh Vintage Dresses, Those are to die for I love the Victorian corsets. Wish they were back in style.

[Lorileah]

if we are going to play "what if..

You do realize that back in the day clothing was harder to come by. You just didn't go buy a dress. You had to have someone make or make it yourself. I love how people reference the ability to dress now with the possibility of then.

Most likely there were the same percentage of TGs then it was just harder to express it. I wonder often if some of the old "Spinsters" weren't TSs. Easy to hide back then with the clothing and if you didn't take a mate (OR you lived with another spinster) who would know? There are documented cases of women passing as men until death. One reason we see more of us now is there is more free time and disposable income and clothing is cheap.

Of course the answer to the OP should be "Yes...yes I would" otherwise it makes a farce of doing it now

[Alice Torn]

Being the lonesome loner i am, with no close friends, i just wanted to reach out, and put something ou there to have some fun with. Thanks for the replies.

[Princess Chantal]

Never catch me wearing fashions of yesteryears, they are so inapropriate and those that wear them should be locked in the cellar never to see day light!

[Kelley Anne]

I've always been partial to flappers, I wouldn't mind dressing like one. :D

[Karen62]

You do realize that back in the day clothing was harder to come by. You just didn't go buy a dress. You had to have someone make or make it yourself.

In fact, much of the time old clothes would be broken down by tailors and seamstresses and the fabric pieces reused until they were no longer unusable (at least for the middling and lower classes), and then they would be reused for lesser purposes, such as unseen underclothes (work shirts, chemises, dressing gowns and the like, and fabric types and patterns were not always as we seem them today as either masculine or feminine, just pretty and/or functional) or for other utilitarian items, such as quilts, rags, etc. Ultimately you sold your worn-out fabrics to the newspaper printer or bookmaker so they could make rag paper! But you always had at least one good ball gown or formal suit ready to for annual special events (balls were big events even in small towns. It's interesting how the people in colonial America were surprisingly very fashion-conscious, and one season London might be the fashion leader, but the next year it was Paris, or elsewhere. People don't change, only the means of communications about themselves and their interests.

Yeah, I've spent too much time visiting Colonial Virginia...

[Nikkilovesdresses]

I've been drooling over the medieval/fantasy gowns at thedarkangel.co.uk and similar sites Alice.

The thing is, wigs and make up have been around for thousands of years. Take a look at National Geographic's back numbers- there are 3rd-world tribes still active who make our subtle versions of make up look like total cowardice. And this is guys as well as girls I'm talking about.

Look at the murals and sarcophagus lids from ancient Egypt- they were totally into heavy make up, real Amy Winehouse stuff. Again it was males as well as females. Jewelry- been around as long as people have had hands to hang things around their necks.

Shoes I know less about, but I'll bet high heels are nothing recent- and wouldn't any baron or king want to stand a few inches taller?

As for burkas and niqabs, wealthy middle-eastern women are huge lingerie, jewelry and shoe buyers- and I'm sure it's possible to spend fortunes on those black garments themselves, they no doubt have elite suppliers for the rich.

If I had my druthers, I'd be a rich woman living in about 1950, flying on the first airliners over to Paris to meet the couturier greats, choosing silks and chiffons, having everything tailor made in the latest fashions...what a dream.