Male vs Female clothes

[Tamsin Englefield]

Like many of us I spend way too much time pondering what keeps drawing me back to cross dressing.

One of my theories is that it is the sheer unnecessaryness and impracticality of so much of women?s clothing compared to the bland functionality and efficiency of our male attire. All the frills and laces, ribbons and bows that don?t perform any useful function but which look (and feel) sensational. So much of what women are lucky enough to wear each day actually makes life harder not easier. The high heels, the constricting undergarments, the pencil skirts and all the clips and clasps.

Perhaps, in part, our dressing is a reaction to societal expectations of our male selves that we (or I at least) crave for an escape to a world where prettiness is prized over function ? Or maybe I?ve just described the joys for fem over drab !

[Marketa]

It's not just the impracticality, it's the sheer amount of options. Just take let's say clothing to office.
Men: Shirt or t-shirt regular or slim. Jeans or trousers regular or slim, trousers can be cotton, polyester, linen or combination. Shoes sneakers or suit shoes. That's it.

Women: Blouses, bottom-up blouses, tops, one-sleeve tops, naked shoulder tops, no-sleeve tops, the same options with bodysuit. Skirt pencil, A-shaped and all between from short to maxi length. Or jeans or trousers from slim, through my favorite bootcuts to wide-legged trousers. Or they can choose dress which combines all the options I already mentioned. And then there are shoes. Sneakers, boots, sandals, pumps, all of that (except sneakers) with various degree of heel height and toe shape and boots from ankle height to above knee height.

And that's just choice of office clothing. When there's some high society event, it's a suit for men, but plethora of choices for women from female suits, to cocktails drees, to evening gowns each of those with tremendous amount of options and variants.

[Tamsin Englefield]

Yes, I think there?s something to that as well. As a man our ?uniform? for any given event is usually pre-determined. Women have the opportunity to adapt how they dress to how they feel, or want to be perceived plus then they can dress it up or down with how they do their hair, their jewellery, their makeup etc

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Tansen:hugs:, Men, Pants, Shirt & Jacket, Ladies, The tyoes of Clothes are Unlimited,>Orchid**O:daydreaming:O**

[Mercedes]

I love the feel of the clothes, the satin, silk, nylons, even the cotton dresses. And it is how it feels on, the bra against your chest, a tight fitting skirt on your hips, or a loose summer dress that you can spin in that lets the breeze in. Leggings and nylons against the legs. And many more tactile things I think we can all agree we just do not have in male clothes. Oh and looking sexy helps too, or at least trying too. ��

[alwayshave]

I am with Mercedes, I love the feel of women's clothes.

[Sometimes Steffi]

It's definitely the options Go to any department store and compare the square footage dedicated to male vs female clothes. Plus there must be dozens of smaller stores that cater only to or primarily to women. Now name any store dedicated to men. If you managed to name one, try to name a second one.

[Geena75]

Good points about dull functionality vs. frills. I appreciate the variety of material the women's garments use. The biggie is that women get to wear pantyhose (well, not so much anymore it seems).

[DianeT]

All the frills and laces, ribbons and bows that don?t perform any useful function but which look (and feel) sensational. So much of what women are lucky enough to wear each day actually makes life harder not easier. The high heels, the constricting undergarments, the pencil skirts and all the clips and clasps.
If you have found that place in the real world where women wear these every day, let us know! And I am not sure that women who wore these things qualified as lucky. It is our fantasy as CDers, the rest of the humanity does not typically dig uncomfortable and impractical attire. Let's enjoy our fantasies as much as we like, but let's not project them on women and lock them in these old objectifying cliches.

[NancySue]

Differences? Like night and day. I?m part of the comfort group. I can?t think of anything I wear that isn?t comfortable. All the things you mentioned, no problem. The selections are endless. I recently bought a front clasp underwire bra. Its fantastic. Now my go to bras. Colors, styles, materials, and the list goes on.

[GretchenM]

A good deal of femininity in our society seems to be very attached to sensations. These can be visual or a part of the activation of the senses to stimulate emotions in various ways in the woman or in others. Male attire is generally not that way, yet a well fitting suit and tie can certainly create those visual sensations in women that attract them to the male. In general humans place a lot of importance on how something looks and the messages those looks can send. It is a whole different language.

As for us, we have a lot of female-like traits and characteristics (for whatever reason). You can look at us as emulating women, but many of us go far beyond emulation and enter the realm of being women, at least for a period of time. (Keep in mind sex has little to do with it in the expression; that comes from the reaction to certain looks. Rule 1: Gender does not equal sex or visa versa.). And for trans-women and men that period of time is for the rest of their lives. For crossdressers it is a bit less complex, but the principles are probably very much the same. If feels good and pleases us in the way we look and the way it announces to the world that this is the real me - maybe just for awhile or maybe forever.

That is what I think after playing with this crazy business off and on, and now seriously on, for the last 75 years.

[CynthiaD]

I wear the same male outfit to work every day. It's a uniform. (Not military.)

[Jasmine23]

There is no comparison really, male clothes are very limited in style, colour and fabrics, whereas with female clothes there's a world of choice in styles, clothes, fabrics etc. Same goes for shoes, plus add in the different hairstyles, makeup styles, jewellery, etc the options and combinations are endless. Plus on top of all the choice women have, they can also wear a complete male outfit without any real negative consequences.

As well as all the endless options, a lot of female clothes also feel much nicer to wear. The options available to women mean they can look totally different on any given day or occasion, if you compare a woman when she dresses down to when she dresses up, she can look like two totally different people whereas men will generally be recognisable regardless if they dress up or dress down. I think that part of the appeal of crossdressing, is that it allows us to become someone else for awhile.

[Fiona_44]

Women's clothing can make you look pretty and sexy. Men's clothes are called drab for a very good reason.

[Raychel]

I was a mechanic, (Now retired) so I had to wear the same work clothes for 47 years.
Work pants and a work shirt, End the day dirty and greasy.
To get cleaned up and into the finer clothing was and still is a nice
escape from that everyday rat race of a life.

[Erin Lafleur]

To me, there is no comparison. I still wear men's clothing when necessary but it's certainly not my first choice, by any measure.
Women's clothing is artistic and beautiful. The designers understand the flow of their garments and how that amplifies the shape of a woman's body.
To me, there is nothing finer. I love art, whether it is a beautiful painting, a healthy garden, an early morning coffee outdoors or an evening breeze. It's all the same to me.
As I have said before, fine material flowing over me in a gentle breeze is glorious.
Pictorially, this is what I mean...

344168

[Genifer Teal]

Men typically wear pants and a shirt which can pretty much hide any flaw. Women have many different body types and many different body issues. Different clothes will highlight or hide those issues. There needs to be a larger variety of options for the larger variety of women. Don't misread that l o l it works both ways. Men don't realize women usually have some part of their body exposed at any given time. This can be good when it's the right part of the body they don't mind exposing or not good when it's something they need to hide.
I believe this is another reason for the variety of clothing options for women.

[JayBird]

I recently bought a woman's flannel shirt (mostly blue with pink trim). I feel it is meant to be worn open without butting, so I have been wearing a solid white or blue T-shirt with it. I have been loving this shirt. I have worn it in both male mode with boy jeans and in fem mode with a skort. Super soft and really goes either way. Great $5 purchase from thrift store. I need more of these styles!

[SophiaRose]

Some clothes seem to cross gender lines these days. I recently bought a pair of mens powder blue Hoka running shoes that you would swear were womens based solely on color. My wife even noticed them and was surprised about my choice. I just said they reminded me of the color of her eyes and we had a good laugh.

[Jean O]

I am moving towards wearing more and more all female clothes and shopping in the woman's department. Some of my recent purchases are definitely womans there are some non gender specific. Recently I was in Macys and bought a sweater in mens. As I was walking around there was a display of cashmere crew neck sweaters marked down to $59. I tried on on and the fit was perfect.
As I was checking out the sales clerk talked me into opening an account for another 20% off.
I loved it so much I went back the next day to buy more colors. When I returned the sales clerk said I had crossed over into womans but they looked so good on me and no one could tell if they were womans if I wore a collared shirt.
When I am dressed I wear them with a necklace and feel very feminine. Otherwise a collard shirt and I am a guy with a great sweater.
Jean O

[Britney Summers]

Mens clothes are abrasive and have no give for freedom of motion. Womens clothes, I don't believe they are impractical, its just that they are made differently. Shallow Pockets? Get a cross body purse. Tolerating the heat mens clothes are horrible at 70 degree temps, womens clothes, 90 temps are easily tolerable in most cases.

[Debbie Denier]

There is no comparison.If you go to a dept store and compare the mens dept to the women?s. The mens dept usually occupies half a floor. The womens covers at least 2 floors. Then another floor for lingerie and handbags(purses).

[Traci H]

Steffi and others mentioned the square footage devoted to women?s versus men?s clothing in a store. I have often marveled at that difference. The other thing I have always noted was the pages of advertising devoted to each. While the Sunday paper inserts are waning, I often noted multiple pages of women?s clothing and then finally a page or two of men?s furnishings. I suppose men just don?t buy enough and they know their market, but also there just isn?t t that much variety to even advertise.

All my men?s tee shirts have the same neck lines, crew or v-neck and cotton or cotton /poly fabric. My women?s are all over the map with variations in necklines, fabric, sleeve length, colors, not to mention embellishments. I love the variety and the feel. And a rayon shirt sliding over a bra, feels wonderful!

Traci

[SophiaRose]

There are sooo many options with womens clothes it gives me analysis paralysis. I envy how some women put their experience and talent to work to put together a great look. Wishing I had those years behind me to experiment and figure it out.

[Cheryl T]

Men's clothing for the most part is functional. Men for the most part aren't expressive in their clothing.
Women's clothing is functional, but also expressive at the same time. We can wear scrubs in multicolor patterns with bright colored shoes. We can wear a skirt suit to the office with a bright blouse or heels for a pop of color.
Women's clothing allows us to express not only function, but feeling so much more so than male clothing. In the rest of the animal world it is the male that is the "Peacock", with bold features and colors to attract a mate. For humans it is our place to be the color and beauty of the species and I for one take my duty seriously.

[Traci H]

Cheryl, you have brought up a point that I have thought about often. How the male human has become the reverse of the natural world in which the male is the brightly decorated of the genders. Just thinking about how we have allowed this to happen makes me think we might have upset the natural order of things. This could be throwing off the entire ecosystem and maybe now causing our environmental upsets. With that theory in mind, I think donning a pretty dress and makeup might be the best way to save the planet!

[SophiaRose]

I'm on team Traci. It's up to us to save the planet!

[sometimes_miss]

It all comes down to what the wearer is using the clothes for. For TS and crossdressers, it's likely just to have more stimuli, both visual and tactile, which supports the need to feel that we are female. For me, it helps a great deal, as I only feel normal when wearing feminine clothes which are both visually definitely feminine ('women's sweats' do nothing for me) And FEEL like it, such as smooth, cool nylon, silk, polyester as well as are cut and sewed into shapes and so I can actually feel the difference between a maid's uniform dress and say, a men's kilt and men's top.
As far as all the variety, that as well goes way back, to how many women likely use that variety to keep her mate with her. Men are genetically 'wired' to want to have sex with as many women as possible, and by wearing different clothes, styling their hair/dying their hair different colors, wearing different jewelry, shoes with different height heels / styles, different jewelry and accessories, it's an easy way to trigger a man's subconscious into thinking he's found another different woman to have sex with. Sure, we can come up with whatever rational for all the variety, and claim it for ourselves, and so, do whatever feels right for you. It's just so nice, that I can now find cute and feminine clothes to fit my 6'4" linebacker sized frame. Even heels, Pleaser makes SOME shoes and boots that the sizes are actually MEN'S large sized. I wear size 15, 16, and 17 shoes/sneakers, depending on whether I'm wearing stockings to thick socks. Oh, and they come with a regular pump heel from kitten 2" heels all the way up to the absurd ballet spikes. My favorites are the 4 1/2" pumps & boots, even though arthritis prevents me from much walking in them.

[jjjjohanne]

Years ago, women's wear was different than it is now. In those days, clothes were silky, and shiny. They were stretchy. Shoes often had silky insides so that they would not tear your pantyhose. That silky lining was so nice against your feet. Slips were not stretchy. They felt SO much more elegant against your other silky clothing.
In those days, men's clothes were all cotton. That's it.
These days, women's clothes are stretchy pants and cotton-y underwear that, I think, is designed to help hold up the stretchy pants. Women just wear a lot of cotton or stretchy things.
Men's clothing, however, has stretchy synthetic fabrics in some of our underwear.

If I were young today, I think that women's clothing would not be nearly as attractive to me as the clothes from my generation. I do not feel like I am female. I just like the fabrics. So, I probably would not have taken as much interest in today's clothing.

[JohnH]

I'm retired, so there is very little need for me to wear trousers. The last time I wore those things was to my mother's funeral visitation and service. And before that I wore trousers in April to get up on the roof to replace shingles. Otherwise, I wear dresses with painted nails to church, doctor appointments, shopping, etc. And on Sunday mornings I wear makeup, and frequently, heels.
Traci, I agree with you we have this ABSURD situation where male clothing is more drab the women's clothing. As a man, I make it a point to doll myself up far more than most of the women on Sunday mornings.
We can blame this crazy state of affairs on "The Great Male Renunciation" which started around 1750, where men were expected to dress in functional utilitarian styles.

John

[Cheryl T]

Traci I think you're on to something.
In the days of our founding fathers they wore wigs and shoes with high heels. In France at the time they were the Dandies. Women of course wore many layers of restrictive clothing with corsets and laces everywhere, but oh those dresses. Then the men became practical and the women continued to be the standard bearer of beauty.
Think of the 20's, 30's and 40's when men all wore dark suits but the women, the women wore such lovely clothing. Especially when silk stockings became the rage.

WE need to continue to carry on the tradition. The world needs us to show them the color, the style, the femininity it so dearly needs these days. It's on our shoulders, unless our straps slip....LOL.

[Sabine7]

Male clothes and shoes are completely neutral to me. They can be comfortable or good looking, I can even like them but that's it. Nothing more. It's completely different with female clothes. They make me crazy, I desire them as much as having a female body. Unfortunately, the latter one is not realistic for me.

[April Rose]

Lately I've been wearing androgynous women's clothes in public about six days a week. I'm not sure if I do it to feel like a woman , or just not like a man.

[gabe]

I am drawn to female clothes simply because they feel better and look better.

[Lorna]

Tamsin Englefield, who started this topic, wrote: "All the frills and laces, ribbons and bows that don?t perform any useful function but which look (and feel) sensational. So much of what women are lucky enough to wear each day actually makes life harder not easier. The high heels, the constricting undergarments, the pencil skirts and all the clips and clasps".
As others have pointed out, modern women have rejected most (all?) of that in favour of simpler, more comfortable clothes. Understandably, those who grew up from the 1980s onwards would see those earlier, less functional, more restrictive clothes as outdated or even verging on fetishistic. Naturally, too, there are more CDers in this younger category than we oldies. It remains the case that while I and others of my generation can understand why women now do things very differently, we remain fascinated by that earlier complexity, restriction and willingness to wear such clothes in order to satisfy their own and society's expectation of feminine attractiveness.
Without repeating at any length the points I have made elsewhere, much of my enjoyment comes from experiencing dealing with "high heels, the constricting undergarments, the pencil skirts and all the clips and clasps" together with the limitations the clothing imposed on women in terms of maintaining modesty, moving gracefully, dealing with malfunctions and discomfort, etc, etc. No, I don't expect modern women to subject themselves to such things (though it remains the case, in certain circumstances, that many young women are surely just as "uncomfortable" in very high heels, very short dresses/skirts, low necklines, etc as observed in any town centre on Friday and Saturday nights! Throughout all these decades, men's attire, apart from generally becoming less formal, has remained virtually unchanged both in types of garments and materials. I derive no pleasure from donning my male shirts, trousers, socks and shoes...but a bra, girdle, slip, stockings, dress/skirt, heels...that's a different matter: it takes at least twice as long, invloves hooks and eyes, zips, straps, suspenders, adjustments, a degree of limitation or restriction or discomfort...yet is much more than twice as enjoyable.

[il.dso]

Great topic to ponder and discuss.
I had to wear button down shirts, ties and blazers for my work life, which I always HATED!
I love all aspects of crossdressing, the dresses, lingerie, pantyhose, make up, jewelry, etc, etc.
Always dreamed of shopping with my wife in the dress department.
Some day, maybe.
All such great and profound joy...

[danniUK]

I love the feel of the clothes, the satin, silk, nylons, even the cotton dresses. And it is how it feels on, the bra against your chest, a tight fitting skirt on your hips, or a loose summer dress that you can spin in that lets the breeze in. Leggings and nylons against the legs. And many more tactile things I think we can all agree we just do not have in male clothes. Oh and looking sexy helps too, or at least trying too.

I couldn't have put it better myself, Mercedes!

[Camille58]

Like April rose, I have been wearing androgynous women's clothes also. I love the way women's clothing feels on my body! The fact that wearing female clothing helps me stay in touch with my quiet, feminine side is almost secondary. It's wonderful!

[Helen_Highwater]

Getting dressed into everyday man wear I very rarely give any consideration to matching items. If I get dressed into femme day wear then things have to coordinate, colours have to complement each other, even down to any jewellery I might put on.

And it's often the hidden things. This morning I put on; a thong with thick tights. Then a pull on skirt. And it's here that differences start to happen. Man underwear and jeans just get pulled on. Femme all need to sit on the same waistline. Bralette and forms, patterned scooped necked 3/4 sleeved fitted tee with waterfall cardi over. All colour matching (black). Oh and a pair of shin length Uggs.

And the result is there in the mirror. I'm "presentable". I've made an effort to look "decent". What the world would see if I went out grocery shopping matters to me. GG's who throw a coat on over sleepwear to take the kids to school of nip to the shop, well its their choice but perhaps it demonstrates that women do have to put in that bit more effort and some get tired of it. Not this gurl.

And yes, femme things do have a far more tactile element to them. Even simple tees can feel nicer, softer on.

Add shape wear and a well fitted dress, fine hose and heels and that looks and feels better than any suit/jacket/trousers/shirt/tie can ever do.

[Brynna M]

I don't think it's just the clothes and the options. While at any mall that is true in the internet age you can buy a wide array of men's clothing than just the classic styles. And while it would be a typical no more so than a man in a dress. There is something attractive about the female presentation as being female for me at least.

[Sabine7]

Hi Brynna, I totally agree with you. For me, it's all about being a woman. It is a sensation caused by contact with a delicate silk fabric of female clothes and the magic of high heels.

[Chloe Servante]

A lot of you are saying that men's clothing lacks an element of fashion; that it's boring and disinteresting. Men's fashion doesn't have to be boring or incomparable to women's fashion insofar as interestingness, and quite often it is not at all. There are countless ways to express yourself as a man through fashion that would absolutely have you stand out amongst a crowd. You just have to get bold and creative with your apparel choices and go beyond the mainstream shops like Macy's or Kohls, etc. and perhaps spend a bit more money on creative pieces of clothing. So I disagree that men's fashion is boring. Perhaps the issue is that you find it less interesting that women's fashion...

...and that's where I currently stand. While men's fashion has the potential to be just as interesting as women's fashion (in my opinion), I simply have zero interest in spending any time expressing myself uniquely as a man. My male wardrobe consists of countless colorful dress shirts, jeans, khaki pants/shorts. The end. Fin. Nothing about the male clothes I own excite me whatsoever. They are merely tools that I use to cover my naked body. And I hate shopping for men's clothing because, well, it's men's clothing. Even though I have the potential to find male clothing items that are unique, interesting, and expressive...I give zero ****s about finding male outfits that do anything expect cover my body.

Women's clothing, on the other hand, is faaaaaaaaaaar more interesting and fun to shop for. I could do so for hours and I have done so for hours...looking at minidresses, shoes, fishnets, skirts. I have yet to fully comprehend why I love wearing women's clothing so much, but it simply provides a infinitely more exciting experience than when I wear men's clothing. I wish our society were far more understanding of cross dressing because I feel trapped. When I'm in women's clothing, shoes, wearing pretty jewelry, donning perfect makeup...I'm existing in a private version of my own heaven. Feeling girly and pretty is something that is quite addictive and I feel compelled, in a healthy way, to generate those feelings through cross dressing.

Anyways, I've lost my train of thought. Goddamn ADHD! I saw a shiny object and that was the end of it. =-P

EDIT: Just because most men dress in uninteresting clothes doesn't mean that male fashion can't be interesting, creative, and allow for a man to stand out from the crowd. I don't think male fashion is boring, I think most men are boring with their fashion choices.

[char GG]

Thanks for that comment, Chloe. It's fine if women's clothes are preferred.

But men's clothes can be very interesting if they want it be unique. I've seen a lot of really cool men's clothes at the concerts that I work at.

[JohnH]

Hi Brynna, I totally agree with you. For me, it's all about being a woman. It is a sensation caused by contact with a delicate silk fabric of female clothes and the magic of high heels.

On Sunday mornings I wear high heels to church, along with a dress. While there are women who wear dresses, more than half wear trousers. But there are extremely few women who wear high heels anymore. I regard myself as a man who likes expanded clothing options. What people tell me, I don't have a "man" look, so I can wear anything I like.

John