Originally Posted by
Leslie Langford
"Borrowed from the boys" seems to be an established hook amongst the fashion industry to get women and girls interested in new clothing lines each season. Why is that, and what makes that "cachet" so appealing to some women?
I'll tell you why...it's because some women and girls get the same kind of kick out of pushing the boundaries of what society considers to be "acceptable" clothing for their gender as we do when we put on our frillies, but there is a whole lot less stigma attached to that activity in their cases. On the contrary, society often "high-fives" them for doing so, and sees them as courageous foot soldiers in the battle for gender equality when they want to compete with men on their own turf this way.
And while we're at it, what's up with that scam known as "unisex" clothing? That's just code to indicate that women and girls continue to be encouraged to wear whatever they please, and more particularly, male-inspired clothing. When was the last time anyone saw a "unisex" skirt or dress (or even an androgynous version of one, if something like that even exists?) targeted at men or boys?
The truth of the matter is: we crossdressers could exercise the same prerogative to openly wear what pleases us the way the womenfolk do - even if it knowingly (and deliberately) involves flaunting society's "rules" as to what constitutes gender-appropriate clothing - if that's what floats our boats. Trouble is, most of us lack the cojones to do so.
I'll be the first to admit that seeing a MIAD out in the wild would be a jarring visual for me, but that is also the result of how I have been socialized. At the same time, I realize how fundamentally illogical that is, and I applaud the courage of all those here who are willing to put themselves out there in this manner and take one for the team, as it were.
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