What does this tell us.

[Katie Russell]

Hi

i was browsing online at one of the UK biggest retailers of lingerie. Now I know that this product maybe particularly popular with crossdressers but 12 out of the 32 reviews were from men. Taking into account that men are probably less likely to leave a review (especially if they are buying women's lingerie) then this may indicate that far more of these items are purchased by men than women!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/silk-and-lace-suspender/p/p60112943?image=SD_02_T81_6355Y_Y0_X_EC_90&color=BLACK&prevPage=plp

The male review were also voted the most popular, two receiving 20 and 21 respectively positive reviews whereas female reviews probably averaged about 2. It would be interesting to know if these positive reviews came from other men or women.

What does that tell our retailer? Should they actually be catering more for crossdressers? Is this an anomaly because it is a suspender belt?

I just thought it was interesting and probably says a lot about changing attitudes.

Katie x

[Ressie]

Lovely garter belt. The UK seems to have nice lingerie that we don't see in the states. Also the age groups of those leaving reviews is interesting.

[Georgina]

What surprises me is that the reviews are all favourable. Most suspender belts like those, that I have seen, are usually poor quality.

[Sherrii]

To hold stockings properly garter belts need to have at least 3 garters per side, and 4 (or more), is better. If you look a bit on line they are there and of quality look too. Sherrii

[deebra]

Maybe, attitudes changing that is, maybe???? I always wright a review, identify myself as a male that prefers wearing women's clothes over men's and sign Deebra. Put it out there it speeds up acceptance. It made me think, if a woman wore the black garter belt, bikini and hose under pants what would be any different if a male did the same???? Can't use the excuse where a guy wears a bra and doesn't have boobs to put in it. There are a lot of female clothes that look better than male ones, WHY the big trauma if he wears girl pants, even some women will admit the form fitting female clothes look better on a male than loose sloppy guy clothes. BTW if you wear female pants boxers or tighty whities wouldn't look good under them; so what does that leave (you guessed it, good excuse to wear ……………..???? And yes, my reviews have gotten a lot of positive reviews and on a female clothing site they had to be mostly from women, so what does that tell you???

[Stephanie D]

Very nice! Love the set. But for me, they are hard to find something durable enough to last given my figure...or should I say, shape!
And I do like that the model is wearing it correctly (IMO) with the garter first, and panties on top.
Classic!

[Miss V]

It's the same on uk Amazon. Lots of women's clothing reviews are CD'ers. Even a lot of the customer photos are.

[phili]

I see and leave reviews on amazon as well, and other sites, and it is a safe way to get the word out, to participate, to test the waters, and by and large, I think women are well aware that there is always an undercurrent of men wanting to wear their clothes, and they signal their acceptance with reviews! Since the actual interest of women in men in lingerie is small, I think it is more of a signal that they support gender freedom for men[and thus also for themselves].

[Micki_Finn]

You can’t read too much into it. A lot of retailers “buy” positive reviews. Amazon does an OK job of filtering these, but on someone’s own website, there is no such oversight so it’s entirely possible that all these reviews from men are just them making stuff up to get their $3 for the review or whatever.

[Patience]

It's possible that some women use accounts with male names for increased online safety.

The garter belt looks cute.

[Jaylyn]

I usually don't leave reviews but this changed my mind to this may be a way to help others become less critical of CDs. The more sincere male reviews I believe would help our image of acceptance.

[Beverley Sims]

I feel you can read into it what you like.

Men using their male names sounds like a kink to me.

[Sallee]

I think it tells us that not many women wear garter belts. They will wear panty hose, the stay ups or nothing at all. But most all CD's that I know will where some from of stockings. and many prefer garter and nice stockings. I do for special occasions. Mostly its pantyhose.

[docrobbysherry]

I haven't seen anyone male or female out in vanilla land wearing a garter belt in 50 years! Halloween, private lingerie parties, and online only!:daydreaming:

Plus, they r very hard to to snap onto the current nylons with hold up tops!:sad:

[Princess Chantal]

I don’t know about others here, but when I see a business that puts a focus on catering to crossdressers I tend more likely lose interest in shopping there. The loss of interest is due to me questioning the price and the quality of the items. Not to mention that many here have mentioned that they will not buy an item if it is marketed towards men.

[Gillian Gigs]

I believe that there is a lot of lingerie bought by men, because they want to see there SO in said lingerie. There are many pieces of lingerie that women don't tend to buy for themselves as they are not every day apparel. I tend to think that the more every day items that are reviewed by men, might be what they are wearing, versus the sexy "eye candy". It could be nothing other than a marketing ploy. Speaking only for myself, my clothing tends toward the practical, with lace being more as an accent than the main part.

[prettytoes]

I just bought some panties online after reading the great reviews. Most of the reviews were from men, and these are very silky and have very pretty lace on the whole lower half of the backside...very pretty and very feminine. The reviews were also very correct....I ordered five more after trying the first four pair for a few days.

[Stephanie D]

TJ Maxx or Marshalls type department stores have been a God-send for me to make it a little easier.
If shopping is partially crippling for you like me, then at least at these type of various merchandise stores, you can "browse" a little bit in the different areas and scan things out from afar in a little less noticeable way to the surrounding shoppers. Especially during daytime shopping when they may not be so busy.
Kind of hard for a 6'+ old guy to causally browse around in a Vic Sec store. :)

And, I've always been the "Excuse me, but I'm buying for my wife..." goofy person that they see right through.
I have a feeling that the security people watching on closed circuit and the sales people are not tricked by it all.
But at least with the brick and mortar stores, compared to online, you can actually touch and feel a little to get an idea of what you might like.
Or see that one size 7 garment looks huge, and another size 9 looks tiny.

It would just be sooooo much easier if my wife would JUST please come in with me and make it like she is the one buying for her, and I am just the grumpy old tag-along husband mulling alongside her :)
Maybe some day...

[sometimes_miss]

Can't use the excuse where a guy wears a bra and doesn't have boobs to put in it.
Well, yes I can, because of gynecomastia I do have boobs to put in it!

Plus, they r very hard to to snap onto the current nylons with hold up tops!:sad:
I haven't had a problem, using Leg Avenue's Queen size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BLEMIEY/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stppvp_1?pf_rd_p=82218735-2b20-4c14-b8b7-9b4d6b044350&pd_rd_wg=GDAzf&pf_rd_r=ZSAAP9VKQ0TR454R2A75&pd_rd_i=B01BLEMIEY&pd_rd_w=T6lDg&pd_rd_r=a98e5cd6-ca11-47e1-bfca-76f768897249&ie=UTF8&qid=1549057442&sr=1
That style comes in white, tan and black; the top band is a little thick, but the garter belts I'm using (below) have no problem with them.

Garter belts from fleabay. This vendor has quality belts with 6, 10, and 12 garter styles. Fun to play with and wear. There are plenty of 4 garter ones, too, but more is better!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Strap-Luxury-Lace-Front-Suspender-Belt-Black-Garter-Belt-NYLONZ/381160527835?hash=item58bef017db:m:mbFmOUWxLkekszI luYLpeaw:rk:17:pf:0

[Stephanie47]

I perused the reviews. Yes, you're correct the male reviewers did received many thumbs up for their comments. However, did you also notice may received thumbs down for the comments. However, when a woman posted a comment there was never a thumbs down. What is the significance of the voting, especially the thumbs down. Are women rebelling against men wearing and commenting on attire the women feel should be worn by women only?

I have perused the comments on Macy's and JC Penny's. There are men who comment they do in fact wear women's panties. Manufacturers and retailers do take notice of the reviews and sales. If larger size panties are selling well, why wouldn't you make more and feed the demand, regardless of the gender of the buyer. Many times I see comments have been gathered from various sites onto another seller site. I also see notations such as "verified buyer' which means it is not just a posting by some troll with nothing else to do. Heck, one time I left a really bad review on Lowe's site about a particular Maytag washer in which I gave particulars. Maytag actually tracked me down to discuss the issues I raised. So, people are listening and reading.

Maybe manufacturers and retailer perused this site. If they are I wish they would bring back seasonal slips and enhance the offering with more lace at the bodice and hem. SO YOU HEAR ME VANITY FAIR?

[CrossKimmy]

I actually look for reviews from men on women’s clothes to gauge how it might fit my body.

[Rochal Tukque]

I have written several reviews on Amazon especially on bras that fit a more male body type. I never identified my self as a male but it did take Amazon long to clock me and began sending me questions from other males about the bras I had reviewed.

[AngelaYVR]

I haven't seen anyone male or female out in vanilla land wearing a garter belt in 50 years

Worn properly, you wouldn’t know. But I favour stockings because I find them more practical and also because my wife likes the look. On my full retro days I break out the 100% nylon cuban heels; getting a ladder in those brings a tear to the eye!

[Vickie_CDTV]

At least the M&S garter belt has metal garter clips. But it doesn't look very sturdy for holding up stockings while walking around.

Sherry, you won't notice if one is wearing a good garter belt and sufficiently long stockings (especially if a slip is worn over it.)

I wear them in public under my femme clothes (well technically I wear a girdle with garters but it is similar.) I once had a girlfriend who did as well back 15-20 years ago. Loved vintage stuff, wore it under her everyday clothing. Probably helped she was vintage herself.

[susan54]

I was on the M&S site yesterday looking for a dress and tights but also looked at the panties and slips. The male reviews are usually for underwear - you rarely see a male review for a dress. I think what it tells us is that there are a lot of underdressers out there and possibly that more men than women wear stockings and suspenders. It is very unlikely that a store like M&S buys reviews - it is a highly reputable company and I have seen lots of very unfavourable reviews. I think the real change in society is that shops are now almost always happy for men to try on clothes in the same way women would (same changing rooms, everything except panties). The UK now seems fairly relaxed about men wearing womenswear or going out dressed as women but it hasn't filtered into men routinely wearing these clothes to work of for a drink out with friends. I have only once used the female changing rooms in M&S but I was wearing a skirt at the time (but presenting as a man). I have been declined bra fitting because I was not dressed as a woman but it was made clear it would be OK if I had been fully dressed - and the first time I got a bra fitting it was in M&S, on the first day I ventured out fully dressed.

[Teresa]

Katie,
I've left several reviews with various retailers . It's hard to say what retailers really think about the comments . On the surface they are selling the goods but who they sell them to doesn't matter , it's all profit . How much research has gone into this I can't answer , the downside could be some female shoppers might be put off by seeing men or TGs leaving comments . All I can say is from chatting to SAs there doesn't appear to be a problem with me shopping in the store , obviuosly if other customers did complain then I would have to rethink it , the truth is it hasn't happened in fact I have entered into many conversations with female shoppers . I may just ask the SAs next time about this issue .

They don't need to cater specially for CDers , they just need to adopt an open policy which many have , they spend huge budgets on market research , they know the extent of the market , there is so much information available now to be gleaned from social media sites , they possibly realise it's a large untapped market .

It does raise a point going back in time . I recall the only outlets for many CDers requirements were specialist/sex shops . With limited products at very high prices , now you can walk into any store and buy large size shoes off the rack , you can openly browse the clothes racks with very few eyebrows being raised . I often get asked by SAs to tick the review boxes on the receipts and post them in . Many of the retailers send me Emails with special deals specifically aimed at female shoppers , they know my purchasing history .

[SaraLin]

One quick thought.

My wife orders stuff online all the time - from MY email account. It looks like a man ordering the stuff, but it's not.

Perhaps there's some of that going on here... skewing the numbers?

[Mermaiden]

Great observation! It’s encouraging to see cross dressing expressed in the mainstream.

As an aside, a benefit to window shopping online is the pop up ads I get for lingerie storefronts. Makes reading online news more fun.

[JenniferMBlack]

To answer the question of the thread. it tells us at least 12 men apparently bought, used and commented on this item. Also that these reviews were found helpful to others. Also it appears there are in fact women still wearing nylons and garter belts, as more if the reviews appear to be from female. This can be misleading however since the Male female selection is most likely done by the reviewer. Perhaps th l default is set to Male and some females didn't change it, or some males set it as female.
Had the numbers been reversed from an analytical stand point someone might then say since there are more men wearing these we should consider advertising them to men. Which might then become an issue as some crossdressers would now look at them as mens wear and not want them. Si purely from a marketing standard this is a self defeating way of thinking. Let me explain. If you want it to become normal for men to wear say skirts. Then skirts would have to in some way become men's wear, as most men will not go to the womens section to buy on. Now in becoming a mans item crossdressers wouldn't wear it so there would be fewer sales, which means it would be discontinued and not brought out for even longer. So if your out and see something you want to become more mainstream for men and they are trying to sell it to men buy one, even if you just donate it.
Basically this is analytics marketing 101

[jacques]

hello Katie,
what a revelation - perhaps more of us should leave reviews.
luv J

[Teresa]

WBDavid,
The fact that more men wear certain items wouldn't bother me , I wear stockings and suspenders now becaues I find them more convenient besides I dislike tights (pantihose) . I have to accept thicker ones are more available as tights . I feel male reviews are more likely to deter women than men to .

[abbiedrake]

Given that suspenders and stockings come loaded with connotations of being for the bedroom, then I think we'd be wise to be cautious before drawing any conclusions. At least some of the men will be those of our community for whom CDing is a fetish. Most GGs prefer tights or hold-ups.
Some men will be CDs who simply like stockings more than tights. This is my category. Lucky for me my wife is one of those GGs who prefers stockings, and so she accepts my own preference without assuming it's a turn on for me (it isn't, except when my wife's wearing them!, but I'm fine with those for whom it is).
That their reviews got thumbs up could be fetishists, or people like me - grateful for another man's opinion, or supportive GGs. That latter group might also included the odd 'CD groupie', kinda like fag hags but for CDs ('trannie fannies' maybe? Lol). They do exist, as if having a CD friend makes them more interesting.
I'm glad that people are posting reviews (and no, M&S are not going to be buying reviews) and that others are giving the reviews some support. A little extra visibility can't be bad for the CD community.

[lingerieLiz]

About the only thing that you can count on is that someone bought something if it is a verified purchase. My wife and I both order under my or her name depending who opened the account. I openly buy women's things under my name.

[HollyGreene]

A lot of couples have joint bank accounts and set up a single online account with stores, ebay, amazon etc, that they both use. If the account was set up in the husband's name, the reviews will come up in his name, even if it was written by the wife.