Should men be allowed to wear dresses and skirts.

[Georgina]

Do many on here agree that men should be able to wear the same clothes as women and vice versa? I ask because of comments about MIADs and statements like wearing a dress makes me feel like a woman.

[beau]

Why is it an issue in western society if a male wears a dress or makeup why is he less? A female wears clothes made for a male ie boxer shorts as outerwear she is seen as normal.

[tbryant2k16]

I believe people should be able to wear whatever they are comfortable with. Gender rules are by far outdated. Men wearing dresses and skirts is looked at being too feminine, just like how women wearing pants made them look too masculine. The only reason why men stopped wearing dresses and skirts is because of war. Then pants became prefered work wear because they were safer than dresses and skirts in factories.

[Bobbi46]

Of course men should be allowed to wear dresses, and why not, I have recently bought one for the summer because in winter I prefer skirts/pants and nice thick pullovers; I also have two very nice jump suits with wide legs and juist this last couple weeks I bought on nioce short sleeved evening dress plus and off the (one) shoulder also for evening wear. All of these are very comfortable and nice to wear. After all are not women also giulty of crossdressing? jeans and so forth.
I think what we now have is a very godd level of equality.

[docrobbysherry]

Men can and DO wear dresses! I believe most of us here r proof of that!:devil:

[Stephanie Voorhees]

I think you're gonna be hard pressed to find anyone around here to answer no to your question. As long as it harms none, people should be free to do as they please without judgement from others. Unfortunately, we as a society haven't grasped that philosophy yet.

[Geena75]

The clothes you choose to wear make a statement about you. I generally wear loose fitting comfortable clothes which would indicate I like comfort and function more than style. Should I care about the impression of others? Suppose I was really into WWI aviation, and wore a replica WWI aviator's hat -- some people would regard that as weird, others as interesting. Society has developed notions of the meaning of what you wear -- often very wrong notions. Be prepared to deal with some of those people. I'm a private person and don't want to deal with it (and I really feel I look ridiculous in MIAD mode).

[Bruce64]

I am planning on getting a skirt

[RADER]

Yes, I agree totally with men wearing a dress or a skirt. Women wear pants every day, and nothing is said.
Before WW-2, Women wore dress/skirts almost all the time. But during the War, Women went into the factories
and went to work building what was needed. Wearing pants was more practical.
Now if a man wears a dress or a skirt, he is looked at as less than a man. I wish Society would wake up.
If it was OK to change the rules for Women, Why not for Men.

[Alex!]

Men are allowed to wear dresses and makeup in public. Laws in the U.S., at least, do not prohibit men from doing so. But, I know what you mean - our culture makes judgements about who we are based on superficial characteristics, and a lot of people do not like it when men cross dress. We may not like it, but people have judged each other based on superficial characteristics for tens of thousands of years. For now, men who crossdress in the U.S. are tolerated in most places, accepted in a few others. I imagine this will get better as ideas of younger generations dominate society.

[Karren H]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

[Sometimes Steffi]

I think I'll repeat what my English school teacher would have said.

Can they? Of curse the can. Men can wear skirts just like a woman can.

May they? Do they need permission, as in "Mother may I?" That largely depends on where you and where you are going and who will see you. With my CD friends, I may, in fact, I should. With my wife, I may not and should not.

Kind of funny. I'm going out with the girls Saturday. I told my wife. She's never asked where are you going? Or who are you going with, but she does ask when am I leaving and when am I coming home. This time she asked where I was going. I answered honestly. She said, "Just don't go to the mall (which is right next to the restaurant I'm going to.)

Drat... Foiled again.

[MonicaPVD]

Why is it an issue in western society if a male wears a dress or makeup why is he less? A female wears clothes made for a male ie boxer shorts as outerwear she is seen as normal.

It's an issue in any society due to the fact that humanity has, by and large, promulgated the idea that women are subservient to men. Therefore, it's been universally considered shocking and absurd that a man would intentionally and willingly relinquish his superior stature to assume the identity of a subservient woman. Fortunately, those antiquated notions are being dispelled at an unprecedented rate in modern times.

[kimdl93]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

I concur.

[Geena75]

I just remembered that back in January of 2014 I asked the question if men's fashions included dresses and skirts, would that be enough? The responses followed along the lines of "No, I would still rather present as a woman." Interesting the paradigm shift.

[tbryant2k16]

On the other hand, when women started wearing pants, did they want to present as men? I just don't see why dresses and skirts have to solely be women's wear and men can only wear them if they want to present female.

[Suranne]

Why is it an issue in western society if a male wears a dress or makeup why is he less?

This question can't be answered here without breaking the rules on allowable content - but it's to do with the social structures which underin western society and the male orthodoxies which created them.

[GretchenM]

Yep, it is all about social standards and expectations. Going against the standards rocks the boat and it might flip over and we will all drown. It can really be that rigid and at times in history it really was that rigid. You might also ask why, in formal settings, do all the men wear essentially the same clothes - suit, tie, tuxedo, whatever is expected - but women can wear gorgeous dresses as well as very seductive dresses and other clothing combinations in all the colors of the rainbow. And if two women meet that are wearing the same dress it is a crisis as great as if part of the continent suddenly slid off into the ocean. If you stand back and look at a formal affair and all the posturing and showing off it borders on insanity. So many complexities. And every society has its standards and expectations, even though they may vary greatly and some seem really are crazier than what we do. Why?

We are social animals and standards and expectations are part of the glue that binds us into a functioning whole. But, in contrast, if you consider all societies and cultures you can see there is no universal standard or expectation. Therefore these social structures can and do change over time. Greeks and Italians don't wear togas much anymore. There was a time in our society when men wore ruffles and lace and pink was a male color that women did not dare wear. Blue was the feminine color and men did not wear blue. It changed.

It really doesn't make sense except it is part of the customs that hold the social fabric together. That said, customs can and do change. And right now they seem to be changing a lot as females tread on male holy ground and males tread on female holy ground. Clothes may indicate the thinking and identity of the person, but clothes do not make the person any more than wearing a huge grizzly bear canine tooth hanging on a leather cord around your neck makes a great and brave hunter. Change is good; it is how we grow.

[Stephanie47]

Of course men should be allowed to wear dresses and any feminine attire. And, anyone and everyone has to bear the consequences of their actions; no matter what they may do.

[JulieC]

...all the men wear essentially the same clothes - suit, tie, tuxedo, whatever is expected -

This. Even if you look back at photographs from the late 1800s, apart from some minor changes, men's suits/formal attire is essentially the same. About the biggest difference we might expect is a change in the number of buttons. Oh my!


clothes do not make the person any more than wearing a huge grizzly bear canine tooth hanging on a leather cord around your neck makes a great and brave hunter.

That's hysterical :)

[Micki_Finn]

It’s just the way society is. If you want a full explanation I’m sure someone could write a full dissertation on it. But if you haven’t noticed, progress is being made. See: Jonathan Van Ness or Billy Porter.

[Joyce Swindell]

I believe that men can wear dresses and skirts.....just not at the same time. :) But then.....maybe it would start a new fashion trend! Like the pants down below the butt exposing the boxer shorts they're wearing.
Ya never know !

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But really, I've wondered this also. I've imagined that in the future, (like in the movies, the aliens with the big upside down pear shaped head and big eyes) that we will all be wearing the same cloths in design and truly, how boring would that be for us today?

[April Rose]

I would be perfectly comfortable with the idea of undermining , subverting or eliminating ALL standards of gender, be they sartorial, behavioral, political, religious, military, cultural or otherwise.

[audreyinalbany]

I'm not sure what yo mean by 'allowed' to wear dresses.If you want to wear a dress, wear a dress.

[DianeT]

It's an issue in any society due to the fact that humanity has, by and large, promulgated the idea that women are subservient to men. Therefore, it's been universally considered shocking and absurd that a man would intentionally and willingly relinquish his superior stature to assume the identity of a subservient woman.
I know this is a common explanation for it in sociology but I don't think it's a universal explanation. While I acknowledge that women are suffering discriminations, I personally don't consider them inferior in any way, and wearing their clothes does not make an individual look inferior or lesser in my eyes. So this explanation simply doesn't work for me, and I sincerely hope it doesn't work for others for the same reasons. The only reason I could find a man wearing female clothes "inferior" is if the man voluntarily adopts postures of submission (like wearing a French maid's outfit and acting as a servant). But this has all to do with what the individual does and surely not what he wears (I suppose that you can act very dominant in a French maid outfit if you chose to). The uneasiness I have with crossdressers (including myself and my looks if I miss my target) is the blurred gender line. It is like looking at a fuzzy picture and not being able to focus, my mind has been trained for binary genders when I was young and isn't comfortable with sexual ambiguity (hence the full nines when I dress). It doesn't prevent me to respect all people. I just acknowledge my biases and try to work on them. I don't pretend I am a good person, I just aim at being one. I think a lot of heterosexual persons like me may be uneasy less because of the above theory than because it questions their own gender and sexual identity, and that fills them with perplexity. Ridiculing or hating what they see is one way to get out of that situation. Another is to be open and curious, and try to learn something, about the others, and sometimes about yourself.

[Di]

Well I will not repeat what others have said.
But it is complicated .
The reasons stated are good but do not forget the The average person never is in contact with a crossdresser so it seems /diffent, out of the norm ,maybe scary because they are not informed, involved.
Remember some that are secret, closeted crossdressers does not help this situation ....this will take a long time to change people perspective. I wish more were open, proud embrace themselves..
Yes things are changing but it being a secret hidden does not help things IMHO.

( not saying you are closeted I do not know) but stating this does not help as many are.
YES you are of course allowed, probably only in a few countries is it Not.
Wear what you want .

[sometimes_miss]

As long as you're willing to put up with the potential consequences of being seen as a man wearing women's clothing, then go right ahead!

Stay safe, though. Be prepared for the potential jerk who wants to demonstrate just how much of a man he is, by getting in a fight and beating up the sissy. Doesn't matter if you can take him, just getting into a fight in public is enough to get both of you arrested, and you probably don't want to be in jail overnight while wearing a dress. You might just make the local newspapers, too.

[Aunt Kelly]

Do many on here agree that men should be able to wear the same clothes as women and vice versa? I ask because of comments about MIADs and statements like wearing a dress makes me feel like a woman.

In most western countries men are allowed to women's clothes, so I have to ask... What is it that you are really asking?

[Brenn]

The only limitations on what we wear are those we put on ourselves.

[char GG]

I think Brenn is correct.

Men are "allowed". Whether or not they want to wear dresses and skirts is up to them.

[JuliannaS]

I think any man woman boy or girl should wear whatever they want, and people should just worry about their own clothes.

[DianeT]

To Aunt Kelly: I think Georgina wasn't talking about the legal aspect but about social acceptance. While the first one is granted in Western countries the same can't be told about the latter. Otherwise no CDer would be in the closet.

[Georgina]

What I was trying to find out was the thoughts of individual forum members.

[Jamie1980]

Ii do not think masculine men should wear dresses or skirts. Throughout history, the female has always differentiated themselves from males in their clothing, I think culturally masculine males should not. That being said, however, if a male?s desire is to represent himself as culturally feminine, then it is a must that she represents the image that she desires.

[SaraLin]

I tried a rather long answer, but didn't like it, so I'll try a shorter one.

I like that there are things that are considered feminine wear, such as skirts and dresses.
If I cared enough, I might mourn the lack of "masculine only" wear. But I really don't.

That said, I don't see the need for all the hubbub surrounding who should wear what.
both men and women can go day-to-day, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Big whoop.
If a woman wants to "feel pretty" she'll put on something to reflect that, maybe a skirt or dress. Shouldn't a man, if he feels the desire, also be allowed to put on something feminine too?
Why must that be viewed as something negative?

I. Just. Don't. Get it.

[Cheryl T]

Yes, of course. People should be able to wear what ever they prefer in clothing.
I'm not a MIAD and don't ever want to be one or be seen as one. What others do is up to them. Just let me be the woman I love to be.

[Sometimes Steffi]

This. Even if you look back at photographs from the late 1800s, apart from some minor changes, men's suits/formal attire is essentially the same. About the biggest difference we might expect is a change in the number of buttons. Oh my!

I would also say the width of the lapels an the width of the ties.

I speculate that one of the first things people want to know is friend or foe. The next thing may be male or female. If one is seen with mixed M/F appearance, the brain may go into gridlock.

[jacques]

Should men be allowed to wear dresses and skirts? YES!
Women wear trousers ...

[Misiokaku]

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/mar/24/super-freeing-mens-skirts-emerge-as-pandemic-fashion-trend

Hello I am new here, but read the above and I say yes. I think that alle the styles of clothing are "crossing" the genders. It still may not be mainstream but let us wait and may it will be just normal mainstream clothing for a guy one day.

[Rayleen]

I wear skirts and girly top everyday as i please. nobody else business but me.

have a great day

[Kimberly A.]

Yes, of course I think men should be allowed to wear dresses and skirts if we choose to..... I mean, women can wear whatever they want and nobody bats an eye at it. LOL I say wear whatever you're comfortable wearing and be happy! :)

[vivian fair]

Due to my advanced age I can recall when it was against the laws every where for a man to wear any viewable of female clothing! But to me the need to dress overcame the fear of being caught. And thankfully I never was. So yes males can and do wear dresses,skirts,etc. even in the southern states legally! But there are still some who don't like it. Which includes wives I've known and rednecks.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear women's clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

I Totally Agree, >Orchid**O:daydreaming:O**

[Teresa.Smith.VA]

Deleted by Teresa.

[JulieC]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

This reminds me of a thought I've long held; I really don't want to buy a man-skirt, or a man-dress, or mantyhose, or man-heels, or anything else that's typically feminine attire that is made for men. I dress in feminine clothes because I feel a strong need to dress as a woman. Wearing clothes designed for men misses the point.

[Karren H]

I saw a man in a dress yesterday at a construction salvage place in Pittsburgh... He was with his mother.... No hair, no makeup, no jewelry.... not feminine at all.... He didn't look so hot either!

I thought his dress was way too fancy for that store.... and the shoes were all wrong! I mean good for him but I don't get it......

[Geena75]

What I was trying to find out was the thoughts of individual forum members.

In my own personal opinion, which I apply to myself only: I think there is clothing like dresses, skirts, shoes, nylons, etc. that are women's clothing and, if I want to wear them, I should try to look like a woman. (Which, incidentally, I think is loads of fun!).

[CynthiaD]

Two thoughts. 1 Who’s stopping them? I’ve seen men wearing skirts with no attempt to look feminine.
2 Skirts are ten times more comfortable than pants. If the "I'll look like a girl" stigma were removed, men would wear skirts all the time.

[Jacke]

Last week I was driving down the road in traffic and saw a man walking on the sidewalk. He was wearing a dress that almost looked like a kilt on top but had flowing skirts below. He was obviously a MIAD and showed no concern for what anyone might think. He seemed confident in who he was. If not for the traffic, I might have stopped and talked to him and let him know his little part in changing culture was appreciated.

On the other hand, he might have been one of us closeted dressers taking his first venture out into the world and was as frightened as we would be. If so, he sure picked a strange place to step out.

Either way, well done young man, well done.

[Sallee]

I'll chime in on this thread. A man or woman can, as far as I know wear anything they want with or without makeup. There is no law. Now whether they will be accepted is another story but usually no one cares. A man in a dress might get a comment and a snicker, maybe. They might get a funny look as some one passes them by. Same for a woman trying to pass as a man but less so I think. We have all seen women with a mans hair cut. They are out being comfortable.

Me as a crossdresser/transvestite, I like to wear women's cloths and attempt to pass a woman. wig makeup, etc. Whether that happens or not is another story, but I have never really had any bad comments and I have been out a lot and I have been clocked probably a lot also I remember one time I was out cruising the mall passing fine in my mind a girl walked by me and whispered that I looked great and I had a right to be out dressed as I want. She did pop my bubble LOL but I still had a good time shopping and being fem for a day.

Of course dress in either gander should appropriate for the location and function, but if it isn't, as long as your junk isn't hanging out you probably won't get hassled. For sure some, Oh wow, looks and a weird statements. But really NO ONE CARES get out enjoy yourself HAVE FUN and the heck everyone else.

It is our own hang ups that make it tough to get out, I suffer from them too every time a I dress it is tough especially if I haven't been out in a while but after a few hours, no problem and I am sure I am getting read. My makeup might not be perfect but my money is green So get if you don't want to wear a wig don't, If you want triple G boobs have at it, You will get noticed but a Cis woman would too. Mostly have fun no one is going to beat you up as always be aware of your surroundings. HAVE FUN

[Alyssa Lane]

They do, just seen 2 walking the street downtown with there gf?s dresses on, stuffed bra and all with work boots on. Took me a minute to even realize it.

[XemmaX]

Of course!

[JulieC]

They do, just seen 2 walking the street downtown with there gf?s dresses on, stuffed bra and all with work boots on. Took me a minute to even realize it.

Ok there's something odd going on here! My entire life I'd never seen a guy walking around in a dress, with no attempt to pass...just a guy in a dress. I've seen guys attempting to pass, to various degrees of success. But, never seen a guy just wearing a dress to be a guy wearing a dress. So, I read the above a bit incredulously, having never seen this myself. Not that I disbelieved it, but just that I'd never seen it.

That is, until this afternoon. I was out walking with my wonderful wife and happened across another couple walking the opposite direction. One of people in the other couple was clearly just a guy in a dress. We exchanged pleasantries and kept walking. But, I was thinking in my head about this forum and my prior thoughts of incredulity.

[Rachelakld]

my daughter was told today, that her 14 month old son shouldn't wear tights- my thought are, men wore them centuries before women wore them.

[christine55]

If men wore skirts and dresses their attractiveness to most of us would go away

[JenniferMBlack]

Be allowed by who? The only one stopping anyone from wearing anything is themselves. It's not illegal at least in many countries.

[April Rose]

I'm wearing one right now.

[Lacey New]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

Karen, you have a good point. Men?s panties would not do a thing for me.

[TamT]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

I've thought about an aswer for this question many times, but most of the time I agree with Karren.

Anyway, I like to wear women's pants on a day-to-day basis, without the intention of passing because I am not wearing a blouse, makeup or heels, but because I feel more comfortable. Sometimes it is difficult to match men's clothing and footwear with those pants.

[Bea_]

Anyone can wear anything that they are willing to pay the price to wear. Whether it's a marriage, social standing, occupational standing or even self image, there can be a high price to pay. It's a cost/benefit issue. And, each person determines the value of standing out/fitting in.

Personally, I'm not willing to pay the price of being open. I dress at home and throttle my taste to fit my wife's acceptance level. Her acceptance level has been moderate so I dress moderately. My taste is definitely in the man-in-a-dress realm and she's mostly comfortable with that.

I also agree with Karen in that I don't really want my taste to become mainstream. It feels much more indulgent because it's not mainstream and indulgence is my favorite part of my alternative wardrobe.

[Denice]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!

My sentiments as well. No legal prohibitions, of course, but social strictures, ok. Some people have to thumb their noses at society. It does society good.

[robyn rose]

Well if it was the norm then it would be much easier for CD's to go out without being nervous or having fears possibly in a way, That said I prefer things to stay as they are as It's more personal and I myself like the naughty feeling I get when dressing up.

[Taylor186]

If it were the norm then crossdressing wouldn't exist.

[Crissy 107]

Hell no! Men should not be allowed to wear womens clothing!!! If everyone started wearing dresses it would take away from the special gift we have! And ruin the excitement.... not to say totally destroy the femininity of female clothing for good! Vote NO!!!!
I think I am the 6th person to quote this post on this thread but Karren is absolutely correct, it would take away the special gift we have and we may no longer be crossdressers. :(

[Vickie_CDTV]

If women found men in skirts and dresses attractive, men would wear them. Women don't, so men (at least the vast majority) don't wear them.

[Ceera]

I really wish no one cared what anyone else wears.

Do what feels right for you, while remaining aware of how local folk are likely to treat you. Being visible and unafraid and talking to people normally can help with acceptance, but it can also place you at higher risk. Just try to be safe.

For me, the ‘man in a dress’ look was not what I wanted. My feminine journey was all about being accepted as female, not about getting to wear feminine clothes while making no attempt to present as a woman. But if you are comfortable being seen as a man in a dress, that’s cool, as far as I am concerned.

[rosie09]

Of course men should be allowed to wear anything feminine in public. But it is the social acceptation that is not there. So it is best to keep this between people who have this acceptance or keep it private as I do. But even then , living on a first floor, I have to watch the windows carefully when I am dressed.

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This reminds me of a thought I've long held; I really don't want to buy a man-skirt, or a man-dress, or mantyhose, or man-heels, or anything else that's typically feminine attire that is made for men. I dress in feminine clothes because I feel a strong need to dress as a woman. Wearing clothes designed for men misses the point.

I agree 100%. For me it has to be 100% feminine.

[CynthiaD]

How about changing casual Fridays to crossdressing Fridays? Women would be required to wear pants, coat and tie, men would be required to wear skirts and dresses. I could go for it! Of course, getting my Friday-femme look correct would take some practice, so I’d have to wear skirts and dresses Monday through Thursday just for practice. Yeah! Sounds like a plan to me!

Yes, I’m kidding. Maybe.

[tbryant2k16]

In reality, there is nothing gender specific about the basic skirt or dress. They really are no different than pant, shirts, socks, underwear other than styling.

[Jane G]

No rules against it. It is simply social expectations and the resulting personal choices that stop many of us. I have no fear of being arrested for wearing what are seen as female clothes. I have a massive fear of ridicule and rejection amongst certain important groups, that I need to be excepted by to live the life I
very much enjoy as it is.

[rosie09]

No rules against it. It is simply social expectations and the resulting personal choices that stop many of us. I have no fear of being arrested for wearing what are seen as female clothes. I have a massive fear of ridicule and rejection amongst certain important groups, that I need to be excepted by to live the life I
very much enjoy as it is.

I agree that fear of rejection and/or ridicule is something that must to be avoided for many of us.