A more positive term?

[Helen_Highwater]

So we often talk about underdressing, wearing femme things, bras and knickers, women?s tops, under drab clothes but if it?s the case that we?re more comfortable in femme attire shouldn?t we really be saying that we?re overdressing? Putting a layer over our preferred garments.

For example; ?I went out the other day in a lovely matching bra and knickers set with a really soft and comfortable tee with a man?s boring fleece top and shapeless jeans covering them up.? See overdressing.

[Tammy Lynn Tx]

Helen, that has got to be a catch 22 conundrums of the age, I never thought of it that way. I wear sports bras, panties and camisoles a great majority of the time under my male clothes. I always say under dressing myself but could be either way, sounds way better than over drabbing though.

[docrobbysherry]

Helen, since it's summer and quite warm? I'm wearing loose, cotton, shirts and shorts, and cool, comfy, cotton, tidy whities.

When I underdressed, it was in a bra, girdle, synthetic panties, and tites. If I wore those under my drabs now? Wow! Would I be OVERDRESSED!:doh:

[Micki_Finn]

Um... Overdressed is already a thing. Usually means “dressed too formally for the occasion”. I don’t really see this as “more positive”.

[GaleWarning]

With so many men wearing panties instead of tighty-whites these days for reasons of comfort, and men with gynecomastia now feeling a lot more comfortable wearing bras for legitimate reasons, the term 'underdressing' in these contexts of crossdressing is becoming obsolete, I suggest

Many years ago now, I read the following piece of advice, made to men who wanted to feel positive about life:
"Wear racy underwear under sober suits".
Sounded sensible back then; nowadays, I'd substitute loud shirts for sober suits. Much less depressing!

[Stephanie47]

I'm underdressed today! Black tee shirt. Star Wars motif shorts. No shoes. No socks. No underwear..too hot. Never wore underwear in the Nam. Strangles your nuts in the warm humid weather. Need a shave. Haven't had a haircut in six months. Wife loves my shaggy curls. Life is good!

[Asew]

Micki, by that logic underdressed shouldn't be used either since it is already defined as "to dress in overly or inappropriately simple or informal clothing" by Merriam-Webster.

[Patience]

I don't see the term as being that negative to begin with. It's just a description, really.

[Joyce Swindell]

I like your train of thought on that 😉! I'm a pretty literal person and that seems to me to be a literal perception.
With that....can we be overly underdressed? Or would that be underly overdressed? lol
Just having a little fun with it...no harm intended.

[Robertacd]

Well to begin with the only place I have hear the term "underdressing" used instead of just saying "wearing a bra and panties", is here on this forum.

It's like a secret lingo we use and begs the question why we need a secret lingo?

[Liz Jones]

All trades&ocupations have there own "secret language"so why not us ?

[Charlotte Haynes]

Underwearing. Not as negative as underdressing, and it is normally underwear that we underdress in.

[Helen_Highwater]

Well, if both other terms are already taken why, if to forgo the wearing of knickers is often referred to as "Going Commando" can't we use the term, "Go camo" as in camouflage which after all is the art of hiding things?

Any other suggestions? Feel free to be silly.

[kimdl93]

Overdressed is used already for two purposes...as as noted earlier, dressed too fancy for the circumstances or as we might say up here, wearing overly warm clothes for the weather.

My thought is that the term is really only used among CDrs to describe wearing women?s underwear. I suppose it might be terms stealth dressing, since its generally done as an effort to discretely include womens wear in a manner that is mostly undetectable.

[audreyinalbany]

OMG !!! Lets not start another semantics discussion !!!!

[Marianne S]

I don't like to pour cold water on an interesting idea. And incidentally I don't "underdress" myself. But it seems to me that when we speak of "dressing," what we wish to highlight is the significant and enjoyable clothing, not the other junk that's just along for the ride, or for camouflage. The "knickers and bra," not the drab stuff. Hence "underdressing."

Was Charles Dickens's "Knickerless Nickleby" an underdresser who was trying to kick the habit? Or who just got his knickers in a twist that morning?

[GaleWarning]

How about X-dressing?

Not XY-dressing; not XX-dressing - just half-way.

And, of course, it's pronounced ex-dressing, not cross-dressing.

What doyou think?

[Teresa]

Helen,
I wish you could be free of these problems and dress as you really wish to , I'm so glad I don't have to consider these problems anymore .