The death of crossdressing?

[busker]

The other day I read and article in the NYTimes (I left a link in Media) that androgeny is rearing its head again. Burburry is no longer making trench coats for flashers but unisex panties instead. As the article points out, androgeny's new styles are for the young and slim. It's now acceptable in society (e.g. NYC?) for folks to dress androgenously/unisex. Older folks won't likely touch it with a ten foot pole. But, what happens to the crossdressing fashions of today, which a built on styles of yesterday? There are many here who enjoy corsets, garter belts, girdles, slips, dresses etc, but those largely went out of fashion in the 60's. We are the children of the 60's or earlier. If young cds are modelling their wardrobe on "yesterdays" that could mean short shorts, tank top, flip flops or skin tights and not much else. Nothing aesthetic or erotic there unless you count errant pubic hairs (even those are mostly gone) slipping past the inseam. My mother's lingerie style was certainly an influence, but also the "girly mags of the 50's and 60's, Playboy , Gurlesque (sic)stars like GRL and talent like Mamie van Doren, and later on, movies that dared to show the bare esentials and over the years, various books and the ubiquitous internet. Now, women like Dita von Tease make a good living doing retro burlesque and there are lots of softcore sites doing heels, panties, glamour etc. Where is the influence for the yound cds? Is it the internet? Is it their sisters? We don't here much from them as they seem to be locked in a closet elsewhere on this forum. The women I see where I live certainly won't be models for me or future cds if corsets, etc are the fashion de riguer of crossdressing. Does it make a difference? If we all wear unisex, crossdressing will be a tough act. Will there be other ways in which to express a feminie persona?
Mandrake out of water

[windycissy]

Very provocative post, thank you! For me at least, the dressing is about making myself look and feel as much like a woman as possible, so I've adapted my look to what women are wearing, for example even though I dig slips and stockings I almost never wear them anymore...so if androgyny means that women start dressing more like men and vice versa, I say bring it on!

[Karren H]

As long as stores sell dress's and skirt's.. I'm good.. And if not, there are still garage and estate sales and flea markets and ebay... If everyone wants to dress the same then let them... They can have their blue jeans! Lol.

My find of new 60's vintage stocking today at an estate sale just shows the amount of pure feminity that is stockpiled in Americas homes and attic's accross the country!! Just waiting for its time to spring forward and be reawaken and repurposed!!! We will survive this attack!! .

God I sound like I'm running for office!!

[linnea]

I've been in Penney's, Macy's, WalMart, K-Mart, and a couple smaller local shops in the past five days. Every one of them offers row upon row of dresses, skirts, panties, bras, hose, shapewear, and other fem attire. I think that it's going to take more than an NYC flash of unisex haute couture to change the general fashion trends and tendencies. I'm not worried about the death of crossdressing because I will keep it going myself, and I'm sure that lots of others will too.

[Sally2005]

Maybe it just becomes more difficult for the 'man in a dress' style, but for a CDer who likes to blend in, the challenge is to look and feel like a female...and women will always have curves and style that guys don't so the challenge will always exist. My kid still worries about gender differences at 6 years old and that's not going away any time soon.

[Starling]

Just wear what feels like you. Then you'll be happy. The demise of pretty clothes will not occur in your lifetime.

Lallie

[Frédérique]

The other day I read and article in the NYTimes (I left a link in Media) that androgeny is rearing its head again.
If we all wear unisex, crossdressing will be a tough act. Will there be other ways in which to express a feminie persona?

[SIZE="2"]It’ll take awhile for any fashion trend from NYC to make it out to the prairie – women around here look like they just fell off the (Conestoga) wagon. By that I mean women who wear women’s clothing – I don’t include that drab multitude called Sweatpants Nation. Out here, women only wear feminine clothing when societal correctness demands it – mainly at church, at weddings, or proms/homecomings and the like. One of the few women I see wearing a skirt on a daily basis is the real estate agent who sold us this house – I think she does this to say, “I’m serious, so listen to what I’m telling you – look, I’m wearing a skirt, and I certainly don’t have to, but I want you to know I’m making an effort, so you should, too.” I can read and speak skirt language fluently…

How can one express a feminine persona without crossdressing? Well, you can be as effeminate as all get-out and hope for the best, but few would interpret those “signs” correctly, would they? I believe you can comport yourself in a certain way, according to the particular feminine template you have chosen to follow, and believe you are feminine, since it is a state of mind at the core level, but how many see it that way? Underdressing helps, since certain garments bring with them a sense of feminine excitement for many “users.” Personally, I like the more traditional outer layers of women’s clothing, so I may eventually be ostracized by society for rejecting unisex altogether. Oh, well, what else is new? I must be one or the other, so I’ll go with girl… [/SIZE]

[sterling12]

You asked a provocative question. I think your sort of right. I notice in My Support Group, each generation of CD's seems to favor The Fashions of their formative years. Example? Cd's in their 50's and 60's GENERALLY favor stockings and garters, whether attached to a girdle, corset, or garter belt. Cd's in their 30's and 40's GENERALLY favor pantyhose. Those younger, whom I do encounter, seem to be fascinated with leggings, or a "barelegged look."

I would imagine you would see this same trend across The Spectrum of clothing. But, a couple of "maybe not so fasts," do occur to me. Rule One....fashion does change with regularity, and it also repeats itself. Fashion Designers, despite their claims of genius, often run out of fresh ideas, and crib off styles and designs from The Past. So next year, if "The Look," suddenly became dresses that looked like Dior Gowns from The 50's...I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. So, what CD's in The Future will find to be "intriguing," your guess is as good as mine; I just know it will be something different. Rule two...There is always a minority of Youth, especially during turbulent times, who will hearken back to a bygone era. I don't know if it's ennui' for simpler times, or if the Answer lies somewhere else. I do "Swing Dancing!" And I wish I had a nickel for every young woman that I know who has embraced The Whole Scene 24/7. You can see them in period skirts, dresses, blouses, and vintage seamed stocking with heels. I would not venture to guess what they are wearing underneath their clothing, but if I was betting, I would bet that they are "authentic" all over.

If I were "Mr. Sissy Fashion," I would make a bet on The Upcoming Trend being designs reminiscent of The 1930's. After all, we are in an economic downturn which mimics The Depression...why not? So, I wouldn't worry about Unisexer's in New York, maybe it will catch on, maybe not. One thing is sure, in a very short time all fashions for women become passé.

Peace and Love, Joanie

[Jenniferpl]

I doubt if bras will be going out of style any time soon. So I am good.

[sheidelmeidel]

Very interesting thread.

Men and women are intrinsically different, different genetics and chemistry, and so they will always distinguish themselves from one another somehow. Even animals do that. So for someone who wants to cross over, there will always be a line to cross.

[Kate Simmons]

Who really cares what fashion designers do or what the "trends" are? The real challenge these days is to be an individual amidst the "Borg" whether one is in or out of the "closet".

[skirtsuit]

The real trends to watch are what you see on the street. The fashion industry is always trying tell us what the next big thing will be, but who cares?

Here in Philly, I see more and more women in skirts, dresses and tights/pantyhose. See thread in beauty talk about the rebirth of black sheers.


All the Best,

Ann / SS

[SuzanneBender]

We girls TG and GG will always have to strut our plumage. Its in our genes (yet to be proven but I am going with it anyway). I consider myself a Fashionista. I watch the trends closely thank to the internet and the death of several trees a month in order to send me the fashion magazines that are my link beyond the modern equivalent of the little house on the prairie dresses (Sweatpants Frederique) that are the staple of the windswept plains. I don't see the wonderful designs, textiles and colors every going away.

If that day does happen, I will build my TG bunker. Buy all the pretty stuff I can since it will be on sale at deep discount because it is out of style and hide away until we can elect Karren Hutton president or better yet Empress.

[Malori Cross]

Your post sent me searching for "unisex panties" and indeed they exist! Apparently they are quite popular in Japan. You might want to check out: http://skumora.tblog.com/post/1970067528

They are surprisingly feminine, yet guys are evidently buying & wearing them. The blog has other links worth a look.

Hey--I'm all for androgyny & unisex. Maybe it's a sign that folks are finally coming to realize that men & women have more in common than society has permitted and that going unisex is a big step in the right direction.

As for me, wearing 1950's era femme fashions has rarely been my thing ('cept those awesome tight sweaters!).

Retro is Retro--let's break some new ground!

[JiveTurkeyOnRye]

Maybe it just becomes more difficult for the 'man in a dress' style, but for a CDer who likes to blend in, the challenge is to look and feel like a female....

Since the whole point of my being a "man in a dress" is that I don't see why men should have to limit themselves to certain types of clothes when women get to have so much fun stuff, I don't see how a trend towards things being more unisex clothing would make it more difficult for me?

ut, what happens to the crossdressing fashions of today, which a built on styles of yesterday?

After re-reading this thread this morning, I don't really agree with the central premise. First of all, androgyny may be a returning trend in some circles, but it is in no way threatening the take over the mainstream. It's a trend, a fad, just like all fashion, and even it does explode to a larger popularity it won't last.

But this concept of crossdressing fashions being built on the styles of yesterday? Sure, maybe at some of the fringe fetish sales websites that sell specialty clothes, but there are plenty of CDs, including the majority on this site, who are very much in touch with current fashion styles. Young CDs don't model their styles on yesterday's fashions, they model their style based on the girls they see around them and what they're wishing they could wear.

[Satrana]

Isn't a move towards making women's clothes unisex the birth of crossdressing rather than the death? Don't we want to get rid the closet of guilt and shame?

I have been wearing panties for so long that I no longer see them as being feminine anymore. In my eyes they are already unisex.

[Carly D.]

That would be interesting to see the clothing suddenly is worn by both men and women alike.. I mean women wear mens clothes already but men can't wear womens clothing not because of what women might say but rather because other men might make fun of these men.. I've never worried about other women seeing me and saying something out of place such as what do you think you are doing wearing that?? but rather having some man saying something to me..

[Fab Karen]

Dresses have NOT "gone out of fashion"- clothing stores wouldn't spend money stocking them if that were true. And there are plenty of GG's buying garter-belts and stockings, as well as us.

[sherib]

Never, crossdressing has been around since the beginning. The only thing that changes, is the style of how women dress. after all we don't dress like women did in the early 1900's, all thou there are some who like that style of dressing. Most of us are influents by short dresses, long legs, nylons and pantyhose. The new cross dressers are influents by the way some of the young girls dress today. Flip flops, jeans and fewer clothes and more body exposure. Crossdressing will never die, it will change slowly with the styles changes.

[Mary Morgan]

Where did I put those polyester leisure suits and my Funky Groovy Threads? Some may remember Dick Clark's attempt to market makeup for men. I think we have been here before, but perhaps many are too young to remember.

Anyway fear not, we shall do whatever we must do to preserve our way of life. I dreamed I was an astronaut in my Maidenform bra. And so it goes.