Men's clothes are boring!

There were 2 times that I enjoyed dressing up.
The first was my fraternity induction dinner. I wore an incredible double breasted tux and felt like no other time.
The second was my wedding. Again a tux and feeling fabulous.

Since then the only times I have felt that good were when my support group held their Christmas parties. I was able to wear a beautiful red spaghetti strap gown to my first, with my hair all done up. I truly felt like Cinderella.
To the rest I wore lovely cocktail dresses, strappy sandals and each time felt like the belle of the ball. Now I just wish everyone knew so I could just be me and enjoy my fancy clothes at parties and weddings and such instead of having to go in costume.

As somebody who has to present as a "smart" male for various complex reasons (although often underdressed), there are some advantages to mens' stuff.

Firstly, things like suits, shirts & pants are generally of higher quality, and fit better.

Secondly, spares are available! I had a well fitting business suit which I wore out. Three years later I went back to the store and the same line was still on the shelf.

Try doing that with your favourite bra.

I agree men?s clothing is very boring. As a matter of fact I?ve not one single piece of men?s clothing at all anymore. On January 1st I?ve been dressing as a woman out to everyone. I own one pair of bass shoes from high school days and 1 pair of Marlboro hiking boots in size 12 both. I keep them in event I?m working on autos or cutting grass. I assume it?d be kind of hard cutting yard in heels unless I want to aerite the yard. Even in later years with fabrics changing somewhat I still didn?t care for them. Besides I?ve live with all the ups & downs of living in the closet. I am lucky I suppose after one year have still not had any problems whatsoever with my coming out. I don?t wear too much makeup just mascara and lipstick mainly and only shaving I have to do is underarms and arms. But not everyone can do as I?ve done but 42 years is long enough to keep hiding and being miserable. I?m happy now and everyone has been great. Some on here I?ve seen their Leary about being dressed and being pulled over by police or in an accident while out. What I?ve noticed is the police in my area are sensitive to your how do I say. Ok I had my purse stolen in a gas station the first of February last year. When I called the police to take the report their first question when they arrived was excuse me Mam but what pronouns do you wish to go by. Same question when I had a small fender bender in a parking lot. They were professional did their job and couldn?t have been more polite to my needs to dress as I was. Nothing else was said. It?s a different world today and much more open minded than 42 years ago when I started dressing.

I think Charlotte summed it up correctly when she said variety is greater with womens attire. I have no issues with nice shirts and pants or shorts and I have a lot of male shoes but the variety of cuts/lengths and fabrics of most types of womens clothing means that there is so much more. Naturally for most of us on this forum we are drawn to the allure and excitement of womenswear

Yes men's selections in clothing suck. I am starting to give dress clothes a serious look. Slacks and fine dress shirts. So far nothing has peaked my interests.

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Originally Posted by char GG

As Dutchess pointed out, it depends where you look for men's clothes and what is the occasion. Where I work (concert venue), I see men dressed in fantastic sequin jackets with matching sequin shoes. These are not movie stars, but they seem to find the most beautiful, flashy clothes. Women dress for the venue and in this case, so do the men.

Just as women are able dress up or dress down, the same goes for men. It's all preferences.

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I enjoy dressing up for the theatre and concerts. We head for London a few times each year to take in a show. Dependent on the season I may dress like the Man from Delmote or Richard Gere, complete with silk scarf and shiny shoes. For sure I would love to dress like Julia Roberts, but I could never pull that one off in public, which would detract from the evening. So enjoy what you got, when you can. Even if that means dressing like a man.

I completely agree! No colors, no textures really, no fun sheer or lacy patterns! Snoozefest!

If the question were revised to only talk about everyday clothes, stuff you'd go to the park in for example, you see men and women wearing much the same things. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, tank tops. But really no dresses or neckties. But within the boundaries of "park wear" there are differences. Women wear pants at any length from covering her shoes to just over the butt cheeks. Her shirt can have any length sleeve from over her hands to spaghetti straps. Her pants can be baggy jeans or skin tight leggings. Men's clothes do not have those options. Short sleeves have to be so long, tanks have to be cut just right, shorts have to go at least to the knees, etc. Also, with a few exceptions my men's shirts feel like sandpaper compared to my women's shirts, why is there a rule that men can't wear comfy shirts?

Watching the Dior video that Dutchess put up, can't say I was a fan of the capri-length highwaters but I'd sure love shorts that are actually short come back into fashion!

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Originally Posted by Dutchess

I think ( no I know ) Karl Lagerfeld, Prince, Elton John , Gianni Versace , DIOR !!!! ( my favorite ), Tom Ford , Ralph Lauren ,, beautiful Adrian the costume designer ... have/ had some of the most beautiful clothing I have ever seen so I of course I don't get this . I really dont understand why ( well I do but I digress) some of you all that are restricted somewhat don't dress a little flamboyantly when in menswear .. its certainly possible . Look at the young NFLers walking into the stadiums on Sundays , Mondays and Thursdays .. They are not boring at all .. vivid colors and patterns and fabrics , alot of alternate high fashion ...

If you are stuck in black/navy/grey pants and a shirt , then that's on you because there is a whole world of color and fashion out there in menswear .
I know that's not what you want to hear but still ...its certainly available if you look . You wont find it at Walmart or Kohls but most of you here can easily afford the upscale things..

No , its not mini skirts and corsets but they are even carrying purses this year ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ7P...=ChristianDior

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Thanks for sharing the video link. I thought the production of the fashion show was awesome and I love the creativity of all the fashions. But, my thinking is that almost all the styles that the models wore were as much a chick repellent as a miniskirt or corset. Obviously there are exceptions but in the world I live in the reaction to those particular fashions would be as well accepted as most of the items in my femme closet.

I love the creativity and the pushing of the envelope that a fashion show like this one exhibits, but there's virtually nothing from the show that would be something I'd wear. I hate the wide leg pants for myself because they'd make me look dumpier than i already look and never really liked that look on anyone, male or female. That would be to me what leggings seem to be for you.

ADDED NOTE: This morning I got up and covered my sports bra and panties with a pair of yoga pants and a simple long sleeve woman's t. I've got my shoulder-blade length gray hair pulled back in a bun and my racer back sports bra shows at the neck and the aqua color matches my hair tie. My style has been described as freestyle more than crossdressing here on the forum because I wear a beard and don't feel the least bit feminine for my clothing choices. I actually feel more masculine for asserting my own taste.

The world were "stuck in" is mostly determined by the acceptance/rejection of our significant others.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I do hope purses become more mainstream for men.

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Originally Posted by OrdinaryAverageGuy

Watching the Dior video that Dutchess put up, can't say I was a fan of the capri-length highwaters but I'd sure love shorts that are actually short come back into fashion!

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Ditto about the capris and ditto about the shorts.

Everyone is picking on colors for men's suits.
It's not really true. There are lots of colors, patterns and styles. It's just that they are MEN'S clothes and that's not what we love.
Give me a cute dress, or blouse and skirt anyday.

I agree with Cheryl. What I like about women's clothes is that they are women's. I dress in men's clothes when I have to for practical purposes. I dress in women's clothes to express myself.

Even in that context, I'm not really a flamboyant person by nature. The irony of that is not lost on me.

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Originally Posted by Cheryl T

Everyone is picking on colors for men's suits.
It's not really true. There are lots of colors, patterns and styles. It's just that they are MEN'S clothes and that's not what we love.
Give me a cute dress, or blouse and skirt anyday.

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That ^^^^ I knew when I posted that link no one would like them lol .. and that above is why ..I was just suggesting that for times that you could not dress .

@Bea as you know I live in West Hollywood and I see any and everything here ... I airlifted myself away from Texas decades ago because I couldn't stand the oppression that I faced being different .. and that included my style of clothing also so I get it . Out here those styles do not drive women away .. We see alot of very high fashion out here just like that and that usually denotes pretty , well educated , creative , upscale men .. but no its not girls clothes .

I watch all the menswear runway shows. I never see anybody wearing it. It's no just because I'm stuck in the redneck south. I actually get out of here fairly often and you'd think I'd see at least some "high fashion" in the airports, if nowhere else. I watch them hoping to see what's coming. Every year at least a couple of designers, sometimes most of them, will show men in skirts and dresses, usually in beautiful fabrics. Sometimes (2024) the heels are a little higher, the necklines a little lower, some of the models will be wearing makeup or nail polish... You know, all of the things we like. Sometimes beautiful and unabashedly feminine things. For several years almost all of them have been carrying purses. Frankly, though, some of them themed, and so far out there that nobody will ever wear them. I don't get the point of it. And if you wanted to dress that way, I don't even know where you'd buy it. I've been to a number of department stores that carry things I can't afford, and even there I don't see a menswear department that has this stuff. The few guys I see wearing stuff that resembles it (I'm talking about guys wearing this stuff as guys) bought it in them women's department (presumably).

I think it's amusing when guys or their wives will choose/wear something from the men's side that is exactly like something from the women's side, but they'd recoil in horror at the thought of wearing the women's version. On the other hand, I find it completely understandable that I'd choose the exact same thing from the women's side ever single time!!

I bought a purse from the Coach Outlet online. If you look there under "men's" you'll see a lot of bags that are purses. I'm not sure they sell the exact bag under "women's" but I assume they do. I don't know because... (drumroll please)... I wouldn't buy one that came from the "men's" category!

Another comment or two about the fashion runways. They've been beating the drum for men carrying purses for a LONG time. If they have any mainstream influence, guys carrying purses should surely be commonplace very soon. I'll probably quit carrying one when that happens!

BTW Dutchess, if we're naming favorite designers, I think Phillipe Blond is H-O-T!! I'd post a link, but it'd probably melt my monitor!

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Originally Posted by Bea_

But, my thinking is that almost all the styles that the models wore were as much a chick repellent as a miniskirt or corset.

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This is projecting your own view of it onto GGs. My chick (aka wifey) also loved a lot of things in this fashion show (except maybe sandals with socks). I think we shouldn't speak for GGs about what they think and love, if we really knew we would probably be in for some surprises.

I would say that I?m definitely projecting my experience and observations. My wife, my daughter, my sister and various other women I know have verbally asserted being turned off by presentations like this. A gay family member wore flamboyant styles like this when he was younger but it wasn?t women whom he was trying to attract. I?m not condemning and actually admired his style.

I can?t help but think if women, in general, we?re attracted to these styles, they?d be knocked off and you?d be buying them at target and Walmart and Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt would be wearing them in movies. Just one man?s opinion.

Rhonda, I didn't know about Phillipe Blond until your post. I think I'm a fan already. I didn't care for the Dior fashions; they looked adolescent. Nothing a person my age would wear. I do wear earrings in drab, and occasionally a little makeup, womens' slacks and sweaters, so I'm not completely conventional, but there's only so much a person my age can do with that.

I enjoy Wearing a nice 3piece suit & Tie for special occasions, I take pride in my appearance,

There is no doubt that I really Enjoy getting feminine dressed to the Nines,

>>>>>>>>>Orchid**O:daydreaming:O**

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Originally Posted by Bea_

I can?t help but think if women, in general, we?re attracted to these styles, they?d be knocked off and you?d be buying them at target and Walmart and Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt would be wearing them in movies. Just one man?s opinion.

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Your remark makes sense, and yet I don't think that is necessarily true. Historically society has been tailored to men's tastes, not women's, since women were conditioned to be the object of desire, not men. And this hasn't changed much nowadays. For example, female gamers abound, but the gaming industry and its iconography is still targeting young males primarily with heroines with oversized asses and breasts, and just like in the movies, who's wearing the costumes in half naked mode? Who's fighting in a bikini and shorts when men are in full armor and long army pants? Who's posing, showing their derriere, on Marvel movie posters while the other gender is in action, facing the viewer's eye? You get the idea. So knowing what women would really dig if they were given a chance to choose freely, that remains a mystery.
https://www.comicsbeat.com/gender-sw...-lots-of-butt/

I am very sorry about this !!! If I had not been the one to post about Dior you all would have loved it !! .. I can hardly believe anyone would see Dior as adolescent .. but , some are just not sophisticated enough to really be able to enjoy things like that and thats ok .. Dior is legend and no mini skirt or dress from Macys could ever compare ..


BTW Brad does wear things like that on the red carpet .. I have seen him in real life a few times here, and I found a GQ that showed some of it as well

https://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-s...train-premiere

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Originally Posted by Dutchess

I am very sorry about this !!! If I had not been the one to post about Dior you all would have loved it !!

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I hate that you feel the need to apologize. I actually appreciated you sharing and I do think that it's admirable that your taste includes these things. I run across various men's designer fashions in my browsing and there are some that i like and some that i don't. In this particular show I appreciated the creativity and some of the looks, but overall the styles seem to precious for anything I'd ever feel a need to wear. Call that unsophisticated and I won't disagree. I love that short shorts were represented. I hated that shorter men's shorts left the scene in the 80s-90s.

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Originally Posted by Dutchess

https://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-s...train-premiere

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I have seen a few pics of Brad that showed his creativity. The skirt outfit in the link wasn't a favorite look. Too unstructured for my taste. I appreciate that he wore it but it's not something I'd wear. What I wish is that he'd portray a likable character that dressed like he does in real life. It seems like portrayals like that would open up the possibilities.



Billy Porter wore a tuxedo dress to the 2019 Oscars and I love it. I would have no where to wear something like that but I love that he represented as a man in a beautiful outfit like that.

https://www.refinery29.com/images/90...408&quality=85


NOTE: I haven't really watched videos of the designer shows but your comment and the discussion had me curious, so I did a youtube search. Saint Lauent Summer 24 show was more my taste in designer things. At 7:37 in the length below is a style that caught my eye and isn't that different from styles I like from the women's department.
https://www.refinery29.com/images/90...408&quality=85

Just by going to a thrift store, I think it's quite obvious which gender has it easier to spice up their wardrobe. That being said, while the volume of availability might be different, there definitely are plenty of ways to dress snazzy as a bloke without suit and tie, nicer shoes, patterned shirts, even some belts can help one's guy sense of fashion. Shame I don't have any real interest in that as I go to buy my umpteenth pair of heels.

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Originally Posted by Bea_

NOTE: I haven't really watched videos of the designer shows but your comment and the discussion had me curious, so I did a youtube search. Saint Lauent Summer 24 show was more my taste in designer things. At 7:37 in the length below is a style that caught my eye and isn't that different from styles I like from the women's department.
https://www.refinery29.com/images/90...408&quality=85

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I am sorry that I pasted the wrong link into my response. Here's the right one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FJripP8NbU

I do not think that the boringness of mens clothing started me down this path or kept me on it. And does not mater how unboring you make them, I would never switch teams, again.

I had some really stylish Italian shirts way back in the 80s, that I really enjoyed wearing.
Everything else is pretty dull though.

It'd probably make for an interesting thread to post links to the menswear runway shows for comment. They're interesting at least, and would probably make for good discussion. I'm certainly unqualified to make any meaningful comment. I just know what I like and I try to find something in these shows that might make it into the mainstream. I'm definitely not the target demographic! As I've said before, if two identical things were available in the women's and men's section, I'd get the women's every time. That said:

In the Dior show that Dutchess posted, I like the softer drapey fabrics. The clashing colors, the patterns, and the mixing of patterns is not my thing. I love the short shorts! I'm glad they're all carrying purses, but as someone who carries a purse in male mode, carrying the small purses in one hand made them look like they really didn't want to be carrying a purse. Looked like they were carrying some takeout food. Kind of like a guy carries/holds a purse for his wife. I don't like small purses to begin with, and I think there's kind of a art to carrying a purse in a way that makes it look natural. It was a learned thing for me, although I realize that "learned thing" contradicts "natural". Learn how to look natural?!? I could name a few other things besides purses where that was the case.

The SL show that Bea posted... Hate the jackets with shoulder pads!! I thought the extreme scoop necklines were not a good look. Also, too much black. I like (sort of) that the models were wearing lipstick, but it was done in a "Is he wearing lipstick?" kind of way. It's like they had one tube of dusty pink lipstick for everybody to share. I like the heels, but here again, they were all the same and a height and blocky style that kind of said, "Look! I'm almost wearing high heels!" Almost a '70's men's platform heels look, but they've got a long way to go to catch up with the 70's! Mine came from the women's department because they didn't have men's in a small enough size for me, but they weren't substantially different from the men's. A little narrower heel and narrower toe than the men's. I never measured the heels, but from what I recall, 4" was common for everyday wear, and 6" wasn't unheard of. I hope the heels trend toward mainstream.

On some of the menswear shows the models wear obvious makeup and nail polish, which I like. I wish more would do that, but I think they don't want to distract from the clothes. They're selling clothes, not makeup and nail polish. There might be a show where the men aren't carrying purses, but for several years the overall them is purses. Despite that, men carrying purses is exceedingly rare. Goofy looking "manbags", yes. Purses, no.

That's my unqualified take on these menswear shows. I love watching them Even the ridiculous ones!